The Scoops

Ralph Goings - Chocolate Lean (2010)

That time of the month where I share what I got on Bandcamp Friday. Not too much this time, but some overdue additions and some new stuff too. Originally I was wanting this to be a retro rundown with Luke Vibert's UK Garave Vol. 1 leading it but that didn't quite pan out. Still managed to get a bit of retro vibe in it though thanks to another release from ThorHighHeels.

Positive Yellow is a little like UK Garave Vol. 1 in that it's very much a tribute to a very specific kind of sound, though as you might expect if you follow Thor's video work - this time it's a love letter to the soundtracks of games when they started to take advantage of CD Audio. Each of the tracks is fairly bite size, but they all do a great job of nailing that sound - plus as a bonus there's plenty of samples to spot: from classic drum & bass breaks to the beat from this one which I think is taken from the Todd Terry Remix of Everything But The Girl's Wrong. About once a year I get a little nostalgic for the kind of house and general 'dance' that was on the radio when I was younger, in fact I just spent the last couple of weeks putting together and curating playlist with a friend on exactly that theme, that might sound like a statement out of left-field at first, but I bring it up because Summer's Edge is exactly the kind of sound that I mean - it's that special kind of House that typifies that vibe for me.



Freezepop next - a band I've had multiple brief flings with. This release has long been overdue to add to my collection - it's got one of my favourites from them on in Here Comes A Special Boy, a tune that I have had in my collection for coming up on 15 years now(!) - though as a crap 96kbps version that I got from some p2p network. A better quality version never surfaced after all those years, and if I remember right this EP's physical release was a super limited one as well so I kind of gave up on it. When I found this on my Bandcamp travels a year or so ago, I knew I owed it to them to actually buy it one day (and so I could get my mitts on a better quality version!).

And so here we are, sentimentality aside, this EP hails from the early days of Freezepop's output - they're another band that kind of got lumped in with the 'Electroclash' scene but their work is definitely more straight up Synthpop. There's a certain playfulness and irreverence they have throughout that you can hear most obviously on tracks like Here Comes A Special Boy that can turn some people away, and that's something I totally understand, coming back to some of these tracks has more than a few times brought up some long repressed memories of my teenage years.

But if you're willing to dig a little deeper, you're rewarded. The live version(s) of Outer Space and Plastic Stars included on this EP are really beautiful. It's a little strange to have them both be one big monster track at 10+ mins long but they blend together pretty seamlessly - the way the dreamy repetition of Outer Space fades into the much more poppy Plastic Stars is great. You can kind of hear where those electroclash labels come from there too: there's plenty of fairly stoic delivery that's evocative of the genre here (but as we all know, Electroclash lifted that from Kraftwerk anyway!). It's perhaps a little bit dated but I can't help but smile a bit at these tracks, part of me will always love this kind of skeletal, homemade sounding electronic.



And finally, another track from Ceephax's Byron's Ballads EP. I'll admit I'm not super well versed in the ways of Ceephax - but this EP is fast becoming what I'd recommend to a first time listener, even if it is quite a bit different from his usual output. As mentioned before, when I think of Ceephax, my mind comes up with images of deliberately naff visuals and slightly satirical acid tracks - a little like DMX Krew in that regard. But on Byron's Ballads there's not really any of that (save for maybe the visuals and title), each and every one of these tracks would absolutely be at home on the dancefloor just fine. From the remarkably accessible acid tinged house of Sneaker to the driving yet subdued 303 of The Hague, each tune on here has something unique to offer while keeping things distinctly Ceephax.

I've picked the opening track Citylink this time, purely because it's a fantastic opening track that lets you know exactly what you're in for as the housey opening soon gives way to some lovely squelchy 303. Perhaps the least acidic track on here by quite a ways, it also has a little bit of that retro vibe to it (though, most all of Ceephax's work does having said that). Super accessible, this isn't the kind of Acid that's going to melt your speakers or anything which makes it a great starting point if you're looking to get into it as a whole, or if you're like me and only occasionally swim out to that side of the pool and don't want anything too intense.



And that'll do it for this month's instalment. I hope you find something you like here, and maybe it'll even set you off on a retro kick like me. I might even have to post that playlist I mentioned in a little while, I like to think we did a pretty thorough rundown of the whole 90's for it: from the cheese of the big hits to my secret ingredients there's plenty of variety, perhaps some eye rollers but that's all part of the fun isn't it? Anyway, I'll wrap up here, hope you're all keeping well and as always - Stay safe and enjoy the music.

-CVF

Acieeeeeeeeeeed

Pierre Alechinsky - Discovery of Acid (Act I) (1968)

Been taking this time to dip my toes further into some genres I've only a passing relationship with. As mentioned on the poscast moons ago, entering any new electronic genre is a bit of a minefield, there are so many sub-genres and jargon it can be hard to find your way. I've tried my best to do a quick rundown here of all things I like that are Acid. What kind of Acid? Well, all kinds really (apart from Jazz). Let's 'ave a look.

Kicking off with a bit from Ceephax Acid Crew. Yet another artist that kept cropping up in my recommends but sorely overlooked. Ceephax is Andy Jenkinson, brother of Thomas of Squarepusher fame, in fact some of the early Squarepusher stuff (Especially under his Chaos A.D. alias) is quite Acidic. Ceephax has stuck to those acid guns though, hence the name. I really dig his stuff, mainly because there's interesting things happening beyond squealing 303s, not that I don't like that mind you but it's definitely refreshing to hear this kind of approach. Ceephax also gets full on DMX Krew style irony when it comes to the visual side of things, really going for that Ceefax aesthetic that he takes his name from. Get a load of the video for this one for example



That of course isn't where I got my start with Acid however, we're going back to the acid heyday of 1988 here for one of, if not the first, acid tunes I had in my collection. Hailing from 'round my neck of the woods is Gerald Simpson, better known by his stage name the beautifully understated A Guy Called Gerald. A far cry from synths that sound like they're about to explode that comes to my mind when I think of Acid, Voodoo Ray is in contrast a rather sedate piece. But all the hallmarks are still there, and the house influence is much more clear. This is a time where a lot of releases blur the line between House, Acid, Garage, Techno and so on (Strings Of Life springs to mind). Totally understandable as genres evolve and get more popular, but as mentioned above Voodoo Ray is unmistakably Acid, albeit in its early form! You can totally hear the similarities and influence on the Ceephax track and there's a good 24 years between them.



And finally rounding things out, a new one I picked up along the way. Heard this one on some random Acid mix I ended up on and I was a little disappointed when I looked it up. Not because the tune's bad or anything but it was played faster in the mix, and honestly I think it sounds better a little quicker. I found that was the case for most of the tracks in that mix actually, but still good to have to hand. Perhaps a little generic in parts but that's not necessarily a bad thing (see my post on Eurobeat for proof!). And as I've said in previous posts, music is a lot like food, sure you will appreciate a really well done dish but sometimes you just want a bit of greasy comfort food. And to me, that's tunes like this.



And so ends our brief foray into the acid world. I hope I showed enough variety here, it does feel a little shorter than other posts. Regardless, keep reading as there will still be content to come, reminder that next post will be an old one republished and then back to a new one after that. As always; stay safe and enjoy the music.

-CVF

Back In Time

Hey y'all, thought now would be a good time to spring an idea we had a long time ago, for the next week or so of posts we'll be taking a trip back to the 1980's and seeing what musical trasures it has to offer. I realise this would have been better to start closer to BTTF day but you should all know by now I am far too organised to do anything like that. So let's take a trip back to when it was Maggie's Britain shall we?

Keith Haring - Pop Shop Quad 1 (1987)

I thought I'd start with some early house. Seems fitting as that was my first real love when I started following electronic music exclusively. The roots for all the stuff you and I adore on are all laid out here starting in 1987 with Derrick May's now legendary Strings Of Life. I gotta tell you it holds up real well though the piano hook may be a little dated to some ears, it kind of borders the line between Techno and House in some spots too. Regardless it remains an incredibly important milestone in House.



Following it up with another all time favourite of mine that's especially relevant today. I'm sure you're all aware that Deep House has been the in thing for a while now and I'm sure like a lot of you its fans really grate on me. The ones I've encountered keep talking like Deep House is this new genre that's only just come around, and that's when I like to spring a little Mr. Fingers on them. Can You Feel It made it's debut in '86 and it remains pretty much my favourite example of the genre to this day.



And finally, I may not be the biggest fan of Acid, but this one more than earns its place. Chances are you've heard this one somewhere before despite the tabloids of the time doing their best to demonise Acid House. It's a far cry from the screeching 303s one might usually associate with Acid, as is to be expected with its age. Now there's nothing wrong with the other tracks on the EP, but something about Voodoo Ray just pushes it above the rest. I suppose it makes sense given that it's the title track and all but still. Take a bite out of this one and treat yourself to some acidic goodness.



-Claude Van Foxbat

AFX Appreciation Station

Never thought AFX would scoop himself a Grammy (especially over Röyksopp). Who'da thought a lad from Cornwall twiddling knobs and making acid would go on to such great things? Now as you all saw in the Warped history posts, me and AFX are longtime listening bros, but I'd like to take this post to reflect on and be thankful for Richard D. James. Here would be a good place to start if you are new!

Never one to discount his origins, I honestly love Digeridoo in all it's rough sounding glory. A far cry from his later productions, and certainly nothing like the 'IDM' tag thrown around him and other Warp artists. Bump this one loud and simulate your own warehouse rave circa 1992.



If you're jut looking for a crash course in AFX, the Richard D. James Album is a good place to start. Case in point is track 1, I've had this one in my library close to a decade at this point, and it never stops sounding fresh every time. As soon as I hear that opening beats 'n strings combo I can't help but smile.



Mandatory mention of Selected Ambient Works Vol. II now. There's not much I can say that hasn't been said either by me or elsewhere about this album, it's reputation is well deserved and it's been long enough now that I think it has earned it's place among the all time classics of the genre. Absolutely essential ownership for anyone with an interest in ambient, get it!



It would be a long time before Rich returned to his acid stylings, but when he did in 2005 with the Analord series it was pretty special. Here's one of my favourites from it, demonstrating Rich's mean synthesizer skills, as well as his specialist brand of taking the piss as shown here in the track's title.



So ends our brief tour of AFX, if you like what you've heard go digging on here for more, I've covered more than my fair share of it over the years!

-Claude Van Foxbat

Surfing On Sine Waves

Been meaning to get myself round to pickin up audiosurf for a while now, its a game right up my alley and luck would just have it that I scooped it for peanuts thanks to the Humble Bundle crew. It's been a real treat for the eyes and ears, here's what I used for my first few sessions.

Purely from an alphabetic standpoint AFX went first (and also is the namesake of this post). This suitably acidic number is pretty easy going for the most part until it drops those sequenced claps every now and then which properly ups the intensity.



Keeping it alphabetical, another relic of my early 2000s listening history with a remix of A:xus' When I Fall In Love. Like AFX it was pretty easy going for the most part thanks to it being Deep House and all, but it was an excellent showcase of the visuals, and I gave the tune it's first proper listen in about 3 years (which I'm in love with all over again).



Another appearance from the Salt City Orchestra folk. Might not be as much of an instant classic as their remix of Marshall Jefferson's Mushrooms I posted a while back, but it sure is a funky spin on the moody musings of the Sneaker Pimps. There's some good basslines in here, the mix certainly lives up to its name.



-Claude Van Foxbat

Back At It

Indie184 - Have Fun (2013)

I'm back from the old holidays, hope you all had a nice one! I updated the lil' grooveshark widget on the sidebar and completley forgot about posting, so here's some stuff to make up for that! I originally planned these two to go up on their respective day but then life happened and I forgot. Better late than never anyways, so here we go with another acidic bit of audio from AFX with probably one of the best tracks from the entire Analord series, the way Richard commands that variety of synths is nothing short of beautiful.



Something not electronic now, but I honestly can't get David Firth's (of Salad Fingers fame) indie side project the Grape Digging Sharon Fruits out of my playlist and now seemed an ideal time to slip them in here. Like Locust Toybox and all his other stuff, it's all free and legal over on Last.fm or the band's blog so go and snag yourself some if you're diggin' it (no pun intended).



And finally something different again, Stenchman gave out one of his Philestine tracks for free through his FB not too long ago. Its not the sublime Feel The Same unfortunately, but it definitely scratched my itch, the old dubstep styling shines through a little more on this one than the others which actually works quite well with it. Can't wait to hear more from this project, it has a lot of promise! (No stream available as of 2020)

Philestine - Turn It Around Baby (Mix 2)

-Claude Van Foxbat

Spaced Out

Vladimir Bonačić - IRB 8-9

Sorry about the lateness on this one, been having some funny connection issues (luckily after the end of semester!). Anyways you all know I have a real fondness for lush synths, hell even the noises they make in general still excite me, and that's what this post will be all about. Here's the opener for F.U.S.E's Dimension Intrusion, which pretty much sums up that Artificial Intelligence era sound of Warp Records for me.



Moving back into familiar territory with some Acid courtesy of AFX. The Analord series is a love letter to the world of analogue from the Aphex Twin himself, and while they might not all be essential tracks, the collection as a whole is noting short of brilliant. Check out the lovely intro on this one.



And finally, Juno-60 junkie Oneohtrix Point Never throws his hat in with the soundtrack to a art installation piece he collaborated on last year. It's chock full of lovely arpeggios and the usual OPN affair, looking back you can definitely see where parts of this have come through on his latest LP R Plus Seven, and while the deliberately dated sound isn't for everyone I just love what OPN does with it.



-Claude Van Foxbat

Drop acid not bombs

Australian dance punk artists Cut Copy just released a new album and it is very much worth your time. With this new album you could assume the guys listened to a lot of acid house and dropped quite a bit of it too. The new album Free Your Mind is a great throwback to the days of P.L.U.R. The hedonism of modern edm is nowhere to be found, only positive vibes and uplifting grooves.

Yes the cover art is absolutely hideous, but it represents the bright sounds and colors found throughout the album. The album can get incredibly cheesy sometimes, but you just have to let go and "Free your mind" 

-Adam

AT / AA 97

Wassily Kandinky - Merry Structure (1926)

Aphex Twin's decision to go back to pure analog after making swapping to digital was a good move for sure, spawning the now rare 11 volume vinyl series Analord. Unlike the usual breed of Aphex Twin though, the Analord series take a much more structured approach to go along the pure analog vibe, they still have that undeniable Aphex edge though. Take the opnener for Analord 01 (strangely not the first to be released, 10 was), from the get go it's a lot more subdued but that's not to say there's not a lot going on in terms of sounds.

Still Alive

Good News! The Apocalypse has been swiftly averted so we can all carry on existing as usual. Turns out the Mayans were about as good at predicting the end times as they were at predicting the arrival of the Spanish. But it does open up a nice window for me to talk about tunes, see me and a friend got talking about what'd go on our end of the world playlists so I thought I's share with you all my list of finely crafted end world tunes.

Squarepusher to start, with Tundra 4 from the wildcard Venus No. 17 EP having the perfect balance of glitchy breakbeats and foreboding backing like in the original Tundra. It starts fairly placid but just layers on the intensity over and over again through it's 12 minute run time, but this is only the beginning.



Staying in familiar territory, fellow beat melter Venetian Snares brings his contribution to the table. It works mostly in the same ways, with those haunting ethereal strings juxtaposed with the madcap drum programming. It, like most of Rossz Csillag Alatt Született shouldn't work. But it does, and in spectacular form.

I just had to include this live recording of Aphex from 1990, it's got that rawness about it like on Analog Worms Attack that's real nice, and of course the 303 work is also pretty nice. Take note that this is from AFX's acid house days, so don't expect any beat butchery in the vein of the 'Pusher and the Snares above.



Bringing it back to more coherent tunes, an old gem I had buried away in the depths of my Dubstep folder from Press, I got it like forever ago on some kind of compilation EP with a Stenchman tune and a few others, and they all have that Stenchman-esque grimy streak to them. I wasn't expecting it to hold up very well, but it properly nails the sound it's going for, my only complaint is it's a bit long at 7 minutes but I can let that slide.



And finally, my favourite slice from the Planisphere series Justice did for a Dior fashion show. The crunchy guitar solo throughout absolutely makes this from the get go, but the break around 1:10 lets you know that something big is on the way. And it doesn't disappoint, the guitar returns, this time with the trademark Justice touch that pushes it to that next level.



And with that I'm done. Until the next apocalypse at least, rest assured that if and when that time arrives I will have more tracks prepared to make your end of the world the best sounding one this side of Alpha Centauri!

Y2K?,
-Claude Van Foxbat

A Very Warped Epilogue: Part Four

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The end isn't too far away now, but I couldn't just let these last couple of AFX releases go unmentioned. Join me now as we take a slight step back to 1995 in this penultimate edition of Warped, and look at the work of the Aphex Twin towards the end of his first analogue period, before going fully digital for 1996's Richard D. James Album.

Heading the attack have an EP released under RDJ's often used AFX moniker; originally released as a two part vinyl release in 1995, it was given a lovely CD re-issue by the folks at Warp. It sounds entirely unlike the stuff he was making under Aphex Twin at the time, and in fact I think it's closer to Richard D. James Album than ...I Care Because You Do in terms of sounds.



This next one I loved for a long time, it has a lot of sweet melodies in it alongside the now expected beat butchery we know the Twin for. It caps off this EP in impressive fashion with another anagram-ed title no less; my absolute favourite moments being the peak in sound round about halfway through where it sounds like the synths are being pushed to their limits and might just explode at any minute.

Unfortunately I didn't pick up Donkey Rhubarb in time for the first round of Warped, my reasoning being that it was a short EP. In hindsight though, I do recommended you check it out, the Phillip Glass remix/orchestration of Icct Hedral is something a bit out of leftfield but is most definitely worth your time. Amway, onto the stark raving mental title track: the opening is like condensed happiness, and then the acid style beats and bass roll in and it's a whole 'nother track.



Of course, it wouldn't be an Aphex Twin EP without the token downtempo number. This is Donkey Rhubarb's (which is also another animal + food combo), and it's among my favourites. It has a real lo-fi sound to it that I don't think is present on any other AFX tracks from around this time, normally I'd hate that kind of thing being all about quality an all, but it really does work in this tracks favour.




Finally, we end with the Ventolin Remixes EP. And true to AFX's signature way of taking the piss, all but one of the tracks sound absolutely nothing like the original, abrasive monster that is Ventolin. These practically original tracks are actually quite good, an early favourite of mine being the 'remix' by Cylob: a nice number with a lot of contrast between the rolling beat and the light sounding synth that is introduced later.



Playing us out is the Probus mix, which isn't actually the name of the remixer (there's no credit for it, I'd assume it was RDJ himself), a slice similar to the more downtempo bits on ...I Care Because You Do. It plays out similar to Cylob's mix, albeit with a more distinct AFX touch to it throughout.



Right, bloody hell that was a fairly long one wasn't it? Only fitting considering there's only one or two more posts to go before I'm done with Warped forever. It's been a long time coming, but join me next time where we may close the book!

Armadillo Risotto,
-Claude Van Foxbat

You Can Trip On My Synthesizer

I like my electronic noises as much as the next guy, but you always gotta have those sounds that make you just say YES. And that's what I'll be detailing today, picking apart the best of the best to show you just what pads, stabs and other such words describing electronic sounds fill my ears with pure delight. Hop on our genre exploring wagon and join me on this quest won't you?



I'll admit not I have a weakness for swooping, smooth synths, so I'll apologise in advance if they make up the majority of my choices. Up first is a cut from Squarepusher's sublime debut Feed Me Weird Things. The track itself starts off fairly light, and stays that way for a couple of minutes before the beats come tumbling in. But the beats are not why we're here though, oh no, because the real highlight for me is the breakdown at around 2:40 that give you a respite from the beat assault, at least for a while until they come crashing back into the mix. The same lovely sounds also play the track out till the final fade out starting at around 6:50. Brilliant stuff.



To be honest I could fill this post with just Squarepusher, but I won't (and also cos I covered some of my favourite synth hits of his in my post on Hello Everything) But, I reckon I'll be staying in familiar territory as we pay old Richard D. James a visit, once again I have a lot of Aphex/AFX and whatever other pseudonyms he feels like donning that day tracks with sounds I love in them but this one byfar takes the cake. The Twin can make those analogue machines sing like no other, and his revisits to them on the Analord series of vinyls just cement that reputation for me. This right here is 4 Minutes of sequenced heaven.



You get two for the price of one here as not only do I love the lead in this tune, but also the backing drone too. Especially so towards the end where the track slowly gets stripped to just that drone. This was shortly after The Knife's first effort, which featured a lot of rough and indie sounding synth lines (or as my friend described it "Like the Napoleon Dynamite soundtrack") but here the sounds have matured a little, they're not quite as harsh on the ear but aren't quite silky smooth either. It may not be a long track but it is very, very sweet.





More soundtrack work coming up, this time from New York noise-rock group HEALTH. Now I know what you're thinking, but trust me this is still electronic, HEALTH often have a electronic-esque structures in their music anyway but this right here is Synth central. Pretty much everyone I've shown it to so far says it reminds them of something from the Drive OST, and I must admit sometimes it does have that Kavinsky-esque sound to it, so be sure to check it out if you're a fan of either the movie or the 'vinsky



Mr. Oizo's Nazis EP is famous for the Justice remix of the title track on it's B side. Saying that, the more I listen to the original, the more I prefer it over the remix, it crams the most listenable parts of Moustache (Half A Scissor) and condenses them into one track with that unique Oizo 'rough around the edges' vibe that I just love. It's a shame he decided to not put it on the finished album.



Shnichi Osawa's The One was quality through and through. There are too many sweet sounds to name on here, from the brilliant cover of The Chemical Brothers' Star Guitar to the delightfully Japanese Maximum Joy. I picked one of the more obscure ones that grabbed me from the opening bars. Shinichi layers on brilliant sounds throughout the track so I can't pick a specific timestamp for you all to fast forward to, so just give the whole thing a listen will you?



I better draw this one to a close before I get too carried away, maybe I'll do a sequel a some point, but until then you'll just have to make do with these six.

Smoke Me A Kipper, I'll Be Back For Breakfast,
- Claude Van Foxbat

Sending Off Shuffle

I know this year's been a bit lacking in content and I apologise for that, but there's only so much blogging one can do, and we have lives too you know! Joking aside, I wanted to take this opportunity to do something I've not done for a while: A good ol' fashioned shuffle post, think of it as a thank you for staying with us through the year.

Click for big

First up is the band I have a notorious love-love relationship with, The Knife. I'm very interested in what they will bring to the table for the album they're planning for next year, hopefully more in the vein of Silent Shout than the more experimental stuff they did on the soundtrack for Tomorrow, In A Year but for now enjoy a cut from what is by far their most popular LP, Deep Cuts.



Ah, Squarepusher. I had a real lack of his earlier works before I started the Warped series, so I have a lot of un-posted gems kicking around. I'll probably do a series on 'em after the main Warped series is finished, until then have a bit from the quality Big Loada EP.



Speaking of early stuff, another track just came on that I really love. It's Aphex Twin back in his acid house days, like most of the stuff he makes it has a nice contrast in sounds from the beats to the almost orchestral stabs throughout. The opening arpeggio is pure sequenced heaven to my ears.





It was around this time last year I posted some cuts from Oneohtrix Point Never's then new compilation Rifts, he's since come out with another two albums that I've yet to pick up. I remember the first time I heard this track, it was described as a combination of tons of ambient stuff including Boards Of Canada. I was skeptical at first but this track just absolutely sold me.



Miss Kittin's first solo effort, I Com was a mixed bag of atmospheres, some tracks were clearly meant for the dancefloor, some for listening. Some even combined the two, as seen here; it's pretty slow to build but that just makes the eventual peaks in sound even more satisfying to hear, especially the amazing break at 3:10.



I think I've said before I have a penchant for liking albums that the music press at large don't, this is a great example, 100th Window was massively critiqued upon release. It's true that the compositions are even darker than those on Mezzanine and a hell of a lot sparser, but the end result still sounds great. My only complaint is that it could do without that solid 1 minute of intro.



And that about wraps this years posting up for me, I would whacked a few more tracks on but the last few tracks were quite long. Regardless, happy holidays from me and the rest of the ilictronix crew, we hope to see you in 2012! As always, stay safe and enjoy the music, wherever you are.

Into The Blue,
- Claude Van Foxbat

A Very Warped History 4: 1995 (2 Of 2)

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This entry of Warped focuses on Aphex Twin's first conventional album on Warp, released just over a year after SAW V.II. 1995 would be the the year that AFX would release his last analouge material for a decade, switching to computer and software based production after this album. Recorded between 1990 and 1994 ...I Care Because You Do is unique as it doesn't have any of AFX's trademark schizophrenic beats, as they would be introduced in ...ICBYD's follow up the next year, Richard D. James Album.

Why yes, the cover art is a self portrait by Richard himself, trademark creepy smirk and all.

The album itself is a mash of everything from industrial, straight up acid and mere brain melting glimpses of Aphex's soon to be trademark style on RDJ Album. Oh, and don't forget the 6 track names which are anagrams of things like Aphex Twin and whatnot, a gimmick carried on some months later with the Hangable Auto Bulb EP, itself an anagram of Analogue Bubblebath, AFX's first EP.

It begins with the first of the anagram-ed tracks, Acrid Avid Jam Shred (Richard David James) which is not an ideal opener in my eyes; mainly due to the 3 minute intro where not much happens other than some random bleeps here and there. After that though it becomes a deceptivley light-hearted insight into what lies ahead.



A brief relapse into Acid here as strings are mixed with heavily filtered bass, the resulting mix is claustrophobic, macabre and downright strange. Another thing to note is that this track was later "remixed"on the Donkey Rhubarb EP. I say "remixed" because well... it was a fully orchestrated version done by Phillip Glass. Yeah.



Immediately afterward you are plunged into the depths of Aphex's twisted sense of humour. This right here folks, is something else, a track that simulates the Tinnitus heard by asthmatics when they OD on Salbutamol (hence the track title) the result is abrasive, distorted and borderline unlistenable. And this was the ONLY SINGLE from this album! You can't help but wonder if Rich is taking the piss, or if he's genuinley mental; because if you can listen past the ringing, it's actually quite a good tune.

Another Acid bath, this time a bit more conventional, instead of being an all out audio assault this ones a chopped up vision of things to come, nothing stays consistent for long in the mix. The beats and bass hop all over the place, background synths fade in and out, filters come and go, the works.



To finish off, my two favourite tracks from this album, the precursors to Richard D. James Album. Firstly, Mookid (Named because the synth Supposedly sounds like a calf mooing) is a very smooth piece where RDJ lets the synth carry the majority of the song, a stark contrast to the acidic tones of previous tracks.



Alberto Balsalm (Named after a brand of shampoo here in the UK) is where AFX's creativity with weird samples really shows, (it's shown up in previous parts of the record as well, with "Come On You Slags!" aptly sampling a porno flick.) Alberto Balsalm uses a sample of a chair sliding across a floor as a main element of the beat, it fits so well with the other sounds you'd never notice until someone points it out.



That wraps up the first entry of warped this year, There will be another "Warped Leftovers" for this entry if anyone's interested, the record in question is Boards Of Canada's Twoism released on their own label Music70 and later reissued in 2002 by Warp. It's a very important release because it was the record that got BoC signed to Warp in the first place (As the story goes, within half an hour of hearing it, Steve Beckett phoned them up and offered them a contract) it's got remnants of BoC's techno style on it, so I'll likley be saving it for after I deal with their other albums.

Advance Boat Flux,
-Claude Van Foxbat