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| Aphex Twin
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b. Richard D. James, 18 August 1971, Ireland, but raised in Truro, Cornwall, England. During the 90s James, under a variety of names, has become one of the leading exponents of 'intelligent techno', 'ambient techno' and other terms invented to describe his brand of electronic music. As a child he was not interested in music, but instead amused himself 'making noises and banging on things'; later he began recording his efforts on tape and consequently began building and customizing his own synthesizers. While DJing at parties and raves he sometimes included in his sets the odd original tune such as 'Didgeridoo'; 'I wanted to have some tracks to finish the raves I used to play in Cornwall, to really kill everybody off so they couldn't dance any more'. 'Didgeridoo' was a dark pulsating dance track with analogue sounds bubbling over a splashy breakbeat. He eventually released the Aphex Twin EP and 'Analogue Bubblebath' on the Exeter-based Mighty Force label in 1991. His breakthrough came the following year when he released 'Didgeridoo' on R&S Records. Much of his work from around this time such as 'Phloam' and 'Isopropanol' was built from incredibly abrasive sounds but a different style by which he became more widely known emerged on the album Selected Ambient Works '85 – '92 (1992) . In the same year Warp Records included his 'Polygon Window', credited to the Diceman, on their Artificial Intelligence compilation. This track opened the album Surfing On Sine Waves which James released the following year under the name Polygon Window as part of Warp's Artificial Intelligence series. Like much of the work on these albums, much of the music sounded quite unique and followed little of the dancefloor trends of the time, but the press soon managed to invent the term 'ambient techno'. However, some of the tracks are anything but ambient and 'Quoth' (which was also released as a single in 1993) with its coarse kick drum sound has more in common with much hard acid techno. Even so, there are a number of more introspective tunes, notably 'If It Really Is Me' with its forlorn melodies and 'Quino - phec', in which James creates a barren Eno -like texture. The On EP in November 1993 followed his signing to Warp on a permanent basis and the next year he released the eagerly awaited Selected Ambient Works Vol. 2 which was not as well received as its predecessor. In 1995 Aphex Twin released the album I Care Because You Do and the EPs, Ventolin and Donkey Rhubarb and as AFX two Hangable Auto Bulb EPs. These were followed the next year by Richard D. James Album on which his usual combination of caustic noises and forlorn textures were set beside more varied rhythms than usual, showing the influence of drum 'n' bass. In the early 90s he set up his own Rephlex Records with Grant Wilson-Claridge. He has also become associated with deliberately obscure DJ sets in which he has been known to put sandpaper on the turntable. James is one of the few artists who has managed to establish an individual sound. Often hailed as electronic music's most experimental individual, it seems, after a number of albums, that much of his work tends to revolve around the same ideas. Hysteria in the press may also have obscured his tendency towards self-indulgence. Other names under which he has released material include Caustic Window, GAK, Blue Calx and PCP.
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Discography
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Year
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Label
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Title
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1991 |
Mighty Force
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Aphex Twin EP
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1991 |
Mighty Force
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Analogue Bubblebath
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1992 |
R&S
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Didgeridoo
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1992 |
Sire Records
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Selected Ambient Works '85 – '92
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1993 |
R&S
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Quoth Single
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1993 |
Warner Bros. Records
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The On EP
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1994 |
Sire Records
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Selected Ambient Works Vol. 2
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1995 |
Sire Records
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I Care Because You Do
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1995 |
Sire Records
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Ventolin EP
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1995 |
Sire Records
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Donkey Rhubarb EP
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1997 |
Sire Records
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Richard D. James Album
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1997 |
Sire Records
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Come To Daddy EP
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1997 |
R&S
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Classics
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1999 |
Sire Records
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The On Maxi Single
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