Selected Ambient Works 85–92
Encyclopedia
Selected Ambient Works 85–92 is an ambient techno album by Richard D. James under the pseudonym
of Aphex Twin
. This is his third release and debut studio album under this alias. It was released in 1992 on the Belgian techno label Apollo. An analogue remaster was released in 2006, and a digital remaster was released in 2008. Selected Ambient Works 85–92 is considered by many to be the threshold album in modern ambient music as well as one of the pioneering works in IDM
and Electronic Dance Music
.
DJ
in the late 1980s and early 1990s in his home of Cornwall
, James had learned about new music techniques and rhythm
patterns. With the club scene under his belt, and with a small underground following, James went on to release SAW 85-92, which was mostly recorded before he started DJing and consisted of instrumental songs that were mostly beat-oriented.
A remastered SAW 85–92 Compact Disc was released by Apollo/R&S Records on 8 April 2008. The remastered 12" vinyl record was released in 2006.
. "Xtal" has samples of female vocalizing as well as alternating ambient sounds, both repeated intermittently throughout the song. "Tha" has clips of several people talking, while "Actium" has samples of what sound like squeaking shoes in a hallway. "We Are the Music Makers" features a line of dialogue from the movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
. "Green Calx" contains samples from RoboCop
: the dinosaur
's popping eyes during the 6000 SUX TV ad, the ED-209 robot trying to go downstairs without success, and the sound of RoboCop browsing faces of criminals in the police archives computer. "Green Calx" also contains a faint sample of the vocal from "Fodderstompf" by Public Image Ltd, as well as from the opening titles of John Carpenter
's 1982 film The Thing.
James created another version of "We Are the Music Makers" under his pseudonym Caustic Window. The song, entitled "We Are the Music Makers (Hardcore Mix)," is unrelated to the original except it also contains the movie sample. It is speculated to be recorded on the same equipment, and perhaps even in the same sitting. It is available on the rare Joyrex J9ii EP or picture disc and on Caustic Window's Compilation album.
calls it "among the most interesting music ever created with a keyboard and a computer." Rolling Stone
called the album "majestic," and the Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll claims the album was received by critics as "an ambient masterpiece comparable to work by The Orb
and Brian Eno
." Warp Records
has billed this as "the birthplace and the benchmark of modern electronic music
" and has stated that "every home should have a copy." In 2003, the album was placed #92 in "NME's 100 Best Albums" poll (link). The album was also featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
.
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of Aphex Twin
Aphex Twin
Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
. This is his third release and debut studio album under this alias. It was released in 1992 on the Belgian techno label Apollo. An analogue remaster was released in 2006, and a digital remaster was released in 2008. Selected Ambient Works 85–92 is considered by many to be the threshold album in modern ambient music as well as one of the pioneering works in IDM
IDM
IDM may refer to:Science and technology* Identity management, the management of the identity life cycle of an entity* IDM Computer Solutions* Integrated Data Management...
and Electronic Dance Music
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
.
History
Having been a clubNightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
in the late 1980s and early 1990s in his home of Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, James had learned about new music techniques and rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
patterns. With the club scene under his belt, and with a small underground following, James went on to release SAW 85-92, which was mostly recorded before he started DJing and consisted of instrumental songs that were mostly beat-oriented.
A remastered SAW 85–92 Compact Disc was released by Apollo/R&S Records on 8 April 2008. The remastered 12" vinyl record was released in 2006.
Structure
Although Selected Ambient Works is primarily instrumental, many of the songs feature vocal samplesSampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
. "Xtal" has samples of female vocalizing as well as alternating ambient sounds, both repeated intermittently throughout the song. "Tha" has clips of several people talking, while "Actium" has samples of what sound like squeaking shoes in a hallway. "We Are the Music Makers" features a line of dialogue from the movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 musical film adaptation of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, directed by Mel Stuart, and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. The film tells the story of Charlie Bucket as he receives a golden ticket and visits Willy...
. "Green Calx" contains samples from RoboCop
RoboCop
RoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
: the dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
's popping eyes during the 6000 SUX TV ad, the ED-209 robot trying to go downstairs without success, and the sound of RoboCop browsing faces of criminals in the police archives computer. "Green Calx" also contains a faint sample of the vocal from "Fodderstompf" by Public Image Ltd, as well as from the opening titles of John Carpenter
John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born...
's 1982 film The Thing.
James created another version of "We Are the Music Makers" under his pseudonym Caustic Window. The song, entitled "We Are the Music Makers (Hardcore Mix)," is unrelated to the original except it also contains the movie sample. It is speculated to be recorded on the same equipment, and perhaps even in the same sitting. It is available on the rare Joyrex J9ii EP or picture disc and on Caustic Window's Compilation album.
Reception
Allmusic claims that while "the sound quality is relatively poor," the album is "a watershed of ambient music." David M. Pecoraro of Pitchfork MediaPitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
calls it "among the most interesting music ever created with a keyboard and a computer." Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
called the album "majestic," and the Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll claims the album was received by critics as "an ambient masterpiece comparable to work by The Orb
The Orb
Throughout 1989, the Orb, along with Martin Glover, developed the musical genre of ambient house through the use of a diverse array of samples and recordings. The culmination of its musical work came toward the end of the year when the group recorded a session for John Peel on BBC Radio 1...
and Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
." Warp Records
Warp Records
Warp, commonly referred to as Warp Records, is a pioneering independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 1989, notable for discovering some of the more enduring artists in electronic music....
has billed this as "the birthplace and the benchmark of modern electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
" and has stated that "every home should have a copy." In 2003, the album was placed #92 in "NME's 100 Best Albums" poll (link). The album was also featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is a musical reference book edited by Robert Dimery, first published in 2005. The most recent edition consists of a list of albums released between 1955 and 2010, part of a series from Quintessence Editions Ltd...
.