Selected Ambient Works 85–92

Even if i didn’t already know that i didn’t like Aphex Twin, the title ‘Selected Ambient Works..’ would not raise my expectations.
Unsurprisingly then i dont think there was a single track on this i remotely enjoyed and my god over 7 minutes of ‘We are the music makers’ is enough to push me over the edge.

I did not enjoy the experience of listening to this at all. Hedphelym in particular made me feel really anxious and I genuinely considered bailing out, but I'm 335 albums in and haven't quit an album yet (even Trout Mask Replica!) so I'm not going to let Aphex Twin defeat me. I am clearly a glutton for punishment.

I do not "get" ambient music and I certainly didn't enjoy this.

1/5

Always heard about Aphex Twin, yet I never heard an album or even a song of his. This was an enjoyable enough album, unfortunately fitting in some of the most uninteresting genres to me. I don’t really care for ambient or a lot of softer types of Techno. Aphex Twin made some incredible pieces here, but the category they’re in just doesn’t let me reallt appreciate them to the fullest. Great effort by a good artist in a boring music type.

Yay! Had been meaning to listen this properly! :)

Very much a background music album, on brand with the title. Was nice, not sure I'd revisit, but I'm not mad for having listened to it. 4*

Interesting. Innovative for the times.

My God almighty this was beyond boring. Not for me at all. I was literally forgetting it as I was listening

I've heard of Aphex Twin, the alias of Richard D. James. He's a British electronic composer/DJ who's often considered a pioneer of experimental techno music. In fact, this debut album compiles the works he's committed to tape since he was a teenager back in 1985, using homemade equipment made from synths and drum machines.

For as much as this album claims to be a collection of "ambient works" in its title, it's a bit more hard-hitting than typical ambient music. There are moments on this record where some genuinely pulsing electronic club rhythms are snuck in between the atmospheric textures, such as on the opener "Xtal", the uptempo beats of "Pulsewidth", the low-key swagger of "Ageispolis" with its glistening synth line, and especially the squelches present on "Green Calx". There is some fun, cerebral electronic music on this record that evokes the feeling of keeping the energy lingering after hitting the dancefloor, if ever so slightly.

Yet, there are some hangups I have with this record. For starters, this is ostensibly a compilation of tracks chosen by Richard's mates, with no meaningful arrangement or cohesive flow, which can make the nearly 75-minute runtime a tad daunting. I wouldn't say every track aged well, where I feel that tracks like "I" and "We Are the Music Makers" could have been fleshed out more. Then again, these were composed by Richard over the span of seven years outside of his DJ sets at Cornwall.

In a sense, it may be best to regard Selected Ambient Works 85-92 as a sonic chronicle of Richard's self-taught music learning. For what it's worth, his work under the Aphex Twin moniker this early on is commendable and shows the potential for his later output.

Definitely my kind of music, absolutely influential on music I listen to today, but I’m less certain it’s an album I would actually play on any given day. There are certainly moments where I thought, “Great, this is 90s techno made ahead of its time in the 80s, but do I really want to listen to 90s techno today?” At the same time, there are some songs that are just transcendent. They feel like minimalist classical compositions up there with John Cage and all those fellas.

By the way, I shared the impression of many reviewers that Aphex Twin was dark stuff I would not look forward to, even though I knew he was cited as an influence by many of my favorite artists. Maybe that’s a consequence of the image he presents to the world… in any case that impression is gone now and I am eager to learn a lot more about him and his work.

𝘚𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘈𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝟪𝟧–𝟫𝟤 has a warmth and clarity that still feels startlingly fresh. The combination of ambient textures and gentle techno rhythms creates an atmosphere that’s immersive without ever drifting into background music. In many moments, the album could almost pass for a lost Brian Eno project — the same sense of calm, space, and melodic subtlety, just filtered through early-90s bedroom electronics. It’s a deeply inviting record, and even if some tracks are rough around the edges, that rawness is part of its charm.

This feels a bit more involved than just ambient music actually. More interesting than most of the electronic music I’ve heard on the list so far

I'm firmly in the 'admirer but not a massive fan' camp but this is an easy 5 banger.

It’s wild listening to this and knowing what future Aphex Twin albums sound like. This is pretty chill and atmospheric for the most part. I like it, but if this was all I’d ever heard from Aphex Twin I would be a bit underwhelmed. It’s a solid album but his other stuff is groundbreaking. Here’s hoping The Richard D James album or Druqks is on the list!

Three minutes in and I know I'm going to struggle with this one today. It sounds like the music that would be playing in the showroom of a vaguely upscale car dealership. It is generic and simple and repetitive and artificial sounding. This album is so boring I forgot it was playing. My wife was with me when I listened to this, she typically likes electronic/ambient music, and she commented several times what a garbage album this is. I do not know why this was included on the list and I can't think of any situation where I would recommend this to anyone. 1/5

Great for background music while working or cooking. I'd definitely throw this one on again.

I've never sat down and listened to a full Aphex Twin album before.

This is more chill than I anticipated, and as such, I also enjoyed it more than I anticipated. I'll probably listen to this again.

Willy Wonka jumpscare

Selected Ambient Works 85-92 was quite a bit better than i was expecting it to be. I've never really listened to any of Aphex Twin's music but i do know of the guy due to him having one of the most interesting personal life sections on Wikipedia. As for the album, i was expecting it to just be okay but it turned out to be really darn good. The songs here all feel layered and complex and had some good melodies and rhythms for just being simple background music. It is rather repetitive but i think that is to be expected from a genre like this. It may not be the greatest electronic album but i still liked it quite a lot.
Best Song: Ptolemy
Worst Song: I

Not music for listening, musing for having on.

Definitely a challenge to listen to and enjoy, but oh so worth the challenge. It slowly grows on you. Not for everybody, yet life affirming for someone like myself. I don't listen to it too often anymore, but I always come back to it. Braindance was truly born here. Someone once said this sounds fresh as a daisy yet ancient as a rune.