Reviews (page 2 of 8)
2.5
Un álbum de hora y cuarto de ambient no va de la mano con la maratón que es este juego. Crédito parcial, 5/10
Very accurate title
The perfect soundtrack to the best afters you’d ever have
this is some great ambient music, and i don't even really like techno
One of the problems with being an innovator is that, if you keep doing it, people take your earlier innovations for granted because they aren't as far along as your later ones. I confess I've perhaps been guilty of that with respect to Aphex Twin; I consider the drill-and-bass heavy *The Richard D. James Album* to be the fullest realization of his vision, so I've had a tendency to view this collection primarily in terms of the degree to which it resembles that one. It's somewhat like watching *Metropolis* or *Vertigo* now: their admittedly massive influence makes it difficult to actually see the work itself rather than just catching all the references to it that others have made since. On one level this is just some really great electronic music that perfectly bridges the gap between the dancefloor and what would become bedroom-headphones IDM, and that's enough to ensure its place in the canon. And the inverse of that thought is also true: sometimes it's difficult to see something innovative as being meaningful *at all* if it's been as influential as this has. To some degree this album just sounds the way modern EDM is supposed to sound, in large part because it helped define the genre to begin with. And so, when faced with such theoretical difficulties, the solution is, as always, to exult in the actual music - the way I can't quite find the downbeat sometimes on "Heliosphan," the fusion of the pristine and the filthy on "Green Calx," the way James makes full use of the synth palettes available to him and then, when he's dissatisfied with them, invents his own. This whole album feels like a transmission from a world that doesn't exist yet but soon will. Apparently the portal between timelines is in a field outside of Cornwall somewhere (figures).
Listening session: august 31st, while getting ready in the morning Listened to before: no Thoughts: this album felt more like noise than music. It was like a chore to get through this and I won’t be coming back to it Favourite tracks: Xtal & Heliosphan
Perfectly fine background music, but it rarely grabbed me. 2.9
Cant say I liked it, having said that cant say I didnt like it. I forgot it was on.
Oh my god, yet another not-a-listening-album album. It's drowned out when you do absolutely anything, this one. Seriously, I ruffled the duvet and had already forgotten it was on. I forgot it was playing at least 5 times. I imagine that's the purpose of ambient up to a point, but make for a good album it does not. It's not even bad, it's just nothing. I feel like I may as well have listened to the fridge humming for an hour.
It’s not bad, I guess. Is it good? Also no. But for 1001 Albums To Listen To That Make You Want To Die, I’ll take it.
Completely not my vibe
Good sleep/background music. No words. 7/10
Helt ok, ganska tråkigt, instrumentsliskt och lite beach club
This music is somniferous. And, sure, it is no surprise to find that it is ambient music, if the title of the album does not speak enough by itself. There is a strange conjunction of dance-inspired elements and a very monotonous and minimalistic tone. It does not favour at all this album, and the main reason why is that it becomes very bland and distasteful, and so repetitive. And there is neither a cohesion nor link that unites those songs, they just feel the same boring thing but with different productions. It is surely not something good considering it is meant to be an album... but, well, let's just take another look at the title: Selected Ambient Works 85-92; maybe there is no cohesive intention at all to begin with. And, finally, I find quite exhausting to find that ambient most of the times becomes a synonym of making music that is thought to be listened in the background, with no actual musical interest at all. I can find certain nice elements, other very questionable ones, but there are some nice things, I must say... But... I cannot find any purpose. It does not transmit anything. It does create an atmosphere, but a very polished and loose one. It is just a monotonous sound that does not evolve more than just adding or removing few layers of the songs. The rest is all the same. Something between electronic minimalism and dance music but without any actual joy to it. It feels weak and pretty unattractive. And, to be honest, music should be meant to transmit something and should be meant to be listened (carefully). And this album is none of those things.
Ambient hold music
Telefon-Warteschlangenmusik
Dull
absolute banger. My favorite electronic artist of all time.
This was great music to get work done by and that's actually pretty hard to find. Even though I imagine that was not the intent. So 5 stars it is.
Apparently composed them while asleep, so might explain why its so hard to stay awake trying to listen to them
Awesome stuff. If I'm super critical, I'm not sure it flows as an album as much as I'd like, but I love the material so much. It really is quite ambient. I associate aphex twin with the harder glitchier stuff that I guess comes later. It sounds so simple, with just a few components in most places - I don't know how the mix makes it sound so full and complete and awesome.
Very mellow, really like this actually.
Yoo I kidna dig this. It's so funky and flowing, like a disco river. Whilst it is ambient, I think it's more than that. It doesn't demand attention, but if you grant it, you'll probably end up enjoying the music. It isn't grating or irritating, just interesting and chill. Some reviews mention a frustration at this album's inclusion on the list, but I think it is well deserved. It's a classic, and a good one.
classic
++: Xtal, Tha, Pulsewidth, Ageispolis, i, Green Calx, Heliosphan, We Are the Music Makers, Schottkey 7th Path, Ptolemy, Hedphelym, Delphium, Actium 9,7/10
You can tell that this is a guy just fucking around with random music tech and it’s great
Ambient beats for sure, very underworld too
I feel like this is either background music of a club scene in a movie or an ad soundtrack. Maybe it would be better if I were high?
I can see how this album was influential at the time, I can't just never get behind electronic music, it just doesn't hit for me.
This was such a pleasant surprise. Ambient music to me can be a hit or a miss and this was immediate hit
Aphex twin is awesome. This one isn't my fav of his, but it's beautiful and crazy creative. Love it
Why is electronic music?
I remember liking Aphex Twin more back in the 90's, maybe because it was more novel at the time. First time I've listened to them in quite some time, and it hasn't aged well for me. It's fine, just not my thing.
Bad
Probably just the mood I was in, but I felt overstimulated the whole time.
not bad, just not for me
I understand that the EDM community holds Aphex Twin in high esteem. However, much like Miles Davis, I glean from this listen that it has probably left such a profound impact on electronica that it's hard to hear this album [checks calendar] over forty years later in a representative manner. In other words, cool album, but it sounds safe - rudimentary, even - because I'm guessing it changed or redefined EDM.
Ambient music really does something for my mind. There is a way it manages to sooth my anxiety, quiet the noise, and lets me melt into the vibes and feelings in ways that few other music genres manage. It isn't for everyone, but it really works for me.
Didn’t enjoy
Bleh
Exquisite fingertip-feel for the textures of sounds 🤌 Synthetic by definition yet somehow filled with the breath of life.
techno
6/10. Fue un viaje escuchar este álbum, por su duración y por el estilo del mismo que, siendo un disco de música de ambiente electrónica, bastante antigua para el género. Sin embargo investigando más sobre el disco en cuestión, descubrí que es una recopilación de temas hechos por Aphex Twin, desde 1985 a 1992, y que algunos temas fueron hechos cuando él tan sólo tenía 13 años, lo cual es bastante increíble y que se puede percibir en el trayecto de los temas que tienen una atmósfera de creatividad, inexperiencia, búsqueda y experimentalidad bastante marcada. Sin embargo, esto no resulta en que los temas sean la gran cosa, porque la mayoría son repetitivos o extraños (cosa que destaca más en los últimos temas que son bastante sombríos=), pero igualmente es un disco con mucho contenido e ideas innovadoras seguramente para la época. Quizás lo escuche de nuevo para tener como ambientación.
i guess i couldn't say anything that hasn't been said about this. while probably not my favourite of richard's work, i still love everything about this, including the infine amount of iconic ness from the cover and logo alone. i can see how someone could find it boring or underwhelming, but to me there are loads of universes and tiny details to be found and to think or trip about in those tiny repetitive beats and patterns, and it gets me out of this world and body while also locking tf in. aphex twin is the king
So ambient you don't even notice it
Still amazing.
If you listen to an hour and 15 minute long album and none of it registers, did it really happen?
I'm happy this wasn't Richard D. James Album because that album artwork creeps me the f out. This was an excellent album to work to, almost 5 worthy
I wouldn't mind having this on as ambient background music while working on something. And in so doing, this album succeeds at doing what it set out to do.
Was chuffed when this came up and enjoyed listening to it again for the nostalgia, but it wasn't as great as I remembered it unfortunately!
I don’t understand it well enough to critique it but it was so much fun to listen to while working out.
realmente tudo fica melhor com aphex twin
HELL YEAAAAG
Great experimental album that really innovates what am,bient should achieve. Great listen and this was a different experience
True ambience
Can't go wrong with some funky electronic background beats. This is the type of music that I imagine the villain from Grandma's Boy listened to.
Honestly I rather liked the chill ambient vibe of this album. One of the better electronic albums, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality here. I had been curious about Aphex Twin, but now I know it's another strong early electronic artist with creative yet not overwhelming or overly energetic beats.
I can't say that this album really contributed anything revolutionary to its genre of music, but it isn't altogether unpleasant. Like most electronic music, each song is predicated on a repetitive beat and bassline, and each song offers a new flavor and rhythm. However, no single song or measure stands out amongst the 74 minutes of different electronic sounds.
This is the stuff I like to listen to when I'm at work, in the middle of spreadsheets and file audits. Keeps me motivated but not distracting.
It was too boring it was like the menu music for a shit racing game
52 albums in and I've finally had to give a 1 star review. This is literally just background noise. I have several playlists like this on Spotify for when I'm studying or reading and need to drown out other noises, but I'd never tell anyone they needed to hear them before they died. 75 mins of noise and I honestly couldn't tell you one memorable thing about this album. 1*
I've really enjoyed having this on as background when I needed to get work done. Just enough drive to keep my moving, but not so hard that I was distracted. Is it really that great of an album? It's exactly what it says on the tin. And I love that.
I’m not really sure I needed to hear that before I die. I’m sure there’s many more interesting listens out there from the 80s/90s in the genre that could’ve made this list instead. It’s not awful, and fits the title. Just doesn’t move the needle for me.
Que genio el de este tipo con 14 años empezar a idear parte de estas canciones De verdad que en esta línea del ambient, se ve como marca tendencias, lo que hizo en el 92 fue aportar ritmos atemporales, muy adelantado a su época, quizás hasta incomprendido en ese entonces Pero si le mete bonito a los ritmos del tecno y dance Muy disfrutable, reescuchable y altamente recomendable Creo que está apenas para sesiones de concentración
This was great to get some work done this morning but that's really all I would use it for. Nothing stood out.
Just want to say, wow, it's crazy cool that this fellow composed some of these pieces in their early teens. I don't even remember what I was doing with my life at that age. My overall thoughts can be summed up thus: I like it, but I don't love it. It doesn't really fit into either of the two camps which I could see it being placed in. Too active, loud to be purely ambient and relaxing music, that you might play to chill out. Too passive to be the type of bouncy electronic that you might want to get the heart racing. It's still really good, but I feel that it might be improved by trying to focus on of those categories at a time. I don't think that it might come as much of a surprise, dear readers, that the tracks I've given the playlist stars to all fall on the high energy end of the spectrum. I feel like I should have more to say about 1 hour 15 worth of music. Though I guess all the tracks are instrumentals, and that they're selected works from a greater portfolio, so there is less likely to be some sort of overreaching story here. That said, I enjoyed my listen all the same. An interesting balance between energy and relaxation - though I feel like it may have benefitted from picking one of those two lanes and sticking there.
Šef sve pozadinske muzike ovog svijeta.
3.5/5
exellent
Really not my thing
I’m sorry, but techno sucks. You really have to be on drugs to enjoy this stuff
Der britische Produzent Richard D. James, besser bekannt als Aphex Twin, veröffentlichte sein Debütalbum 1992 über Apollo, das belgische Sublabel von R&S Records – zu einer Zeit, in der Techno noch fast ausschließlich für den Club gedacht war. Statt eines Studios im klassischen Sinne entstand das Material über Jahre hinweg im häuslichen Umfeld in Cornwall, komponiert auf selbstgebauten Schaltkreisen und einem Atari 520ST; einige Passagen reichen Berichten zufolge bis in James' Teenagerjahre zurück. Diese Herkunft aus dem Improvisierten, nicht Institutionellen, prägt den gesamten Klang des Albums – es klingt nach Werkstatt, nicht nach Kontrollraum. Stücke wie Xtal, Tha oder Pulsewidth verbinden warme, fast naive Melodik mit unterschwelliger Rhythmik, während Ageispolis und Green Calx zeigen, wie nah Ambient und Techno hier beieinanderliegen, ohne sich je vollständig zu vermischen. Bemerkenswert ist, wie wenig das Album auf Effekthascherei setzt: Die Texturen wirken roh, teils unfertig, und genau darin liegt ihre Wirkung. Es ist Musik, die nicht performt, sondern einfach da ist – meditativ, aber nie dekorativ. Im Rückblick liest sich Selected Ambient Works 85-92 weniger als kalkuliertes Debüt denn als zufällig dokumentierter Entwicklungsprozess eines Autodidakten, der sein eigenes Vokabular fand, bevor er wusste, dass er eines brauchte. Das Album hat seine Ecken und Kanten nie verloren, und genau das macht es bis heute widerstandsfähig gegenüber jeder Form von Nostalgie. Ein Debüt, das seine eigene Genrezugehörigkeit im Nachhinein mitgeschrieben hat.
Aphex Twin really excels at creating these aural meditations. The tracks on this album are like massages for my brain, musical ASMR. Many of the songs found here are like floating along a river in spring, allowing one to get lost in them not knowing where the journey might take you. This might not be my favorite Aphex album, but it is still incredible.
This is music? Doesnt belong on this list at all, dull as all hell
No fav song
Not as scary as that video led me to believe.
Wanted to like this one more than I did. Out walking again and the ambient stuff got a bit boring honestly. It would be good for sitting in work or along those lines. I like Aphez Twin alot but in saying that I think Drukqs, Come to Daddy and I care because you do are better records than this. TO JUSTIFY tomyself its ambient I like ambient music when I am doing something, I feel like it should be in the background this was I primary focus and yeas just found some of the later ones. I have to say its a mix I really liked Heliosphan and Schottkey... Actium. Might give this one another shot at my computer 3 out of 5
I am admittedly not very well versed in Mr Richard D James’ work, but I always picture it, in my mind's ear, as being difficult music, and not just because electronic music rubs me the wrong way so often. I picture harsh beats, unsettling synths, something created as a challenge. That uncanny valley that feels like an Aphex Twin hallmark. The closest this gets to that expectation is perhaps something like Green Calx, which feels like a cybernetic discotheque. Instead, we get what it promises: largely Ambient Works. If it seems odd that I am finding that noteworthy, well, it's because Selected Works 2, which I listened to some 250 albums ago (not counting those I have already known), didn't keep that promise. There was a bit too much beat, a bit too much frog-and-lazer tone in the works as opposed to the peace of Ambient. But again, that's the rarity here, and even on tracks that lean that direction, it feels lighter than the next collection. I mean, Heliosphan has a rapid layered beat carrying the long wholenote swells, but those textures still feel nominally ambient. The album doesn't feel particularly Ambient for the sake of all that, but does work together pretty well for an early-career spanning collection. Where the tracks feel most ambient (like Tha and Ageispolis), they spread out and maintain movement, which keeps things listenable. When they aren't quite so laid back (Let's say Schottkey 7th Path) there are still big warm ambient washes. And when this becomes glorified dance, well, it's still a more interesting take than most. I'm still tentative on this sort of thing, but I think this holds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ promise in spite of itself. Worth a revisit.
I thought this was another compilation album at first based on the title. After listening, I can see how this would be considered a staple of ambient electronica music. More impressive considering Richard D. James was only 14 when he began the recording process. Honestly, I'd consider this one of the more accessible ambient electronica/techno albums out there. It's not super aggressive on the ears and maintains its melodicism despite towing the line between all sorts of electronic subgenres and inspirations. I know this sort of thing is a tough sell for most people, but just relax or multitask while listening and you might just be surprised...
It's not as good as I remember it being. With Xtal, it leads me to believe that this will be quite the delightful mix of ambient techno. Tha continues that even if it's 9 minutes of the same looping noise. At a certain point though, this record becomes a mash of random noises over a club beat. It effectively becomes background music which some may find as a perk. But in the case of an actual focused listen, it's nothing much to touch on. One exception to the random noises critique is Green Calx which while it does have "random noises" (from Robocop), it uses these sounds to create new textures in differing sections. The others (mostly after Heliosphan) come and go in their 4-7 minutes of fame. Richard's later work holds so much of an interest in me because it would evolve beyond a club backing track. The 85-92 in the title sends the message that this is Richard experimenting as a young boy/adult. From SAW II and forwards, he would set his sights on innovating in more groundbreaking ways. You could argue the same with this album and how influential it's become, though I fail to grasp how it's his greatest work. Come on you cunt, let's have some Aphex Acid! (6/10, 3/5 on this scale)
Probably Aphex's most well known album, and for good reason
It's like watching a movie with your ears and no dialog. While technically sound and enjoyable at the time, completely forgettable for the most part. The song names definitely point to an idea. If you have that idea in your head when you listen...it tracks.
gutgutgutgutgutgutgutgut
With the right mood, this album is great
This is of course ground-breaking and some of this is really good Pulsewidth and Heliosphan esp.
So good, and so timely delivered on the birthday of an electronic musician which we were celebrating with a group of other electronic musicians on a group trip dedicated to playing and hearing electronic music. 4.5
I listened to this whole album, and then 24hrs later my roommate thew a houseparty and played this entire album front to back, so I'm a little annoyed I did that twice. Not mad at it though. Aphex Twin is a neutral to mildly positive experience, imo. Not good house party music?? 3.5
I liked this a lot, wouldn't have thought to call it ambient but it does have the quality of like, you can tune out or tune in
Aphex sounds unlike anything else out there. This release was before he joined with Warp, but still reflects everything about what he represents. The intricate sequencing and patterns, unique electronic sounds and engineering. Not something I usually listen to, but it is something I appreciate and respect.
#1000. This sounds like something that was playing in the background of a porn video, but you wish it wasn't. 2/5: dumb.
I like the one that goes Pewpewpewpew pewpewpew doo doo doo doo chicka ta chika ding ding
This isn't even interesting enough for background music.
Veeeryyy weird. I’m certain there’s an audience for this type of music but it really just put me on edge and freaked me out. A friend of mine would love it, though, so if you like cool ambience and just interesting songs without lyrics, definitely give a listen. Very uncanny and creepy sounding though. Not my cup of tea.
If there was ever an album that I would like less than this I can’t imagine. Over an hour of just repetitive sound effects! Yuck.
tror aldrig det bliver helt noget for mig men meget behageligt at lytte til
Bliver altid lidt chokeret når jeg hører den her over hvor mange bangers der er!
This album blows me away every time I hear it. Filled with cool ideas and even greater execution.
ugh i loved this, such a good bg to just going ab my day - will def be returning !!!
kinda funky kinda cool this was a good album for the work day i had some were hits some less but overall fun and twins!!!! 3.5
Pretty good songs, I liked Xtal, We Are The Music Makers and SchottKey 7th Path the most.
Fine ambient dance music. No way should this be on a list like this. A producer could recreate most of this in a few days on Logic Pro.
5 - AVERAGE
I could not get into this album. Background drone and quiet sounds but nothing that engaged me.
not for me
I compare all ambient albums to "Music for Airports." This album is okay, but it lacks the defining feature of Eno's compositions: beauty. When you really listen to Brian Eno's ambient work, it is lush and elegant in a way that this album is not. While this album is effective background music, it is not ambient music that I would seek out.
I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Difficult orchestrations and really worked the base in my car.
Okay stuff. Repetitive, but it is dance music.
Very nice, but ultimately background music
흠... 내 스타일은 아니었다. 듣기 힘들진 않았지만 그렇다고 또 듣고 싶지는 않았다. Hmm... it wasn't really my style. It wasn't hard to listen to, but I didn't feel like listening to it again, either.
Not my jam. 1.5
Call waiting music.
this didn’t do anything for me tbh
Ok sure it's ambient, but why does it have to be so monotonous and boring. The songs very quickly become very repetitive and lack any distinguishing features to differentiate one track from another. I like a purely instrumental album, but here i just find no joy in this and didn't really like this as background music either. Fav Track: Pulsewidth
Pretty indifferent to this, even if I just sat and listened it faded into the background. I did enjoy it though.
Nice to work to
More fucking club music.
bleeps and bloops, but in a downtempo, really cool way
This should be considered a must-listen album of all-time? Come on, man. First, it's a compilation, that disqualifies it for me. Second it's just not good enough to be included. It's a playlist you could hear at any dentist's office! WTF, is the Aphex Twin guy the one creating this list?!?! I'm glad she's not singing, I found the other album they have on here to be complete shit. You know AT has same # of entries as Jimi, Petty, Doors, Nirvana, bands that changed R&R. And one more than Journey, Boston, GNR, Pearl Jam, Rage Against The Machine, bands who have influenced so many others. This list has become a farce. One star
Although technically I listened, it was as if I didn't because I remember nothing. Still, a vaguely positive experience. 2.5⭐️
Man, I wish I could get into an Aphex Twins record. Like.. I get it. Its super unique and cool. Its kind of like Brian Eno that way, but similarly to Brian Eno, I can't really handle a whole record unless I'm in a sterile enviroment or deep some deep focus.
If you told me someone on SoundCloud released this yesterday I would believe you
Good study music. Cool to listen to all the different types of instruments coming together
Really nice background (Enjoyed more than I expected) but the 1h14 was a bit much 3.5/5
2/5
I know this is like one of the summer albums of the'90s I really don't enjoy it
Can confirm. Is ambient.
I try so hard to like Aphex Twin, especially this album, and it never clicks. You know what does click? Windowlicker, Come to Daddy, and all of Drukqs. Literally all of those 3 EP/Albums, but not this. I owned the Drukqs vinyl box set, and sold it because of that awkward box size never fitting anywhere, but thats how much I liked it, and yet I cannot ever get myself to enjoy this. 2.
Half the album was the background music to a A24 wannabe film student’s personal project about life’s meaning. The other half was just meh and not that interesting.
Its nice ambient background music. If you like this, check out Flashbulb (one of Benn Jordan's pseudonyms)
Good background music
Solid album. Like most of this genre, not necessarily something I would actively listen to, but it was great background music while I was working. Good vibes though.
Wow an hour and 15 minutes of "ambient" works? Groundbreaking. A lot of the songs were about a 10-note riff played over and over again and then eventually, after many drawn out minutes, had very slight variances. I didn't need to hear this album at any point in time, during any lifetime.
El plano arquitectónico definitivo de la música electrónica moderna que ha envejecido bien como un clásico de la composición analógica. En el plano de diseño formal, la obra es una proeza de minimalismo tecnológico; las cajas de ritmos y las texturas difusas se organizan en un entretejido que dota de una claridad matemática a las melodías, permitiendo que la baja fidelidad casera juegue a favor del espacio sónico. A pesar de la ausencia de voces, la sensibilidad con la que se programaron las secuencias transmite una fuerza y calidez que desbordan autenticidad, otorgando al autor una autoridad superior en el manejo de la abstracción sintética. Piezas fundamentales como "Xtal", "Heliosphan" y "Tha" inducen a una introspección conmovedora, construyendo un documento profundamente conmovedor, crudo y real que opera como un potente llamado a la conciencia desde el paisaje interior. Un trabajo cuya magnética sensación de paz y fluidez cibernética lo vuelve el camaleón funcional definitivo para múltiples usos en la rutina, destacando de forma excepcional para potenciar el trabajo creativo o sumergirse en una honda reflexión solitaria.
My response to Aphex Twin is remarkably consistent yet often disappointing, which is simply: okay. I guess that ultimately his brand of electronic music, while important and good enough to stand on its own, just doesn't fulfill whatever I'm often looking for from music. Great background sounds, but if that's the ambition or the ceiling for greatness, I'm left wanting.
3.5
Actually not awful to have on as background music
Aura
I enjoyed this far more than I expected. Really interesting soundscapes.
What is even the point of an ambient album? The idea of a beginning and an end is antithetical to its nature. This may be beautiful at times, but it’s ultimately meaningless. An arbitrary collection of pleasant sounds does not an album make. Should not be on the list.
(76/100)
Kaip tik norėjau šito albumo klausytis šiandien, neįtikėtina.
Amazing album
It’s surprisingly..well, ambient compared to the later works he’s known for. Anyway, I find this album just ok.
Wow! I did not expect to like this. I use to think that ambient meant boring (without actually listening to much of the genre). I was very wrong. I thought the 74 minute runtime would be a chore to get through, but it flew by. I get the hype. Favorite Track - Pulsewidth Least Favorite Track - Tha ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Very enjoyable listen, kept waiting to be blown away, will keep listening to the artist, searching for a revelation
Lofi beats to explore a cyberpunk underground to
Beautiful album, but a little out of my comfort zone. Did not know his earliest works, but dug his toned down songs compared to his later works.
Just not my thing
Does what it says on the tin. Good ambient music.
Wow
Pleb
This one is going to need some more listens. But my initial thoughts are how can somebody come up with these sounds in 1992? This sounds so futuristic. I can’t wrap my brain around how someone made this
For all the many times I've seen references to Aphex Twin, this is the first time I've listened to anything by Richard James' (I guess he released albums under various names, but this seems to be his most famous pseudonym). I can see why this made waves in the early 90s given the context, and even in 2026 it's a pretty distinctive sound, especially when you find out about his technical mastery of synthesizers and sampling and recording from a pretty early age (and hilarious to read that many (all?) of the tracks on this album were recorded to cassette and a cat damaged it). It's far too long, at least for non-fans, and there's not a lot of variety across the tracks, and the focus on ambient sounds/music makes it *really* hard to focus on the music for any sustained period, unsurprisingly. But despite all its shortcomings, I'm glad I finally had an excuse to hear what all the hype was about nearly 35 years ago. (Too bad we didn't get to hear his more foregrounded tracks like "Digeridoo", though, although I guess "Green calx" kind of counts.)
I've always loved the Willy Wonka quote (Gene Wilder quoting O'Shaughnessy) but otherwise found this album okay. I rarely stopped what I was doing to listen and the individual tracks didn't seem to relate to each other well. Perhaps I should have given this more attention, but it never grabbed me.
I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. Super chill, cool soundscape.
This was like the soundtrack for a monotonous video game
This is the music that plays in the background while a music critic explains to you why Neil Young is the greatest artist of all time.
I've yet to find a situation or mood where this album doesn't suit. Great atmosphere and manages to be completely engaging despite no vocal accompaniment. Favorite track: Tha
This steadily grew on me. This would be top tier 'intense study tunes' but as an album listening experience these IDM albums are way too long. And once you've heard 2 minutes you've heard the whole 8. 2.5 but veered to a 3.
The perfect soundtrack to the best afters you’d ever have
Mitä helvettiä
This one's kind of hard to rate. It is indeed ambient tracks, which I generally enjoyed, but don't know that I would ever want to listen to again??? At least not as a whole album
I would have loved to have heard this in 1993, and I wonder what I would have thought of it then. What else was happening around that time? Enigma? I liked them. Enya? Same. But that's really all I can remember with similar vibes. Anyway, in 2026, it's a lot of what I want in an ambient electronic record. Green Calx took an interesting turn away from "chill out" music, which breaks the immersion for me. Ptolemy and Hedphelym (which required a skip halfway through) were other tracks that didn't seem very "ambient" to me and took me out of the relaxed space the preceding tracks brought me to. It's really difficult for me to imagine someone 14 years old putting this together in the mid 80s. While I appreciate the ahead-of-its-time-ness and honestly, would consider it revolutionary, I can't help but wonder if this guy was like SUPER weird as a kid. I can't imagine someone so young basically writing the blueprints for what really wouldn't become a popular genre for 15 or more years. Truly incredible when you think about it. This would have been an easy 4 stars with the omission of the three previously mentioned tracks. In spite of those three, it'll still wind up at that rating, taking into account just how foundational this album was and how early it happened, sounding NOTHING like anything else at the time. ⭐⭐⭐.75
Really not for me. Feels like the background music they always have in the gym, good music for blocking out distractions I guess.
I thought this guy made house music. I was mistaken. Sounds good for what it is. Not for everyone.
This was actually pretty good, and I’m low-key mad about it.
I mean ya those were some Selected Ambient Works. Feels more like background music to a video game.
man really wish I could have heard works 78-84 instead. this was ignorable so I guess not bad.
I liked this.
UGH!
Nicely done
It's inoffensive enough, but by the end of this I found myself just so annoyed. The repetitive nature of this really ground down my brain. I thought this would be a 2-star for me, but the overall effect on my mood after getting through listening to the full thing is a true 1-star experience.
It's ambient alright!
so excited for this one. <3 dreamy! dancy. vibey. was nodding along in the first minute. driving beats. transporting. it's amazing humans can produce such fun, interesting art - music and sounds. Tha! ahh the bass in Ageispolis hahaa. bouncee. the mix between soft and hard. I going into Green Calx. it's fun when the 90s sounds come out. sometimes I can't tell what year this is from and others I'm like, ayyy. haha. listening to the whole album was interesting, I think after awhile sonically .. fatiguing just a little bit for some reason? but that thought is broken up by trying to figure out how certain sounds were made. over all really fun, discovery, and vibing.
Ohan taustamusaa, ei paskaa, mutta ei tästä kyllä mitään jäänyt mieleenkään joskaan ei ärsyttänytkään. 2/5
Unexpectably exciting to me for electronic music
A nice listen.
Honestly fine. Good background music
Xtal
listened some of it throughout the last few months/year, but great to listen through all the way
I honestly expected better. One good song and the others sound like the background music for an art display.
Nice chill tracks.
A difficult one to rate I've listened to this hundreds of times over the years but couldn't tell you a single song title or really remember what any of the tracks sound like This is however, brilliant background music that I thoroughly enjoy and will continue to do so. Here's to listening to this another few hundred times in the future and not remembering any of it
No strong feelings At least it’s not Brit pop
For what it is and when it was, it set the bar
Pioneering EDM. Cannot imagine rating this one low.
Absolutely loved this. Perhaps not a record I would go back to over and over, but as the soundtrack to my working day, it's great.
Classic bleeping and blooping.
Listened to so many times it’s imprinted on my brain.
Ambient spacey tracks. I love this kind of thing.
Is this the one with QKThr? No? Well, shoot. Atmospheric as heck. But Aphex Twin employs such an overwhelming variety of moods that the term "atmospheric" ceases its ability to do the music justice. Selected Ambient Works 85-92 is intense, unabashed, freeform. Not to mention exceptionally modern-sounding for pre-21st century – nay, pre-90s (mostly) – output. I'm more forgiving of Aphex Twin's work than other electronic instrumentalists because of its resemblance to certain mid-period Radiohead songs (Kid A/mnesiac era). Particularly the likes of I Might Be Wrong, Like Spinning Plates, Packt Like Sardines..., and Treefingers. Though, like (most) Radiohead music, it would be a stretch to call most of this "ambient" as Aphex Twin does here. The music here focuses pretty intensely on melody, for better or worse, and as a rule of thumb melody and ambience are mutually exclusive. The melodies are surprisingly catchy, though. A big shoutout to the gloopy synths in Green Calx. I understand why the track has comparatively fewer listens, but you have to admire the plorpage and glorpage. Ptolemy is much the same way – that bassline splits itself between the "goofy" hair and the "musically inventive" hair. And I have huge respect for tracks that, despite being long and repetitive, pass by in the blink of an eye. All the tracks kind of do that, though I suppose that's to be expected when background-listening. There are enough little details scattered about – electronic drum fills, instrumental switch-ups, variations on motifs – to tide you over. But you would absolutely get bored if you gave this your undivided attention. 4/5 Key tracks: Xtol, Ageispolis, Ptolemy
not my vibe and wouldn’t listen again… did feel like I was on a secret mission on my walk tho
Good for putting you to sleep
I wonder if anyone ever does Sunday brunch making brunch for the friends to come over on a beautiful Sunday afternoon and they put on the Apex twin to enjoy with their brunch I don’t think so who listens to this music? Is it still relevant? Does it make any sense? I don’t think anyone’s gonna be listening to this 100 years. It’s kind of boring. It served its purpose.
One of the most influential albums for a reason, unbelievable that a teenager composed these tracks
Assez répétitif et chiant que ce soit au long d’un même son ou même de l’album entier. La deuxième moitié de l’album est mieux.
Dance music in the 80s was shit. Like, embarrassingly shit. Then the 90s came and it got worse. And yet, unlike the previous decade there was a miniscule handful of artists making notable music in the genre. Aphex Twin was one. The outcast of the bunch. This is impressive given both the age he was when he made it and the technology he made it with. But there's nothing here I'd ever want to hear again. It's music that does absolutely nothing for me, either warbling along, or bleeping and blooping. One of his albums deserves a spot. Is it this one? Why not? But whatever it is you are supposed to feel when listening to this, I lack the capacity for.
Geggjuð plata. Svo gott stöff. Ótrúlegt hvað þetta er langt á undan sínum samtíma og ef maður blastar þessu þá er þetta ótrúlega þétt ennþá.
Frábær plata og töff sánd. Ótrúlegt að þetta hafi verið tekið upp á þessu árabili, Aphex langt á undan sinni samtíð í raftónlistinni.
I like aphex twin but is the odds and sods from his time in the bedroom when he was 15 must listen? It’s an act that would be much better served by a compilation. really. Stupid limitations. The one where he constructs the spectrograph reading so it looks like him is incredible stuff. This album though is kind of interesting. Not must listen.
One of the recurring motifs of this weird process is Brian Eno popping up everywhere. He came and gave me a quote for garden the other day, he's everywhere. now while he didn't make a cameo on this record, sadly, he did remind me that his ambient work is all we need. A bit of Stalinism in our pop music, oh you want to listen to ambient, here's Brian now go away.
I read a review once (Pitchfork maybe?) that speculated that this album was like the first Velvet Underground album; hardly anybody bought it, but everyone who did formed a band (or started producing EDM tracks, at any rate). In the early 90s, the terrible band I was in was involved in the fringes of the Sydney electronic music collective Clan Analogue. And I can verify that everyone involved in that scene was indeed obsessed with this record. This is great chill-out ambient record, and I like that it was recorded to cassettes. The warm, slightly fuzzy and compressed sound is preferable to the crispy digital vibe of much electronic music. But it is an ambient album after all and tends to send me into a stupefied state so I can't remember a damn thing that was playing five minutes ago. But it's pleasant and I can nod my head to it, and it was super-influential.
I feel cooler giving this a 4
For Richard D James, this is as basic as you get. Every album, EP, or single after this album gets wilder and wilder and I don't just mean by the naming of his songs. Is this a classic? Yes. Does this deserve to be his highest rated album? Hell no. This album is the base to everything else he has ever put out and it isn't his strongest but far from his worst too. I get it these songs are great to do homework to and other things but if I am being honest the album is a bit clunky (I am aware it is Selected Ambient Works), but that doesn't really defend it from the shifts in tone and style from song to song for me.
A soundtrack to something i wouldnt want to watch.
I’m just always gonna give Aphex a 5. I relistened to this for the umpteenth time. Some of this is certainly his less refined and earlier work. But he still has such a unique voice and style that the fact that he wasn’t yet as skilled at executing his vision hardly takes away from the project for me. This dude was ahead of his time.
good for aesthetic videos on tiktok but I can’t say I would just listen to it. Maybw while doing something monotonous it would be good, but I prefer songs with lyrics
Electrónica divertida. Me gustó
# Album Name: Selected Ambient Works 85-92 # Artist: Aphex Twins # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Honestly, not my kind of thing. Couple of decent tracks. It wasnt overly offensive. Id only listen to it as background music. # Top Tunes: Xtal / Pulsewidth / Ageispolis # Would I listen to it again? Background music only
this is needed. this is required
I think this review is going to hinge on whether the person likes ambient music or not. If you do this is probably one of the finest ambient music albums ever made.
Ok bro I get the just of it after the 10th song of the same electronic noises, I’m not a fan of electronic music but I didn’t mind this one, just the fact that it feels like forever to get through the album, it also kinda sounds like a scuba diver game
Probably good writing music
Avril 14th is one of the most beautiful pieces ever composed, when you can do that why the fuck are you making this. Extra point for inventiveness
A fully electronic album I liked. However, still not something I would put on freely. 6/10
Yes, please
I had listened to this album before, it's an ambient exploration of creative electronic music in subtle and chill sounds. You get involved and get lost in these shapes and scapes, to relax and ponder. You can listen to it at the end of the day, in the background and still feel like an experience, fully.
This and stargazing = heaven. 5/5
goeie studeermuziek ma BORINGGG
chepa ni mijn ding
when listening to this, I could almost see myself at a rave or all zonked out at like 4am somewhere downtown. I can't say that I enjoyed any of it but I guess it's interesting for it's time and place?
On constant rotation and a work place staple. I sit next to the guy who does all the environmental permitting for our projects and he’s the nicest dude but Jesus Christ he’s a grabber. This record and the old noice cancellers keep this gal on track. It’s compelling ambient. Amazing they made it analog.
I don't mind Aphex Twin but overall, this was pretty uneventful
I hadn't heard this before and I was pleasantly surprised. Very chill ambient, as advertised!
I don't hate it.
Yes please. This with the sun on a glorious day was lovely. I always thought Aphex Twin was a bit darker, might have been some of those album covers of his. Read one of the reviews that said it sounded like music to accompany an outdoor shower sex scene, but that idea just added to the vibe really.
Oh these are the electronic sounds of their times…..I am bored silly with the repetitiveness of each track. They dont change enough to keep me interested. No doubt when they first came out people were hooked with the novelty. Good for trancelike dancing!
This was decent background music but I wouldn't revisit it
Would have made five stars as a single album.
There's definitely some meat on the bone. If I sit and listen, it's a little intriguing. However, it's not a type of music I appreciate or will listen to again.
This list would feel incomplete without some album by the great Richard D. James, with this one being perhaps his most famous. It is such an atmospheric and enigmatic listen 8/10 [KEEP]
It's fine for background music, but I doubt I'll be back to listen to this again. Easily forgotten for me. Call it 1.5
didn't really listen to it. What I did listen too sounded like Aphex Twin
01) Xtal - 7,5 02) Tha - 6,5 03) Pulsewidth - 7,0 04) Ageispolis - 7,0 05) i - 6,0 06) Green Calx - 6,0 07) Heliosphan - 7,0 08) We Are the Music Makers - 7,0 09) Schottkey 7th Path - 6,5 10) Ptolemy - 7,0 11) Hedphelym - 6,0 12) Delphium - 6,5 13) Actium 6,5 TOTAL: 6,65 (67/100) Current ranking: 581/886
Kind of can’t get through it, gotta be a right place right time album for sure
I didn't get much time to listen to this today, but what I did hear pricked my ears up. I haven't always enjoyed the music of Aphex Twin. In my university halls he was revered by the hardcore drug-takers as some sort of electronic prophet. Under these terms, I think he's slightly overrated. Good, very good maybe. But overrated.
Im not a big fan of music with just beats and every song being around 4 minutes, with the same beat repeating again and again in the song just not something i can rate high. But I mean the beats are fire thats the least I can say.
When my oldest daughter was about 3, my wife and I took her to this little aquarium to see all the different animals they had there. At some point we walked into this dark room with a tank in the middle that was filled with hundreds of jellyfish and they had these color changing LED lights that were cycling through to light up the tank and there was some sort of ambient music playing in the room. It was the middle of the day on a weekday, so not many people were at the aquarium and I stood there staring at this tank, face nearly pressed against the glass, just watching these jellyfish move up and down the tank, changing colors with the lights, lost in the gentle flow of the music. I must've stood there for 20-30 minutes; my wife and daughter had long since moved on through the other exhibits. It was, maybe, one of the most peaceful experiences of my life. I say all this as something of a disclaimer. I enjoy ambient music, especially in the right setting. I've chased that aquarium experience multiple times since then and have rarely found it in the 6+ years since. This album, unfortunately, did not live up to that day. In fact, something about it kinda irritated me. I'm not sure what it was. Some of the songs are alright, some even come close to what I really want. "I," for example, really hit me in the right way, but a lot of the other songs are either trying to do too much or have too many sounds to give me what I want. Anyway, it's a 2 Star album with one 5 star song.
I was kind of grooving on the ambient stuff after Sigur ros but I did not really care for this one. Seemed a bit too mellow. It was ok, I would listen to it again but would not try to find it and certainly would not buy it
música electrónica ambiental. personalmente no es un género que disfrute, si está muy bueno no lo sé reconocer. no se me ocurre cuando decidiría ponerme a escucharlo.
Knowing who Aphex Twin is makes this a lot easier. And considering these were made when he was a young teen is quite impressive. Aphex Twin is who your favorite hip hop artist should be sampling. A lot of similar work with Flying Lotus. This work is exactly that, ambient works. His more finalized productions are superb, a true musical genius.
I can't really consider an occasion or activity where I would listen to this. This type of music is kind of farcical to me.
Part of my enjoyment might have been because I listened to this on the train into NYC and it was a good vibe.
Phhh... rubbush
3.2 To slow to party with, too fast to chill. Gonna have to take another run at this at some point
I laughed when I got this album, because I knew I was in for a ride. I was only partially familiar with Aphex Twin and never gave myself the time to sit down and listen to them, so I'm glad I did so. Listened to the album during my cardio workout and def made it more entertaining.
ooo, techno: Dum-dum-dum-dum-digadigadigadigadigadigadigadiga ...no...wait, ambient techno: ~~**~-|~~*._~~~~**...''~~~~**~-|~~*._~~~~**...''~~**~
I'ma be so fr this shit like elevator music. If you into House or EDM I'm sure you fuck with this but like, dude they be playing this in like family fun center when you in a heated round of laser tag like be so for real... Favorite track was Ptolemy.
Хоч я послухала увесь альбом, я нічого не запам'ятала. Мені видається дивним, що це вважається кращою музикою усіх часів, годиться максимум як набір саундтреків до якоїсь хоррор-гри. 1,5
It’s obviously very good but after a while it just gets dull.
What a good background album. Great example of this style of music. Strong 3, weak 4.
It's fine. If this is what you are into, you certainly get your money's worth. A good example of a type of music.
Great grooves and rhythm section. When will the lead instruments be added to complete this project?
Man this is so pretty and invented so much of the future that came after it. Masterpiece.
Is that the smoke detector beep in Green Calx? This is another example where I’ve seen this album a bunch of places and told myself I would get to it eventually. And yeah, those nerds over at rateyourmusic were right. This is pretty great. These beeps and boops are entertaining. Favorite songs are Pulsewidth, Ageispolis, Ptolemy, and Actium.
esto no tine voz Yisus. Oigan veré a BTS jejjejeje ultra musica de fondo y ni es buena. Bye
Bloop bloop doo doo whirp whirp
Hyper original j'ai adoré
would be good as a backing track to a sunny SRL compilation
I enjoy aromatic beats every now and then.
the big one, most beloved. great album, but again... there's better ones by the same artist imo lol
Uninteresting electronic sounds.
Ruined this album for myself by picturing Ross from Friends playing keyboard and it fits far too well. 1. Start drum track 2. Play a modulated keyboard with 1 finger 3. ??? 4. Profit Totally understand that this might have inspired a bunch of other electronic artists, and I appreciate "Aphex Twin" has gone on to win a load of awards etc. for his work, but this album contains work from when he was 13/14 years old, and funnily enough it _sounds_ like a 13/14 year old messing about with a synthesizer.
I think this album could have been a lot better if each song was half the length. There were some interesting stuff but it got repetitive in 5-7 minute long songs. I don't really think this should be on the list because it's just a bunch of sample tracks they were messing around with before their debut album... High 2
just a very well done album can't go wrong with it. was listening to it while working dont have any favs just QUALITY
#315/1001. Although I prefer SAW 2, I was thinking of giving this 5 just because it stands out from the mediocrity of the list. But then it just seems to bw going on and repeating. A lot of it is not really ambient, is it?
Annoying sound effects
No
vibin @ the discotheque
It’s perfectly fine playing in the background, but I have no idea why you’d include it in a list like this.
A belter!
Experimental background electronica Pulsewidth
They don’t make em like this anymore. I love the analogue sounds, the textures, the ambience, and the overall vibe. “Tha” has been a top track for me for years. It works as something to have on in the background or something to listen to with a good pair of headphones. Take your pick.
Oh, this is incredibly ahead of its time for the early 90s! Green Calx and Ptolemy were my favorites, I think? Not normally a fan of the genre, but this was well-made and influential, and an enjoyable listen too.
Really cool vibes, much more approachable than I thought it'd be. I'm never quite sure how to rate albums like this, so let's say 3.5!
29/03/2026 Even though I was willing to give it a chance, I found it quite long and boring. Spotify listeners: 3.5 million
I assumed that the title was a joke, but I was wrong. This really is more ambient than the music Aphex Twin became more known for, like the material on the album Syro. I liked this but I prefer his higher energy stuff.
Love.
Great
Mesmerising beep boop classic
The best beepboops
ta bueno
Just techno
Feels like hitting up the club underwater.
I love ambient music and hadn't listened to this in a very long time so this was great to hear again. Some genuinely interesting formal and timbral experiments for electronic music at that time.
Good beat, easy to listen to. 2.5 stars
I started off quite enjoying this, but the longer it went on, the more I grew tired of the thumping beats and the unrelenting nature of the album. Electronic music of this style isn’t usually my thing, but this was definitely amongst the best I’ve heard.
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.
This made me feel like I was in a nightclub I couldn’t escape from. It actually made me a bit twitchy and anxious after a while. Yet, somehow, it’s still not the worst thing I’ve heard on this generator. If I could give it 1.5* I would, but alas…
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
Favorite Track: Xtal
Zal wel weer aan mij liggen, maar ik vind dit echt ongelooflijk saai. Jammer dat elk elektronische album zoals dit klinkt, want nu lijkt het alsof ik elektronische muziek haat, terwijl dat 1 van m'n favoriete genres is. Maar niet als het klinkt als slaapmuziek of als heel erg rare muziek. Jammer. DNF
Surprised myself by really liking this one! I started the album over as soon as it ended -- good vibes for a cloudy Wednesday morning working from home
Weird, Schottkey 7th path has some Subtronics feel that he might have sampled from. But... forgettable and also background music.
Listened to this one twice. First time I did not like it… the second time I was more chill and really liked it. Prob go a 3 👏
I don't know how to rate an Ambient album on this list. I don't dislike the genre, but it tends to fade into the background for me. This was enjoyable, but not memorable. 6/10 Pretty Good
house cleaning music
Cool background music, lives up to the name.
I like ambient and entered this one with high hopes. Unfortunately, I thought it kind of fell too far into the background.