Reviews (page 3 of 8)
I had no idea this band was that old. Anyways pretty solid.
Good background music while I was assembling some robot figurines for myself and a friend. Once the robots were complete I focused and discovered how this album should not be in the foreground. Not Kid Rock levels of bad.
Better than silence, best without vocals.
Obegriplig "musik"
fellow coworkers enjoyed their music, but little to ambient for me
Aphex Twin occupies a space in my mind that's reserve for electronic music, but the parking space is almost only taken up by Aphex Twin. This is a problem because after listening to so much Aphex Twin, I truly don't even know what is good or bad electronic music. Like I know enough to say yeah this is a really good album, but at the same time I feel like it's so easy to say this album is a masterpiece because I lack so much context of other electronic music that this shit wouldn't even blow my shit a little bit if I had listened to it. When I listen to Aphex Twin there's really no one else I can think of who's better, but like that doesn't make this the best either. The album makes me not want to listen to Aphex Twin because then I'll probably like and appreciate Aphex Twin more down the line, kinda like Boards of Canada.
Super chill, very fun low-key background beats, with the key phrase in the title: "ambient". Makes sense that this album is considered a foundation on which electronica has grown immensely, grown into something very different. I enjoyed it. Okay to have on in the background. Has it stood the test of time? Not for me.
This is basically what I expected. In my opinion: lifeless and uninteresting. Same beats and sounds repeated for what feels like FOREVER and nothing really stands out at all. If I was tripping I think I'd enjoy it. Maybe it's just that this style isn't for me, but I just don't get it.
Nice
Not for me
The calming, ethereal nature of 'Selected Ambient Works 85-92' proved to be a game-changer for electronic music when it was release in 1992, and it introduced listeners to the inventiveness of British composer Richard D. James, better known by stage name Aphex Twin. This record plays it very cool and composed, providing some innovative ambient soundscapes encouraging the listener to think, feel and vibe. There's elements of the acid house scene that was burgeoning in Britain at the time, but also flourishes of 80s synth pop, hardcore, hip hop and even shoegaze. James composed this record over a seven-year period (as the title states), and its clear through the numerous stylistic shifts it takes. Aphex Twin emerged at a time when electronic house music was becoming faster and more intense (see The Prodigy) and James does lean into this harder edge at times, though not as extensively as he would on later releases. He keeps things very contained and focused on 'Selected Ambient Works 85-92', picking up effectively from the foundations built by Kraftwerk, Brian Eno, New Order and Primal Scream. It's a cool record to relax to, but it's also great thinking music! Best songs: Xtal, Tha, Ageispolis, Heliosphan, We are the Music Makers
LoFi beats - decent background for work/focus
Honestly, thought I would hate this. Really good for focusing on work. Also each of the songs were distinct which I never feel with ambient music.
Pioneering, inventive, twisty and sublime. This album was the birth of a whole new genre of electronic music, one that is less in your face, a little more introspective and refined than a lot of the early house and krautrock that was happening back then. These tracks, despite being fully electronic, maintain a human warmth throughout, with melodies and rhythms that can fade into the background while still tugging your brain along in multiple directions. Aphex is a master, this is a 5/5 from me.
Oikein mainiota taustameteliä! muutamat tutut biitit joita sämplätty myöhemmin muissa tunnetuissa biiseissä. Oli itelle uus tuttavuus
Sattumoisin ollu työkiireiden keskellä mm. tämä levy tehokuuntelussa, lykätään siitä ansiosta VITSKA
Aika täydellistä taustamusiikkia työnteolle, mutta eipä tätä vartavasten jaksaisi kuunnella.
Tää "kokoelma" on vielä niitä aikoja kun apöksin eli mikä lie jamesi se on hommat ei oo lähteneet ihan säksätys-tasolle. Varmaan myös jotain semmosta eteen näyttäjää niille joille ottaa eteen elektronisemmalle tavaralle. Viihyn kyllä vaikka näistä ymmärrän vielä vähemmän kun noista 60-luvun poppirallatuksista. Mut kiittäen arvioimme tätä.
En oikein löytänyt tästä mitään tarttumapintaa, enkä kyllä keksi tilannetta jossa tähän levyyn enää koskaan palaisin. Posia täytyy antaa siitä, että jotenkin tosi ajattoman kuuloista. En olisi ikinä osannut arvata että tässä on kasarin-ysärin taitteen kamaa.
I'm not really a fan of the ambient scene, but this was a lot more engaging than the likes of Brian Eno and such, even though it was 75 minutes long. Difficult to choose between a 3 and a 4, gave it a 4 because I seek for the thrill
Meh
Literally fades into the ambiance.. Tracks to Track: Xtal
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! :)
Floating through space wooooo
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*
I like ambient music but this was a little boring and dancy.
Silly. Not awful. Just silly noise.
90s clams casino
Love the ambient sound
Weird but I do like.
Solid. So nice I listened twice.
Not my taste
I remember when this album was the background music to the Weather Channel. I’m expecting to see the 5 day forecast soon after the local radar goes away. It’s also the soundtrack to any generic racing games on the original PlayStation. Yes it’s “music”. Yes people rate it 5 star. Yes the world is filled with idiots. Case in point; this album and the people who love it.
Fine as background noise, but didn't click.
I feel like I'm missing some context, because listening with today's ears this feels not so impressive. Nothing particularly wrong, just nothing of particular note. I guess if I'm looking for ambient music for something this would be a good choice, but I am rarely looking for ambient music. This one was not for me.
It is not exactly my type of electronic music but it has good moments. Regarding release date I can believe it was very influential.
This whole album is just a set of sounds... nothing really too exciting at all, very understimulating, but I guess okay for parts of futuristic-feeling games from the 90s. I don't know what the aim of this is, but I guess there is an audience for it.
I’m very glad albums like this are on the list.
Noise but some of it was nice noise.
Gear: ZiiGaat x Hangout.Audio Odyssey 2 Artwork: λ⌖℮ Production: (ツ) Music: 𝄃𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄀𝄁𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄃 Rating: λ λ λ λ λ /5
Weirdly enjoyable! Didn't expect to like it.
Interesting. Innovative for the times.
Finally something interesting! Loved the ambient builds on this
It's ok. I'd heard this once or twice in the past and my feelings have not changed about it. There's nothing terribly annoying on it, but there's nothing that sticks in my head either. It's fine as background music. Apparently, it helped bring ambient music into the mainstream, but I'm not really sure how it did that. It's ok. Produced well enough and there are some interesting noises throughout. But like most electronica, it gets a bit repetitious. I'd call it a 3 and probably never hear it again,.
To people complaining about its inclusion : this is so influential, and so very fresh. 30 years is unbelievable to be making that sound. I don't think it's perfect, but I like ambient and I like this, my only complaint is that it is a bit long.
YES!!! This website always becomes a lot more tolerable once I escape the 70s. I always hated electronic, but I think I was engulfed in 'indie rock' snobbery. This is energetic, fun yet casual. I'm sorry to all the Aphex Twin listeners I truly doubted you, yet now I see how horribly wrong I was </3 Top Picks: Xtal Pulsewidth This is very much a 5 for me hehe
Ambient techno. This is the shit you put on when you're in the middle of doing something and you want to put on some music to fill the silence, but it has to be generic enough to not break your concentration.
Listening to this I'm realizing why The Virgin Suicides is good and this isn't: The Virgin Suicides was half as long; it was musically more interesting; and it had breaks from the ambient stuff.
Great
Can't say I'll ever listen to this again
Really? I get to the end of the list and it’s more Aphex Twin? Well at least this one was just sort of forgettable instead of annoying
First time listening to an Aphex Twin album, and I had a right good time. It’s like the perfect tracks for PS1 start menus.
I don't really get the hype, though maybe if I listen to it some more I will
I was interested at first and appreciated the vibes of the music. This seems like it could’ve been in inspiration for the frutiger aero aesthetic. The longer the album went on, though, the more it seemed like more of the same.
Didn't like track 6 Green Calx, but everything else is straight bangers. Love Aphex Twin, could listen to this on repeat
I had to break this listen into a couple of different sessions. It's great background music, but I would love to set aside some time to sit down and really listen to this thing. Fantastic.
honestly I'm just glad music like this made it onto this list. Aphex Twin was on his own level basically from the start. that being said, I really wish Selected Ambient Works Volume II was the one featured here instead of 85-92. both are excellent, but Volume II is beamed in from another planet and warps my perception of time whenever I put it on. Brian Eno coined the term "Ambient Music" -- the following is excerpted from the liner notes for his album "Music for Airports / Ambient 1", Sept. 1978: "Over the past three years, I have become interested in the use of music as ambience, and have come to believe that it is possible to produce material that can be used thus without being in any way compromised. To create a distinction between my own experiments in this area and the products of the various purveyors of canned music, I have begun using the term Ambient Music. An ambience is defined as an atmosphere, or a surrounding influence: a tint. My intention is to produce original pieces ostensibly (but not exclusively) for particular times and situations with a view to building up a small but versatile catalogue of environmental music suited to a wide variety of moods and atmospheres... Ambient Music must be able to accommodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one in particular; it must be as ignorable as it is interesting." Richard D. James isn't required to match Aphex Twin's definition of ambient music to Eno's, but Volume II hits way closer to that mark. I find most of 85-92 fascinating and by no means ignorable. also if you listened to this on speakers without bass or weak headphones, find something that'll carry the low end of this album and it'll likely change your perspective on it. those lower rumblings can really alter the journey of the higher end parts of the track.
I put this on in the classroom while the kids were doing independent research. Not one complaint, question, or request for something else. One kid said it sounded like video game music (complimentary). Another genre I don’t know how to assess though. I’ll give it a four but it could easily be a five idk
It sure was a selection of ambient noises. Not really sure why this is on this list.
Such a beautiful album. Without Aphex Twin, we may not have BoC or Four Tet. One of the best, if not the best IDM albums of all time.
But like....where's the drop!? It definitely feels ahead of its time, and I don't doubt it has been immensely influential, but man is it hard to listen to! It's not chill enough to be actually ambient and background noise but it's way too boring and bland to be fun and dancy.
Fine enough for background music while you work
I wish they had selected fewer ambient works for this album. Goes on far too long. No obvious flow, which was always gonna happen with this kind of project. Weird inclusion on the list.
Some chill, listenable electronic tunes. No particular track stood out but it was altogether good background music.
"SAW 85-92" is one of the best electronic music albums of all time. Those who hate it are simply ignorant. "Tha" is nothing but a classic that will forever be futuristic. What makes "SAW 85-92" very special is that RDJ was only 13 when he recorded his first song for the album in 1985. I don't think any album, past or present, will ever be like Aphex Twin's debut. 5 stars for "Selected Ambient Works 85-92", nothing less than that.
Some more than decent bleeps and bloops here but, much like Jason Mendoza, I was waiting for the beat to drop and it just . . . never dropped. I guess that's the nature of ambient, but still.
Its fine. Most memorable thing about it was the artwork
Not annoying but not necessary either.
L'album qui porte bien son nom, sympa en fond en bossant
Un classique dans le grand monde de l’électronique Très bien en fond, en ambiance
J'aime bien ce genre d'ambiance electro d'habitude mais là c'était un peu boring
it's not a music, it is just... sounds
i love aphex twin!!!!! ok but fr i mostly know his most famous stuff but i've always been meaning to get more into his other songs. i didn't know any of the songs on this one tho so that's a good start. one thing about me is if they don't sing the title of the song in the song, i will never remember what the song is called,, but this is ambient music after all, i'll probably just throw on an album every now and again and vibe w it. i love how it just goes on forever and so many of the songs are like 5+ minyútes. right up my alley
Lovely work by Aphex Twin. I really respect their work but you have to be in the mood to listen to it. 3/5
Combination of varying speed aromatherapy massage music. But not unpleasant.
Very samey, not bad for a couple songs. Elevator music
So good. Did we just become best friends?
Fine, was expecting something a little less vanilla. There’s only a couple other Aphex Twin I know and it’s more interesting than this.
It’s fine.
whomst amongst us does not love a beautiful ambient album
My God almighty this was beyond boring. Not for me at all. I was literally forgetting it as I was listening
Pretty nice and chill ambience!
Total background music — didn’t irritate me at all, but I don’t remember anything about the album either.
Quite pleasant sounding, but as far as music goes it doesn't do it for me. I like some bite to my repetition, some punch and this type of ambient "kraut" doesn't do it for me.
Mainly inoffensive but completely underwhelming. The clue is in the title.
Really liked this album. It’s my kind of electronic music? It’s upbeat both tempo and musically. Good straight through listen. Easy to get lost in the background as well and just vibe to as you’re going about the day.
"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams" Indeed, this is a desert island album for me. But let's be clear, the title is a misnomer. There's very little here I would consider ambient, certainly not in the Brian Eno sense, or anything like that. We get plenty of gritty beats and acid sounds, there's lots to me that sounds like techno and house. All the best parts of it, from that time period when people were really truly experimenting and putting out fresh sounding electronic music. He made this with homemade synthesizers - it doesn't really matter, because he apparently channeled something otherworldly here and the equipment was just a conduit. This is melodic, hard edged, weird, happy, spooky, and a thousand other things. It's exactly what you want it to be, maybe what you *need* it to be, at the moment you listen to it. It's a chameleon. You can play it at unsafe volumes and you can play it as background music, barely audible. It benefits from careful listening with headphones but also makes you want to be at a warehouse rave in 1990. It's incredible and I will probably listen to this for the rest of my life. Hard to pick favourites, but as of this moment: Green Calx, Heliosphan, Xtal, Ptolemy.
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.
maybe richards weakest album
This has potential, but the beats are too robotic and there are some bizarrely mixed tracks.
yes okay that was fine. but just fine.
Just did very little for me. Nothing offensively bad about it, but nothing more than background music to my mind. I’d have a hard time remembering any distinctive songs from this album.
This kind of repetitive electronic music is one of those genres that I just don’t get. I can appreciate its significance as an early and therefore influential album, but sound-wise I simply can’t tell what distinguishes this as a great electronic album compared to anything else. I listened pretty attentively from start to finish, but only a few hours later I already can’t recall a single moment from it. It gets 2 stars because I’m assured of its significance, and because it was perfectly pleasant as background music, but I can’t see myself ever putting it on out of choice.
actium up
Beep beep boop boop
A vibe, a nice vibe. Listen to it while a little high - made it far more enjoyable that when I attempted to listen on my car ride home from work.
Eno intrigues me. Music for airports is fab. Perhaps if I’d found this first, I would have been saying this about that album
Didn't enthrall me, but then again should ambient music?
7/10 Best songs: Xtal, Ptolemy This is a timeless, extremely vibey electronica album. No lyrics, just pleasant beats that make you nod your head and melodies with a futuristic sound. I find it really impressive that this album sounds so modern for being from this time period - Aphex Twin is a tremendous producer. I will say this however: this is very much a "background music" kind of album. You can turn it on in the background and it won't mess with your concentration, and much of it could easily have a vocal track added and nothing would change.
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.
Can’t get into it. I thought the first half was interesting, the variation and mutation in the ambient sounds made for some nice background music. Then it became EDM that isn’t really in my taste wheelhouse.
Pa trabaja y pal viaje astral
Good ambience. Track after track was vibey and relaxing. This could be a soundtrack for sleeping, studying, working, driving. Yes from me.
Wonderfully hypnotic
Genesis of modern house music and overall an excellent collection that can be thrown on for a multitude of circumstances.
Repetitive instrumental electronic music? Hard pass. Best song: I
Once again, I find myself desperately trying to figure out how the hell to rate ambient music. It completely lives in the background, which sucks, but is good? It's far from distinct and impossible to recall, which is depressing, but also the point? What the fuck do I know. There were some grooves. Fave tracks: - Green Calx - We Are the Music Makers - Ptolemy - Hedphelym
3/10
Following up a divisive country album with this feels like some sort of universal karma. Yes, there's still no accounting for taste, but the best thing I can say about this album is that it was inoffensive. It's probably doing exactly what it wants to, but I don't want it to do anything, especially for another hour and fourteen minutes. Just unimpactful music for me, personally.
I got about half way through the second song before I had to start skipping through to see if anything caught my attention. This all sounds like the music that plays on a PS2 racing game menu, or under the monologue of a 15 year old at the end of a British TV show.
I felt dizzy listening to this album.
I normally like ambient electronic, but this one felt kind of forgettable.
Good ambient, and appreciate what it was for it's time. Glad I heard it. Still can't get myself over a 3, though.
Pretty interesting album. Not to everyone's tastes. Very influential and some standout stuff. Can be boring at times, but a perfect background, chill album.
Ambient album, it was fun to listen to. I saved it and will listen again in the future.
Good dance tracks
A worthy addition. Some great stuff here. 3.5 stars
Listened while driving home from work. Thought these would be more sparse soundscapes than they actually were. These were actually quite compelling and often very exciting. I don't think I liked it enough to rate it a 5 star classic but was pleasantly surprised.
Nice sounds, very pleasant but not something I would probably choose to listen to
just tooo long
With titles like these I feel like I should get lab credits. Problem with this exercise is only rating after one listen maybe two. An album like this would need to be played a lot in order to may be liked. And that’s never going to happen.
I started really liking it after getting used to the genre
Büro, Heidenheim, Deutschland. Was ein dummer Müll. Mir bluten die Ohren.
Ok.
It's hard to say this is anything other than exactly what it's advertised as. It is, in fact, selected ambient works recorded between 1985 and 1992. I have limited experience with ambience (mostly just GY!BE and Ghosts I-IV by NIN), but I really enjoyed this. It felt more lively than I'd expect ambient music to be, but I don't think that's a slight towards the music. It was also good study music, I wrote 3 essays in the time it took me to listen to this. Favorites: Xtal, Heliosphan, Hedphelym
While listening to this, I like to close my eyes and pretend I'm playing a really cool video game and this is the soundtrack.
Solid. Dont really know what else to say. I’m not familiar with the genre so I’m not sure how early or revolutionary some of these sounds are but I know Aphex Twin has been sampled and interpolated many times since.
A little more techno than ambient, but still right up my street, as they say across the pond.
Ultra relaxing. Could be called boring, but great background music.
Best ambient album ever. Paved the way for many artists
The album had sonically great songs like pulsewidth but it just gets too repetitive and boring
Selected and ambient ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Geweldig fantastisch
Fantastic
Pretty good as far as background music is concerned.
I'm all for some good background music, but this didn't strike my fancy.
Enjoyed this
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.
Impressive that this includes music from 30-40 years ago, aged very well and can see the influences that led to so many DJs to follow. However for me this is short of a 5 as it is just a random assortment of tracks, rather than a cohesive album
Genial. Esse álbum apresenta uma enorme profundidade sentimental através de blips e blups. Aphex Twin é originário de um pequenino e isolado vilarejo, e apesar disso, seu disco de estréia representa a vida orgânica através da frieza do eletrônico. Acho uma experiência quintessencial caminhar por algum tipo de selva, seja ela natural ou artificial, composta de árvores e grama ou de prédios e asfalto, enquanto ouve este álbum. Tudo vira arte. Rostos passageiros, arranha céus imensos e refletivos, veículos potentes, pássaros inteligentes. Sinta então o pulsar igualitário de toda vida, orgânica e inorgânica. Deus em todo lugar, em toda fenda. Em cada passo e cada olhar. Selected Ambient Works é o acompanhamento ideal para esse estudo profundo e meditativo. Método de produção evidente: Uso de samplers analógicos. Fortes vibrações de um cara esquisito com a mente peculiar, isolado em um lugar remoto com acesso a tecnologias rudimentares e seu próprio intelecto e criatividade inacabáveis. Um álbum eletrônico tremendamente humano e quente. Com pulsações análogas à batimentos cardíacos. Cachoeiras, motores à combustão. 5/5
I can appreciate that this music was made while the artist was quite young and that it was influential for its time, but it's just not exciting to listen to now. Too much similar music exists out there for this to really stand out in any way. Favorite Song: Xtal
I actually really liked this one. I always thought this band was more hard techno, not ambient (as the album title suggests). Will definitely listen again.
Inoffensive background sounds.
Fine for background music at a store that I wouldn’t shop at
A brilliant piece of work. Something I’ve heard many times but rarely put on so a real treat to listen to.
Music to match a pc screen saver. It literally does sound like a teenager in his bedroom
I enjoyed that, but a little long
The album is not particularly bad, I actually really enjoyed some of the tracks. But others were a little to buzzy, noisy and shrill for my liking.
fire
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
Tons relaxantes com um fundo dançante. Transforma a contemplação do Ambient Music em algo mais excitante e envolvente.
I can't believe Richard D. James invented robot serotonin
I like some ambient and don’t hate techno, but this is not working for me. Songs are either forgettable or annoying. Too distracting to be background music, but too annoying to listen to in the foreground.
Hard to evaluate techno but it’s pretty relaxed and has some solid beats
I liked some of it and some of it just sounds like video game music and gets old fast but some of it was almost psychedelic and I felt lost in the music which was pretty neat. Not bad at all maybe even a 4/5 but I'll stick with 3/5 because at times it was as faceless as any music that I have ever heard. Was that the point?
A classic
ambient worls hat ambient erfunden kudos Aphes Twin c
Slow not even scary edm
Haven't heard this in years
Ambient is right! Pleasant but strictly background music
Not good
I don’t hate electronic music but I like to sing more
4.5
big fan of this! I’ve said this before; but I’m learning that I really enjoy the staticky, blorpy, wet sort of synth bass sound. not that music needs a purpose, but I’ll save this as an excellent companion album to writing or doing work. makes sense that it was an album that got a lot of indie listeners into techno in the 90s.
honestly kinda slaps, probly wont be putting this in the playlists but it was a good listen
i like the beats. 90s has some pretty cool beats.
The Aristocrats!
- kind of boring honestly, je comprends que ça a influencé la musique électronique mais il y a plusieurs longueurs sur l’album… - les beats sont catchy au début mais beaucoup trop répétitif, ça me rejoint pas trop
Seven years of surreal things.
Objectively the gold standard in ambient music
Pretty neat video game vibes, was good for work, nothing that pulls me in to stay. Nothing got my head boppin but almost entirely stuck it thru cuz it helped me focus at work. 2.7 stars
BANGER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love Aphex Twin, I am a music technology major, I am sorry. There is perhaps no electronic music artist ever as important. This is a real popular album for me when I’m looking down a 5-6 hour car ride, similar to boards of Canada. It’s meant for you to just get lost in it while doing something that you don’t have to focus too hard on. Can’t recommend that experience enough. I just cannot come up with another ambient artist other than maybe Keith Keniff or Grouper if you can count her that has such memorable melodies and song structure in these immense, sprawling compositions that just hold your attention. Like a decade or so later to give credit where it’s due, Deadmau5 sort of got there but lost the soul/emotion that Aphex is going for in favor of dance music. I’m overanalyzing without really talking about the music, just know I love this album and it makes me sit there and contemplate why I even try to make music when something this good already exists. In the context of the list, if people give this a 1 or 2 I get it, this is an album you have to purposefully go into and listen and if that’s my only complaint it’s that I didn’t have that time today to sit for 75 minutes straight and listen to it. It’s harder to digest in segments like I had to today.
This was...okay. It was ambient, per the label, but some of the sounds were not pleasant.
From the relaxing to the unsettling. Mostly unsettling. I'm baffled by the reviews that describe this as elevator music or similar, it's much too jarring for that. I'm convinced some people have a very different subjective experience of music than I do.
Improper context to have listened to this album… I was stuck in traffic and it was really rainy and windy so this made me anxious
Enjoyable but not cohesive enough for a repeat
1/6/26. This is vibes. 8/10
Not that impressed with this album , sounds like two fourteen year old kids playing their computer in the bedroom
Super good. Very chill. Might be a 5 after more listening
Aphex Twin put the ambient in "ambient Electronic Music Shit". That's the better definition for this album. I almost fell asleep listening this.
👎🏻
Too slow and repetitive
This is music like my five month old’s sound machine is music.
Album 1006 of 1089 Selected Ambient Works 85-92 - Aphex Twin (1992) Rating : 1 / 5 I’ll apologize in advance for the bluntness, but this was just a piece of crap listen for me. This is exactly the kind of electronica I struggle with the most - repetitive, aimless, and completely lacking anything that grabs my attention or rewards sticking with it. I understand its place in the genre and why it’s praised by fans of ambient and electronic music, but none of that translated into enjoyment for me. It felt less like music and more like background noise that never developed into anything meaningful. No hooks, no movement, no sense of payoff — just long stretches of sound that left me checking how much time was left. I listened, I tried, and I moved on. This one firmly reinforces why electronica remains a genre I rarely connect with.
Sure! This is the first time I’ve listened to Aphex Twin. I don’t really get it. Music dorks love this guy, and I thought it was fine.
"Selected Ambient Works 85-92" is the debut album by British electronic artist and producer Apex Twin (Richard D. James). The album is ambient music James recorded on a cassette from 1985 through 1992 using homemade equipment constructed from synthesizers and drum machines. The album had wide-spread critical acclaim and is cited as a classic, defining work of electronica. Commercially, it reached #6 on the UK Dance Album Chart. The album opens with "Xtal." Sort of rough sounding due to the cassette recording medium. Loud beats sampled from the Incredible Bongo Band's "Apache." Ambient synth keys. Very dreamy. Vocal samples are inserted from "Evil at Play" by Steve Jefferies, Mary Carewe and Donald Greig. A wavering, higher-pitch synth sample of "Butterfly Holocaust" by Neutron 9000 begins "Pulsewidth." Dance beats are added which are layered by other beats. Eventually, a "Close Encounters"- sounding synth comes in completing the song. Bubbly ping sounds appear at the beginning and throughout "Ageispolis." An underlying dance beat. James layers in an ambient synth and a Kraftwerk-esque deeper synth. James uses samples from the movie "Robocop" to make "Green Caix" sound futuristic. Laser sounds and robotic noises intermixed with a dance beat. "Heliosphan" layers ambient synths and 80's-sounding synth keys. A ticking beat is enhanced with a sturdier dance beat. Ambient and chill with electronic and dance beats. James does an outstanding of layering his synth melodies and sounds and the electronic beats. The songs are varied and always interesting. Sometimes techno and electronica can be sterile but the synths used here give more a warmth and emotional vibe. James leaves his influences on his sleeves so to say with movie samples, Kraftwerk sounds, 80's-sounding synths and the dance beats. This is an outstanding album in the techno genre and a must for any fan in that category.
An inescapable classic, even if I've always thought it's an overlong demonstration of the peculiar talents of one Richard D. James.
It’s techno but fairly ambient, with lots of spacey or ethereal sounds, which makes it easy listening as far as techno goes.
Giving this 4 stars, with caveats. First, a lot of its appeal stems from reading about it's creation and given the artist's age and tech limitations, its impressive. Also, the vibe is cool feeling like the soundtrack to some never-produced sci-fi film. But, I do wish there was more to some of the songs. It tends to fade into the background. It's cool background music but background music none-the-less. At least "ambient" is right there in the title, so it knows what it is.
Kind of like that YouTube lofi channel, but made when dinosaurs still roamed the earth.
I listened to it but now you guys need to send me some Beatles, Springsteen or some Stones to get this nonsense out of my head. This was just one long boring, monotonous track.
Certainly a very solid start to his career. Definitely not as good as his later work though
pretty nice
Coming on the heals of a jazz album, I don't think so. Albums like this are a very occasional digression from the music genres I prefer. Sorry, can't stack this on top of a jazz album.
Cool, would listen during work
This is not my favorite genre but I think this is executed fairly well.
I had some pretty low hopes for an album called Selected Ambient Works 85–92 due to the unusual title and my assumption this would be some electronic garbage album (especially by a British artist). To be fair, other ambient, electronic, techno albums have been a big miss for me. I'm glad we had an exception to the rule. This is a long album that zooms by! I couldn't believe the length of 74 minutes afterward. And despite the length, the album wasn't repetitive but kept things varied and engaged. I just kept vibing with every beat and song. This album appears to be groundbreaking in the electronica genre, which I can't fact check, but considering the originality I heard, I can believe it.
This was a great listen for someone recovering from the overstimulation of an international vacation and the Christmas holiday who didn’t really know what to listen to. A lot of it was pretty ambient, but it had enough intriguing sounds to keep it from falling into any kind of long lull. Ambient-ish electronic music is always a bit hit or miss on this project, but this was one of the better examples of it on here.
I'm firmly in the 'admirer but not a massive fan' camp but this is an easy 5 banger.
The album is beeing consisted to be a masterpiece of elektronic music.
This was great. Perfect background music for my 22nd December work day of checking data files when I'd probably rather be drinking mulled wine. But context is important right? I think what I liked about this, vs. a lot of the other electronica on this list, is that the repetition feels quite deliberate and the music has a chance to breath. It's very chill and probably more suited to my tastes than something like The Prodigy
This is exactly what ambient music is supposed to, not interesting enough to distract, but if you want to focus on it there’s enough going on to hold your attention. Not sure if it’s worthy of a top 1000, but I do think it’s a good representation of good ambient music
Neat.
No Words. A must? This???omg
Pretty good music to do work to, definitely easier to listen to than some of his more recent output
didn’t listen to the whole thing, wasn’t my vibe
Actually kind of nice ambient noise for reading through specs at work, but will never listen again.
Ambient repetitive sounds that I don't care for
Really enjoyed this one. Will revisit.
I was so deep into the music at the time that I didn’t realise I was living through such a major peak for EDM (the 90s) There were so many incredible artists and albums that stand up strong over 30 years later. This is no mean feat for a technology based art form. SAW85-92 is a core text of the genre.
Overall: 6/10 This is pretty engaging stuff for just being background music. I've decided I don't like too much ambient music but there's enough going on to keep this interesting. I certainly wasn't bored listening to it. Fav Song: Xtal
Pretty standard electronic music... Maybe ahead of it's time, but not very exciting.
Good for a run through the woods.
Bored and annoyed by it. 4 minutes of music cut-and-pasted to 1h14m. When the song is the same 18 second loop how do you decide if it should be 4 minutes or 7?
Oh man... THIS guy. He's a weird one.
It has some good parts, but they are few and far between. Most of the album is just repetitive and boring.
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!
This didn't do a lot for me. I couldn't really capture the vibe.
Reminds me of chill Sunday mornings after a night out, not wanting to get up but also not wanting to lay around forever. 4/5
Pure genius. The Twin never disappoints
I like a few bands that were inspired by Aphex Twin, but I have never really been able to get into them myself. I think this is my favorite thing I have heard from them though. Just some very straightforward ambient electronic music. It definitely has its place and is very influential, but not something I would really choose to actively listen too. It made great background music as I worked though. Mid 4.
It’s not like this is terrible, but who sits around listening to this stuff? It’s like a cracker. In order to really enjoy it, you need to add some cheese or salami. Maybe the extra for Aphex Twin is a dime bag.
I‘ve been waiting for this album. This is the big one for me 🤩 the one album I listened to most often in the last couple of years and together with Vol. 2 one of my absolute all-time favorites. Call me crazy but I rank this in the same tier as Johann Sebastian Bach. Hence, it’s for me - in the words of Aldous Huxley - „ The music that’s closest to silence, closest, in spite of its being so highly organized, to pure, hundred-percent-proof Spirit.“ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Average electronic background music. 3/10
No insight evaluating electronica. Nice to have this on while I do other stuff.
Really not a great fan of ambient music. This isn’t offensive or difficult, but it is just undeniably tedious.
3.Ireallydontlikeambientmusic
I dug this. hard to put my finger on what makes this stand out from other electronic music, but he has a good sense of texture and knows how to keep things interesting and when to simply ride the groove he's created.
a damn good vibe.
I always used to get Aphex Twin and Basement Jaxx mixed up. This was way better than I expected this to be. It reminds me of a lot of songs from the Mortal Kombat movie soundtrack, or even Hackers. You could totally play this while surfing early cg cyberspace like Lawnmower Man. Great ambient music is right.
Enjoyable music that I just assumed was the pause menu soundtrack for Siphon Filter for the PlayStation 1. I guess this is a good example of Aphex Twins? I have a hard time picturing a spooky faced guy making this music though. They must have better albums?
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
- Ambient Works is one of the most accurately chosen album titles of all time. - It was nice to put on and chill. - Basically dance music but without much euphoria, which for me is a big miss. It's still pleasant enough but doesn't really reach out and grab me.
it sure was ambient. i think i get the hype
There is nothing else like Aphex Twin at his best.
I can dig it. Real good chill music to listen to.
Even more than other electronica albums on the list, this felt like background music. Not unpleasant, but not exactly revolutionary, you know?
Pleasant background listening. I generally prefer chilled ambient music to much louder electronic.
The kind of musical beats that really appeals to my particular slice of mental illness. 4.5/5
I understand why this is important and I understand why someone who likes this kind of music would like this a lot but by the time the next note or the next beat is audible I've already forgotten the previous one. It's not tedious to listen to, it's tedious to remember.
Lovely
Felt like I was getting a massage in a rave
So bad I had to listen to it five times back to back.
music for boring dentists' waiting rooms
Great album
A hugely influential album that shaped the future of electronic music. I get why it matters, but it doesn’t fully work for me. It's great as solid background sound, but I can’t stay locked in for more than an hour. The legacy is undeniable, but I’m rating it on my own taste, not on its historical weight. Strong record, just not one I love. 7.5/10.
Not kidding about the 'ambient'. This very long album slid through my brain and didn't even slow down long enough for me to remember it was happening.
Well, it's properly titled. I'll give it that. I really don't know how to rate ambient works. Like, yes that was extremely ambient. Well done.
I already listened to it lol
It’s definitely good for what it is, but what it is isn’t very compelling to me.
So uh yeah I really didn't vibe with this. Ambient really isn't my thing but I've heard so much about Aphex Twin and know that this is a classic so I thought maybe I'd like this one. Turns out no, in fact I did not. Darn. 2/10
The standard that every "chill beats to study/relax to" playlist is trying reach
Good music, but not anything special about it. picks: xtal, heliosphan
Heard of Aphex Twin never listened to any of the albums however. Really enjoyed listening to it. It’s not something I would actively listen to instead it would be something on in the background whilst unwinding
Very good, but something I’d need to be in the mood for.
Non è il tipo di musica che fa per me
30 anni dopo e sembra ancora un album dal futuro 5/5
Not really heard much Aphex twin but really enjoyed that after some utter tripe recently.
Really liked this. Sounds like it could have been made yesterday.
A really enjoyed this a high 4 for me an album I’ve been meaning to listen to.
It felt like I was somewhere buying clothes for 1 hour and 14 minutes. Its not bad and I didnt mind it, but it just felt like it went on forever.
Ambient electronic music, the album starts out great the middle is a bit boring and the end picks back up. I think if he had removed about 4 songs this could have been a great album, it got a bit monotonous to me. At one point my wife asked "why are you listening to X-files music", I laughed.
finding this hard to get into, but it IS good. just not good as anything but background music, ya feel me?
Great for background music while working or cooking. I'd definitely throw this one on again.
Standouts Ageispolis Actium
Why should I hear background music before I die, Robert Dimery? Why? It’s more interesting than Eno, but it’s also very annoying.
7/10
It's fantastic as background music. Dreamy and chill. Just a an album that achieves what it wants to achieve. Might not be the most interesting thing, but still enjoyable.
Guessing this is an important piece, they always seem to come up in discussion regarding electronic music. It’s quite nice when it’s on, but it sure is its title ambient, it’s just kind of around you but never penetrating my consciousness. Don’t dislike it, happy enough to have on. 3 Star
Tricky one to rate. On one hand, I listened to it while working and enjoyed it. It reminded me of Video Game music. On the other hand, I recall none of it and if I had decided to sit down and actively listen, I doubt I would have liked it as much. Overall, I'm confused about the inclusion of this album on this list.
really incredible, and rather groundbreaking work of atmosphere that is felt intimately. if you can't see the vision here i think it might be too late for you. you're not gonna make it. ambient techno fulfilled. wonderful synth work. textures and sounds that Aphex Twin makes his own; I can tell his hands have been on each song here. deserves to be one of the 1001? absolutely for sure for sure BUT ONLY **ONE**???? ONE APHEX TWIN ALBUM????? ARE YOU SHITTING ME???? no SAW vol II, no I Care Because You Do, no Drukqs? NO RICHARD D JAMES ALBUM????? this list is fucking laughable holy fuck. also because i won't get the opportunity to say so otherwise: i wanna see some dub techno on the next edition. one of them Chain Reaction albums in the metal case.
puts you in a room with shiny white walls staring at a black shiny sphere in the middle of the room The light is yellow-ish but not ugly, more like a heavenly glow I think it's very advanced for its time Some songs are really saturated its kinda weird 4/5
Ambient has come a long way. Kinda sounds like it was made on a calculator watch or a Speak and Spell.
Det her va en behagelig lytteopplevelse, æ endte opp med å høre den tre ganger, tror æ, mens æ leste bok (og mens æ va på jobb). Det sagt så satte det sæ ikke, fordi det ikke e sånn musikk som sett sæ, anna enn som en behagelig stemning, kanskje, æ vet ikke om det e sånt æ kunne hørt på og hatt meninger om? Men det kan også være fordi den typen musikk har et helt annerledes utgangspunkt hos mæ i 2025 enn det ville hatt da det opprinnelig blei lansert? Men ja, gode greier.
Before finding electronics Aphex Twin was actually a folk singer and morris dancer. He turned to electronics after meeting Ken Chutney at a beer festival. 3.0 10/13 Ptolemy
Adequate
Rrally cool album that shows how you can do so much with a few noises and create such an interesting atmosphere with so little. I'm always amazed when ambient tracks like these have so much character and can hold your attention. This is really good to chill to or work to or game to, or whatever. It feels so alive. I really enjoyed my listen, and I've had some pretty rough goes with some electronic/house stuff on this project so far. Aphex Twin is one of the greats of the genre and this album proves it. Not what I'd want to listen to all the time, but really fun to dip into every now and then. 4/5 for me.
Loved it! Perfect for studying and working!
Love this
Solid background music but not very engaging despite how much I hear about Aphex Twin (2.5/5)
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.
Mellow 3.5/5
This really was ambient works from 1985-1992
Willy Wonka jumpscare
Not my thing
Jättebra men också lite så jaha
Day 181 and I've now had a few electronic albums to listen to in this project. My only real knowledge of the genre was my son's incessant desire to play EDM on his way to hockey matches when he was in high school. I learned to strongly dislike most of what I'd heard. With this, along with Let's Get Killed from a couple of weeks ago, I am forming much more favorable thoughts on what can be done with electronic music. I really enjoyed this album. I was listening on my drive to work and hit some construction on the way, and I was perfectly happy to just sit there so I could appreciate what I was hearing. Each song had a different vibe, and I liked all of them. If I was able to listen to music at work, this (and music just like it) is what would be on in the background all of the time.
It's nice enough, it's just really hard to listen to for this long. I just don't get ambient instrumental electronic music.
Not my thing
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
Ugly Boy is easily the best song from this album If there's no YTPMV of Ptolemy x Gabe the Dog, I'm gonna be a sad dog for the rest of this sentence Σ:< Honestly, if there were no percussion, I might have liked it
Decent. Latter half feels too samey
The pre-90's tracks are strangely ahead of their time. Not quite the breakcore of Come To Daddy yet. Definitely set the stage for what was to come from several electronic bands in the 90's.
Peaceful and enjoyable as background music but felt a little bland at times
Another one that I'll probably be on an island for, but I really enjoyed it. Perfect balance of focus/study type beats and head nodders that you could cut a rug to. Music Makers is the only song I had heard before, but excited to listen again.
Good stuff…not normally my bag, but there’s something about Aphex Twin’s music that i find easy to listen to as background noise and kind of be hypnotized. A couple songs are more challenging but mostly good to do work to
A strong argument for this being the best working music of all time. I did a lot of quite boring admin with a level of furious intensity not seen since the episode of Mad Men where the whole office got injected with amphetamines by Jim Cutler's doctor. Is it good? Yeah, I think it's definitely a vibe, although it's hard to pin down what the qualities are that make it good. Also, I carried on listening to whatever came after it for a good hour after it finished, which is a backhanded compliment - I definitely wasn't waiting for it to finish, but nor did I notice when it did.
For this type of modern DJ thing this was very good. For me could be cool background music but nothing I would ever obsess over.
Sound like the preset sounds on a synthesizer.