Selected Ambient Works 85-92

Xtal // Schottkey 7th Path // Hedphelym // 3.5/5

I enjoyed this! I am having a hard time with the rating, though, since it wasn't very memorable - solely due to it being ambient. I want to give it a 2 since I didn't favorite any tracks, but since I enjoyed the full listening experience and a 2 feels more negative than that, I'll give it a 3. While I won't return to it, I really enjoyed the entire experience. There were no tracks I disliked.

Very good background music. Good beats.

Chill vibes

Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works 85–92 is often spoken of in reverent tones, hailed as a foundational electronic album and a defining statement of the ambient techno movement, but while its vintage drum machines and warm analog synths loop in hypnotic patterns, the music can feel more like background mood than momentum. For listeners not already tuned into its wavelength, much of it glides by like a rainy Sunday afternoon—pleasant but not necessarily gripping—though there are peaks: “Pulsewidth” injects a needed uptempo jolt and “Heliosphan” casts dreamy synth washes that hint at deeper emotion. Revered by fans of ambient techno, it’s an essential listen for that world, but for those seeking hooks, dynamics, or a more visceral electronic rush, SAW 85–92 may remain more atmospheric curiosity than lasting fixation.

Good, not great. Background work music.

Ambient electronic, good in the background

This feels a far cry from the (albeit limited) Aphex Twin I know. This album feels like it should be best enjoyed as a come down to a big night out in the early hours. I guess in the right circumstances I would happily put this on and could enjoy it but on the whole, I’m not sure I’d reach for this and find time to play the entire album these days. It has real high points, and when Ageispolis hit its stride, I was thinking this might raise the album into 4 star territory. I’d certainly come back for this track and 1-2 others.

chillaxin

Hey, Aphex Twin. Yet another album I listened to a long, loooong time ago (I seem to be getting a lot of these recently). I don't remember too much about this when I first heard it a few years back. I guess I was just properly whelmed - it's difficult to feel one way or another about ambient music. I'm open to giving this one another shot, as I've come around to ambient a little bit in the time since I last heard this. Yeah, not bad. Pretty much what I remember this album being, though this style and atmosphere is more appealing to me now. While generally pretty repetitive, there's a respectable level of craft to this sound. Most interesting to me are all of the atmospheric noises that linger in the background, all of which are pretty sublime. They go a long way in giving this album a timeless and otherworldly sound. "Tha" is pretty cool. I dig the muffled percussion and the warm electronic tones which guide the lead melody. A little long, but that isn't much of a problem with ambient music. "Pulsewidth" is a good follow-up. I like the echoey ambience and the lively synths. While very short, "I" has a great echoing sound. "Green Calx" was surprisingly quite good - I don't remember liking it on my first listen. Some pretty pretty unique sounds on that track, the least of which being those goofy springboard sound effects. The echoey intro is pretty neat, too - one of my favourite bits of the album. "Schottkey 7th Path" is an interesting track. Quite ominious, and I like those squeaky synths and heavy bits of percussion. From what I know about Aphex Twin, this is widely regarded as his best album and is a highly influential piece of electronic music. I'm not gonna quibble about why this is in here - its spot is well-earned. Whether or not a second Aphex Twin album belongs in here is more of a chin-scratcher. His discography is well-respected, though I haven't heard nearly as much praise for his other works when compared to this album. I'm inclined to say yes - ambient music is a unique genre of music and I'm grateful for having listened to this one.

If I was doing coke in a grungy warehouse I think this would be 5 stars… For a genre that I don’t usually listen to, I can appreciate and respect it

This is a little too ambient for me, but I know there’s more going on musically than I realize.

Already heard and own on vinyl. Good but more traditional electronic album. Vol 2 superior.

Some nice tracks in here but I found the overall experience uneven, especially the second half.

Perfect pleasant music to listen to when I worked

Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works 85-92: I can respect this, but its a little too repetitive and droning for my tastes. There are some very cool sounds used, but this is just too much for me. I can't really see myself ever wanting to listen to a lot of these songs, but this isn't junk either. 5.5/10

Sounds and tones. Boring and soulless.

I only knew Come To Daddy before listening to this so was expecting something very different. Enjoyed the album, can see how it has inspired alot of recent bands. Over an hour of it whilst working was probably wrong way to consume it.

Exactly what it says on the tin- decent ambient tracks that make good background noise. Not something I’d seek out otherwise

I can see why it’s lauded. Doing this in the late 80s was only recently legal.

cool, 3.5

I like this but don't think I can listen to it like this again. I even like ambient music but there's not enough meat here for me to enjoy it on repeat

That was good background music for working in Photoshop today. Some did get a bit repetitive, but it was a good day for this.

I JUST saw someone on the 1001 reddit put this album in their top ten, so unfortunately, my expectations were high. This is just glorified background music. Good background music, enjoyable background music, but background music nonetheless.

Sounds nice, but quickly became soothing background noise. Nice way to break in the work week but nothing made me that excited to keep listening.

Cool electro soundscapes but I was pretty bored by the end. I can appreciate that this is pretty great Ambient music... but it's still ambient music and nothing especially grabbed me.

This feels ahead of its time.

Fun to see this album here! Hailed by many to be one of the first and most important electro albums that was before its time. I have heard this a few times, but have a bit of a hard time grasping the greatness of it. I can appreciate it was special when it came, but today it has a hard time standing out among similar albums. Ironically enough I find many of the tunes too uneventful and monotone, even though the album is labeled “ambient works”. Have seen some live clips from Aphex Twin, I am 100% convinced he can make awesome music, but this just ones up a bit short for me with a lack of impactful tunes.

I liked this, but to be honest, I'd have liked it more if it had been 40 minutes long

Interesting!!! Like ambient elevator music. I think I liked it.

I guess for some ambient background noise, this is alright? But honestly even with that caveat its not really that good.

Some delightful boops and beeps in here

Origins. We all have them. This is sublime, timeless, and out of its time. High 3s.

I saw a review that said, "Sounds like its from the future and ancient at the same time" and that pretty much sums it up. This is pretty good as background music, but that's about it.

solid ambient album. quite enjoyable for me to have on in the background while working on things, not sure how much I would love it otherwise.

It feels bad calling it background music, but really that’s what it is, and it’s pretty good at being it. Nice enough.

Meh

Pleasant and unfocused

***An ok instrumental album

Listened for 1001 on a road trip… I know this is super influential for this genre, and I did catch a few grooves in this, but I still probably won’t revisit often, if ever.

crazy! One of Josh Kline's favs

Bb

Yeah, that was sure some electronic ambient music. Am I supposed to feel anything but indifference to it?

Pretty decent for techno but hard for me to get into

I really was thinking that the album title was just an album title and it wasn’t telling the truth. If anyone is following me, you know I don’t like instrumental music. There’s samples though which breaks the album away from the monotonous. I think a remix album of this would be better. It’s passable it just doesn’t give me a “wow factor” Choice cut: Ageispolis

Meh. Not terrible. But I'm so over the electronica. It's mostly so repetitive. This one was Soo bad in that regard. But still just not what I like.

Okay

Quite good Far far far too long. Taking the piss with the length. Bumps it Down a whole grade

Complete Good working music

Classic ambient house which I have a soft spot for tbf

Nice to work to or eat dinner to create ambiance (as the title suggests), probably not an every-week or even month listen but worth revisiting.

Ambient couldn't be more accurate. Often forgot it was on. At no point did I hate it. At no point was I drawn to it. Nice background music while doing excel spreadsheets.

impressive for the time

2.5

Way too much rhythm to be ambient. I found it intrusive.

listenable

I enjoy ambient music and frequently listen to it whilst working. I find music without lyrics so much less distracting. Having said that, it's possible to listen to music without actually hearing it. I listened to this album 3 times on rotation last week, and couldn't describe a single track! Shout out to Die Antwoord!

An enjoyable-ish blur of background sound - kind of reminded me of the boops and beeps music that sometimes played in the A-team office. Is it a submarine? Is it a robot? Nobody knows. Nobody cares. Highlight was finding Ageispolis which is sampled for Ugly Boy by Die Antwoord - who knew!? not me.

The use of the word Ambient here confuses me because some of these tracks don't fade into the background, nor do they feel fitting for any room or space I'd be able to relax in. I much prefer Drukqs, but this is enjoyable in the sense that I know this guy is a smart musician, but it's not enjoyable in the sense that I want to listen to it a bunch. If I only heard this, I would expect to not like any of his stuff. I wonder how many musicians on this list I've written off because Dimery represented them poorly by choosing a less than representative album? For example, Bad Brains I know had a great debut album, but if all I heard was the one presented to me on this list, I'd never expect to enjoy anything else by them. Anyway, this gets a 3/5, but mostly because this is my only chance to rate Richard D James.

Interesting

i know this album is lauded by critics and fans alike, but i can’t say i fully understand the hype. it’s well made, and i don’t find it annoying, but i just don’t fully get it ig

Lovely

I don't dislike it. It says it's ambient and it fulfills its brief well. I'm sure its been played in wanky coffee shops and salons up and down the land countless times.

This is the kind of music best enjoyed as background music with a seemingly endless loop of electronic rhythms and beats, much like a video game or a sci-fi film. Ambient is right, and the fact the title indicates this is selected works from 1985-1992, I wonder how it can all sound the same over a seven year period? I will admit, I didn't mind having this play in the background as I went about my day, but I can't imagine actually sitting down and critically focusing in on the music. This is not to say I wouldn't listen again, because I probably will, but at a distance.

Bättre än jag trodde

IDM is such a funny genre name. Intelligent Dance Music. Yeah im dancing...in a smart way. Are they dancing to this at the book club or something? Sorry got a little distracted. Yeah it's okay. I don't really understand the hype though

Overrated

As background noise while I was doing other things, this album was a good fit for that. Yet I couldn’t listen to this album without actively doing something else. It’s not interesting enough to be the only focus. Also it’s a bit too long at 1 hour and 14 minutes.

Ok

I expected a VERY different experience with this album. I assumed the title was a deception, or a tongue-in-cheek name meant to point out just how little ambience there would be in its tracks. I thought this because my only exposure to Aphex twin to this point was a song called "Come to Daddy," which is...very different from this. As far as ambient music goes, this is very effective. I found myself often spacing out, letting my mind drift as I listened. As far as I'm concerned, that's what ambient music is supposed to be good for - going unnoticed. That made it a little difficult to select standout tracks, funnily enough. This was cool, especially considering what I expected from it. I don't really know what else to say. It's always difficult to review instrumental albums, at least for me. Three stars. Standout Tracks: Xtal, Ptolemy

Sure, ok.

6/10 - It was ambient. Which means not much really happened and it faded into the background as it is going to. It's aphex twin what else is there to sy

okay but not for me

As expected

Not my thing but I get it.

ambient molto liquida

I like this one less than the super long one we did because this one was more ear-catching, which is the opposite of what I wanted from ambient music.

Debut. Ambient techno. Very chill electronica with industrial elements. Lounge music. Probably better high. Easy to work to but there’s much more interesting stuff in this genre. DJ did this in his teens, makes album more impressive.

Not great for my constant anxiety. Wanted to like it more though.

As mentioned, very much electronic ambient music. Not what I was expecting from the Aphex Twin I did know. Good music to get some things done to, but I don't know how to rate ambient. It success at what it is, but it doesn't stand out much to me. It doesn't beg for this album (or songs) specifically to be relistened to or discussed with others, but none of it was annoying. None of it went on too long

Good ambient music. It doesn't grab attention but has enough variation to keep it from being being mindless.

Very groovy music to throw on in the background but definitely not something I'd seek out. This was also just way too long. Just not my personal taste. Low 3.

Good to listen to while you are working on something. A little more engaging than some ambient music-I did tap my toe once or twice-so not completely “drone-like”.

3.5. Good working music

Pleasant ambient background music

I was dreading this a bit. But this is more ambient than I expected. It's before the dentist drills and chaos drums phase that followed.

...

This is one of these albums that is quite hard to rate. I'll be honest, to me this sounds like background-music, nothing someone active listens to. I am not the biggest fan of electronic music but don't dislike it, at the same time I couldn't tell if this is good, groundbreaking for the genre or whatever. I didn't dislike it but would not listen to it again.

Sure whatever

Fine but forgettable

Hört mycket om detta album och har sedan jag åkte till Berlin varit väldigt intresserad i techno men för mig är detta inte så intressant och särskilt mot slutet när låtarna blir lite sämre gör det mig mindre ampad på att lyssna om. Säg inte att jag försök mitt allt heller rökte på massa innan jag lyssna

Ageispolis is so good thoooo

Reminds me of my university days. This is the perfect music to study to; not distracting, but has a level of energy so it doesn't put you to sleep. Not sure I can give background music more than 3/5 though.

Exactly what it aspires to be. But with Aphex Twin I want it to be weird.

Does Wyatt it says on the tin

Too long, didn’t listen to all. Giving it a 3 to move on.

3+

I know almost nothing about electronica or ambient electronica. I didn’t think I’d like this album, but I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. https://x.com/UAPJames/status/1933157104002400752

Yup. Sure is.

Nisam bila baš sigurna kako ocijeniti ovo jer mi je s jedne strane dosta kul za svoje vrijeme, s druge strane, da brijem duboko na ovakvu glazbu, može se naći puno kvalitetnijih stvari. Okej mi je bilo ovako u pozadini zavajbati malo, ali me nije izulo iz cipela. Htjela bih dati 4 ali mi opet nije baš za 4, tako da će biti čvrsta 3/5 ili 6/10.

I’ve heard of Aphex twin, but never listened. I expect this was revolutionary in 1992, but I had my heard buried in textbooks and my musical eye on Ben Harper, Wilco, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and the like. Even as a dedicated dancer, I don’t think this album needs to be listened to in this future, other than having infiltrated and being present in nearly everything we listen to. Interesting for its inheritance more than its ambiance. 2.5 -> 3 for having been so influential.

A lot more ambient than I remembered or expected, but I guess the name gives it away! Some interesting bits and decent for working to, but I was a bit disappointed overall. I swear my memory of these were that they had a little more about them

Generally didn't mind it, Ptolemy was the best track, built up a bit and ended nicely. Overall a tiny bit too repetitive. Dance-ambient. I wouldn't be averse to listening to more, but listening is a strong word. Doing the ironing to more.

Knew aphex twin, but only really for the strange music videos for come to daddy and window licker..... Had a mate that was into him. This was different, and much better than I was expecting it to be. But, it is what it says really, it's just background music.... Brian Eno did it too! Thought it was good though, but hard to give it more than a 3...... 3.5 though

A classic and ever so influential, of course, but one does lose interest as if floats and blips along, as if it's music for minds to wander to. Plus, synthesized music in all its form dates quicker, with its much shorter half-life. "Xtal" is best song, and it's not entirely downhill from there, but mostly.

I really get how this album had an influence on future techo and other IDM/EDM kind of music, but I'm really just not a fan of this kind of stuff.

Thoughts before listening: I know a couple songs by Aphex Twin that had crazy videos that crossed my radar back in the day, but otherwise I know very little about him. I have never been into techno/electronic music and just assume it isn't for me. That being said, I do know this album is pretty universally praised and always lands at the top of lists, so it will be nice to listen and form my own opinion. Review: This is good I guess. Not really my cup of team, but I can understand why people like it. This is very good background music with pulsating beats and enough variation in the melodies to keep it interesting. I am sure if I had the patience to dig into this type of music I would find a lot of subtle nuisance sprinkled throughout, but it all just ends up sounding repetitive. That being said, there is definitely a chill vibe throughout, and Its better than some of the other electronic music I have heard as part of this project. 3-stars

Green Calx fucks. The rest is okay. A few bad songs.

uh. i was bored i think by this

PlayStation game soundtracks Album art: 1 writing ruins it

OK to listen to, but I can’t really find a place for this in my listening habits - too much for when I want something ambient chill in the background and too little for when I want something more up tempo energetic.

Relaxte muziek met een goede beat. Zeer bekende band en ik vind het leuk. De nummers op dit album zijn echter niet de toppers die ik in gedachte had. ***

Enjoyable but not remarkable.

Not really 'ambient' - the drum patterns still bounce around in the hyperkinetic style Aphex Twin is known for, and there's so many little intricacies that must have been a pain to program. These tracks must have been astounding to hear when they were played in little Cornish clubs and released as singles back then. But thanks to modern DAWs, the shine has been lost - I can pull open a YouTube, SoundCloud or Bandcamp compilation full of bedroom musicians making music like this in about 2 seconds. Brownie points for including Gene Wilder.

This was a weird one to review. It sounded exactly how I remember the 90s being, but ambient. This may have been seminal and amazing at the time, but it’s just kind of nice background noise. Drugs probably enhance this 3/5

Probably the best of the electronic we’ve had. If you’re going to do it, go Eno ambient. Listened whilst building some ikea furniture; perfect activity for this album and may have inflated the rate

Like an old video game soundtrack. Not going to be the first thing I choose to listen to but it fits a certain mood nicely.

это намного менее техно чем я думала и некоторые мелодии оказались классическими но конечно вообще не мой жанр

Ambient is definitely a fitting title for this album. Very low-key, quiet, white-noise kind of music. Would be great to fall asleep to because that was what it was doing to me on my commute today while listening to it.

just a lot of vibes. I liked it, good work music Aphex Twin always remind me of a pal I used to have who now does Roller Derby under the name Aphex Twink. iconic

Rimelig indflydelsesrigt elektronisk, til tider afslappende, til tider upbeat

meh

Background electronic music, a bit monotone but not annoying. Stand-out: Pulsewidth

It's like jazz. How am I supposed to rate this? Is it good or bad? Probably.

I like these instrumental albums. Always a nice change of pace and I think my productivity at work increases by 14%. Although I’ll admit, on the 3rd listen through the album, it started getting annoying. 3/5

I don't hate it, and it seems like it would be fine for everyone. But at the same time, there's nothing to love. It's just generic white noise, like what they put on when you're getting a message. It's easy to tune out to.

Solid ambient. Good melodies and vibes. Nothing how'd me though.

Quite liked it. Started better than it finished.

- I am perfectly fine vibing with everything here, though I cannot tell a single track apart. This feels like the groundwork for a lot of synth and lofi music that I have frequently listened to over the course of the last decade. - More my speed than all of the other electronica music I have encountered on this list so far. But it does little to differentiate itself beyond other ambient, atmospheric tracks.

i try to go into every album with an open mind, but i find a lot of electronic music, particularly ambient electronic music, doesn't do much for me. but still, i've heard a lot of people rave about aphex twin so i was optimistic that maybe this would be the album that would make it all click for me. i can't say i disliked this one. i also can't say i greatly enjoyed it either. for me, at best, a lot of the music was interesting but didn't grip me. at worst, it was boring. nothing here was bad, by any stretch. i did think that a lot of the music was interesting and the soundscape crafted here was very well made. it's a great sounding album, when a lot of electronic albums of 25+ years ago may sound a bit dated. but even so, still not totally my thing. i can appreciate the artistry here, but it didn't do much for me.

I'm sure it's an album that showcases great skill, but I didn't find it to be a very interesting listen.

I can imagine this album must be amazing if stoned. But I’m not and frankly it’s just not really the sort of music I’d choose to listen to. Ok so it’s got some good laid back vibes but I just can’t listen to over an hour of the same repetitive sound. And I’m not prepared to start taking drugs in order just to get on board with it.

Nice but made me sleepy

Never heard this before. I actually like this album more than the other instrumental albums I've been introduced to lately. Strong 3 stars.

Interesting but ultimately not what I look for in music. Cool listen though!

Ambient indeed.

Not bad for background listening.

Listenable.

I don't hate it, but it's not something I'd actively put on to listen to.

New age techno ambient for sure background music

2.5

Favourite song - Itax 2.5 stars

pretty long repetitive background ambient music the first half was alright, however by the second half of the album I found myself getting bored.

Only a few memorable songs, mostly just experimental work

There's a few tracks here I'd heard before. Overall, it's pretty chill music, certainly ambient, certainly 80s-90s electronica, just a little bit dull though. 3 stars.

A bit repetitive, but calming. Good sound design for that year.

It was fun background music, I'd rate it 3.5

I like his less ambient stuff. You know, the ones with the amazing and freaky Chris Cunningham videos but this does what it says on the tin I guess

This didn't age that well.

I'm not sure I listened to anything. Pure chewing gum for my brain. No nutritional value; simply occupied part of my grey matter. As an ambient album, I think this is what it was supposed to do. But it's not quite an ambient album. It sort of passed through me like a ghost.

It‘s great background music!

Aphex Twin is growing on me, the music definitely gets more listenable each time I try. Still, it’s just kind of boring music that I feel like you need a specific headspace for. Maybe it’s my 21st century, constantly stimulated brain that can’t handle it, or maybe it’s meant to be enjoyed on a cocktail of rave drugs. It’s hard to argue with the influence that Aphex Twin had. I feel like, if modern music is a tree, aphex twin’s music is at the roots of the tree, foraging through the ground for vital rhythms and sounds that allow the greater musical industrial complex to thrive. I wonder if every other mid-20s white guy that wants to become a DJ knows that he’d probably be off doing something else like jogging or playing video games or developing a cocaine habit on Wall Street if not for Aphex’s influence. 3/5

Decent driving and/or background music

Pretty much OK - would have like it if it went more towards Eno, but nice background.

Background music to chill to. Interesting story about how it was all compiled from old cassette recordings. Seems to bridge the gap between the Kraftwerk era and what’s to come with modern techno bands. I can dig it here and there, but definitely situational sounds for situational moods.

I found this relaxing. Like I was in the lobby of a spa, or at Lululemon or something. I was feeling this and might revisit, but the fact that this is such a passive listening experience sort of limited the rating for me.

This was pretty good, but not good enough for 4 stars

A good ambient electronic album, but essential? Not sure how some kid twiddling around with synths in his bedroom can be a pioneer of electronic music if he didn't release it right away. It's good, and I'd listen to it again, but I don't see how this particular album is a great example of pioneering ambient music. How about Cluster? They were making and releasing ambient electronic music 15-20 years earlier than this.

Selected Ambient Works 85-92 When I saw Aphex Twin come up I immediately thought of Dan’s wisdom tooth and how Windowlicker era Apex Twin would probably be the worst thing you could listen to with toothache. I was interested to hear this, I’m aware of bits and pieces of Aphex Twin but have never dived in. I wasn’t necessarily expecting some relatively straightforward ambient techno though, but I liked it. Some of the housey synths sound quite dated, which would make sense as its its 30-40 years old, but overall I liked the tempos and percussion and some of the more textural layered synths behind the bass and the odd hook. No one particular track stood out, apart perhaps from Ageispolis which had more than a hint of You’ll Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties, I just enjoyed it as one long piece of instrumental electronica. Obviously it wasn’t made as an album, but as music to work to or paint the shed to I found it very pleasant and relaxing. It doesn’t move me in the way some of Brian Enos albums do, but I found it a pleasant discovery that I will come back to, particularly for music to play while working or focusing. Solidly midway between 3 and 4, I’ll land on a 3 - it’s something I’ll listen to for specific situations rather than for pure pleasure. ⭐⭐⭐

Great for background / concentration but not something I'd come back to often.

At first I was really liking it, got far too beep boopy by the end though. BEEP BOOP BOOP BEEP BAP OONTZ

Quite frankly, this album and perhaps all of Aphex Twin are too smart for me. I don't pick up on the intricate time signatures, the mellowed out drum and bass backing to allow the sound to always have a thumping heartbeat, or even the general vibe brought to the table by its simplistic yet thoroughly crafted beats. However, I do at least respect it. It may sound like the soundtrack to a PlayStation racing game, but that can be a good thing! So, when I say it isn't my thing, I recognize completely that it is at the fault of my own patience and musical tolerance, rather than any outright flaw with the album. However, I do still think there are issues worth addressing, such as the length. The album suffers from 90s-itis, which means it must be double the length of a (now) standard album for the sake of filling out a CD, and while this does fit electronic music better than most genres, it can still feel like this collection of stoned club bangers are stretched to their limit for the sake of the ethereal ambiance, and it makes it so most tracks don't feel like they fit in a day-to-day lifestyle. Once again, an unfair critique, I realize, but I often think songs should be something I want to come back to, and I struggle to think of a reason on why I would return to Xtal over Pulsewidth, and even if I were to put on the whole album for one amazing session of "testing my new speakers," what effect does the album bring to the table that one singular track off this album doesn't pull off instead? There are differences between songs; tracks like Hedphelym offer an obviously more sinister tone than simple, floaty tracks like I, but I still think at the end of the day this album is something praised on influence and standards more than being something truly fantastic in it of itself. I'm obviously talking out of my ass, I know nothing about IDM, but when looking at its contemporaries from later in the decade, I see so much improvement and style injected into the genre that this comes off as hollow and aged. In my opinion, better than what others were doing in 1992, but save for a couple tracks and moments, this doesn't seem like an album worth returning to in full. So, what your main takeaway here should be is that I'm saying there is no reason to return to this album, yet this is my second time listening in full in the last year. Says something about the pull this album gives off, huh? Whatever, I'm an idiot, now bugger off. luv u

Ambient techno.

This album is a gift to urban youth hostels everywhere. I can perhaps imagine listening to this if I wanted to relive waiting for friends in a lobby somewhere.

Highlights: Xtal, Pulsewidth. In a nutshell: a new breed of dance music emerges. Trip-hop, acid house and downtempo were established genres in the early 90’s. There were countless dance musicians/DJ’s who experimented with fast backbeats but there were folks in the scene who asked themselves: “what if we slowed everything down? Make an ambient sound but different to Brian Eno?” Thus IDM - Intelligent Dance Music - was born. Listeners who say this album is boring are missing the point. In the artist’s words, Ambient Sounds “…were just tracks that my mates selected; ones that they like to chill out to.” Personally, this is not something I’d reach for, but I wouldn’t turn it down or leave the room if I heard a track from this album. Overall: 6/10

I don't know what to do with Ambient music. I suppose I am not supposed to be actively listening to it, but have it in the background to provide a mood. Like the Muzak in an elevator. Unlike some music, there is nothing that bothers me, there just isn't anything to get into. Ambient music being it's goal, I have to give it credit for hitting that.

I enjoyed parts of this album way more than others. Some songs were not for me but my favorites were Hedphelym, Delphium & Actium.

very vibey if i wanted chill study music this would be a go to although i probably wouldn’t remember it enough to go back and listen

The sounds are quite nice and there's some variety here, but this doesn't feel world changing. And, obviously, it's too long. Pleasant enough, but I won't listen to it again.

I'm mostly familiar with Drukqs and a few other Aphex Twin singles, so I was kind of surprised by how relatively tame this early album sounded by comparison. It was good though; not sure how often I would come back to it.

Meh, I’ll never get this. D+?

Another fascinating ambient album. I know it's UK but I don't discriminate when it comes to electronic music. It's either bad or it's good and this one is good. I think we have had a few better, but these beats were fun to carry me through work.

great background noise. But beyond that is not awesome

Trance

Trance, low-key

Surprised how much I like this, though the later works do have a sort of low, tension inducing noise that I don't really appreciate.

This is pretty good. I enjoyed this much more than I expected / remembered.

Mostly I put this on in the background and let it run, which is really what ambient music is good for right? I didn't hate it, but wasn't fired up about it either. I really only pricked my ears up at Green Calx, which had some cool NiN kind of industrial sounds. Schottkey 7th Path and Delphium were kind of groovy too.

Decent for getting work done to

Liked it and would listen to it again to work too. Added Delphium to my playlist. 7/10

Favorite Tracks: Ageispolis We Are the Music Makers

I don’t know music all that well, and certainly not ambient. To rate this, how do you tell where this ends and other ambient starts playing on an infinite list of similar music? Maybe this is one of the best 1000 albums because it innovated or otherwise opened the genre. But without researching it, why is it special?

A really solid album I could probably get heavily invested in at another time. While I'm sure it's incredible for its genre, it's not quite my thing, the tracks are nice but a little slow and samey for my own tastes.

Wow. When they say Ambient they aren’t kidding. Not my thing but actually kind of cool. Not a surprise If I say I won’t remember a second of this.

Pretty good! I've been hearing about this "genius" my whole life. I think we should retire that word. It's good!

Great classic electronic music.

As far as electronic music goes, this ambient, low-key style is my favourite. 3/5

75 minutes of decent background music. Little else.

Easy listening electronic ambient album. Aphex Twin is a true trailblazer. Not exactly my cup of tea, but I enjoyed and appreciate it.

I'm not that big on techno and mixed on ambient music. So most likely I'm not the right audience for this. Nonetheless, it was certainly not a bad experience. I think the specific combination of styles is a hard line to toe and it worked well on some tracks, but not so much on others. For example Tha was extremely boring, and a few tracks weren't as much a mix as either pure ambiance (I, which I quite enjoyed) or mostly techno (like Green Calx, just after I, which I enjoyed much less). Mostly this is pretty nice record for relaxing background music though and I can easily see it as being quite interesting to people who're more into techno than I am. 3.5 rounded down (but I do respect the effort and am glad it's included in the book).

I love the guy. Very interesting album he has better songs but this is one of his best “albums”

not bad at all but really idk how ambient this was????? i was expecting some brian eno shit

Huh.

Aphex twin es un DJ y compositor de música electrónica muy conocido, lo suficiente como para que le conozca cuando no me agrada nada este género. Dicho esto, el disco ni me da ni me quita. Aún así concuerdo que es un disco imprescindible en esta lista.

Sure

Just ok cuber cafe music.

Thought I wouldn’t like this much but I did. Not sure what they mean by ‘ambient’ because some songs definitely bring your attention. Brand new artist, never heard the name. I could see listening again, at least in the background. Favorites: Xtal, Ageispolis, Delphium Least favorite: Green calx

I have listened to aphex twin before, by favourite song being prob QKThr and some other songs here and there, otherwise this specific album wasn’t something i would listen to really, but it was cool otherwise. I have listened to a lot of the song in the album before and even recommended this to my Pa.

Some interesting sounds but didn't get hooked

It's actually a decent record for background and dance vibes of some sort

Modernist background music. Nothing to hook and bring you back.

It was nice to have it on in the background while working and I definitely remember hearing some nice sounds here and there, but overall not particularly memorable for me.

This is what happens when a Salvador Dali painting makes sound.

I'd need to listen to this album a few times to properly rate it. I liked 'Tha' and Heliosphan but not into tracks like Pulsewidth or Greencalx. A 3 for the moment, but potential for a 4

This is the first techno album I've heard and actually liked. Not great, but nice and somewhat fascinating.

It was chill

Dieses Album führt den Hörer in ein spannendes Ambiente aus Trance, Techno und Synthy. Es ist ein ausgewogenes Werk aus verschieden Facetten, die jedoch leider manchmal ins Schrille abschweifen. Eine Wiedererkennung einzelner Songs drängt sich nicht auf. Gib mir Sonne, einen Strand und einen Cocktail.. dann ist dies ein passendes Werk.

They're nice, but I don't think I'd ever feel like putting this on

its good. maybe I was not totally on the mood for something like this but I can say I enjoyed it

How can you be offended by ambient? Good background music. I folded laundry.

Intressant. Inte likt något jag lyssnat på förut. Skön bakgrunds musik.

Next 5 songs played by my Spotify Algorithm: Tim Hecker - Next Flight to Your Heart Pt. 2 Boards of Canada - Kaini Industries Nathan Fake - Bawsey Casino Versus Japan - Trad Valecido Floating Points - Falaise

This album brings to mind a question I have thought about but never posed. Does every genre require representation in this book? Maybe there is just not an electronica or ambient album that must be heard before I die. It doesn't mean electronica is a sub-par genre, but there are just no albums you have to hear before you die. Harry Belafonte isn't in this book and many of my favorite artists aren't in this book. Does that mean they stink? No, it just means there is not an album of material by that artist which should be heard. The same could go for a genre. Ambient electronica may just not have an album of material that must be heard. I miss shopping at American Eagle too, but that doesn't mean the music should be in this book. I give it two stars because it's not bad, but not my thing.

I liked it! Very cool sounds!

I will freely admit that I got into the electronic music craze that hit in the mid to late 90s. I may have gone to clubs that were playing songs by The Chemical Brothers and The Crystal Method. I may have owned some Prodigy albums and a visor. I may have surfed through CD bins for compilations of electronic music that featured Aphex Twin. At the time I got into electronica, it was clear that Richard James had established himself as an important figure on the club circuit, but I had no idea that his footprint went back this far in time. I think some people could listen to this album and argue that there is no variety to electronic music. But I am more impressed at how influential this guy had been for so long. Now electronic music’s DNA is in everything from Taylor Swift to LCD Soundsystem. Despite the terrifying album covers, the rest of the catalog is also worth a listen. This was enjoyable, but I prefer grown up Aphex Twin. Still - pretty cool to see the blueprints here.

I liked it.

Grooves.

This was Ambient and I did listen to it at work?

Bops on top of bops, blips, bleeps, and boops. How does one rate something like this? I do not know enough about the genre to appreciate the craft to the level that I feel confident appraising this thing fully. I liked it!

I'm sure this album pushed many boundaries when it came out, for electronic music and music as a whole. It's just not for me.

chill background music fav: pulsewidth

I like it but I don't love it.

Música ambiental electrónica. Agradable, pero ni fu ni fa.

Ambient techno.

Decent. Have to be in the mood to listen to it. It's also too long but it does make for some good background music. Best played at night while walking around a cosmopolitan city at night.

92' electronic. okay. I know John super loves this band. I'm familiar with them but haven't ever really listened to them much. So far it's been nice background music. Track 4 just started. Ageispolis. It's the tune that Die Antwoord stole for their Ugly Boy song. Meh, it was okay. I'll give it a 3

Trance that is listenable and occasionally entertaining. You have to critique based on when this was created to fully appreciate Aphex Twin's groundbreaking role in techno.

Trippy

Human music! I like it

I feel a certain level of detachment to this album. No matter how many times I listen to it, and I’ve listened to it many times over the years, it always feels distant and leaves me cold. There’s an overriding sense that I’m missing something, that I should like this more than I actually do.

I am familiar with Aphex Twin and have listened to their music before, but I don't remember much about them. This sounds like songs that would be ambient music in the Matrix trilogy. They aren't bad because of that. They are actually quite good, but there isn't anything that is sticking for me. This is like the music from SpongeBob that Mr. Krabbs was trying to request on the radio. A strong 3/5

I put this one off for 100 albums because I already knew it. It is important for the shifting of the ambient genre beyond Brian Eno into a more electronic space. It's not bad, but it can be hard to work through on its' own. It's really excellent background music, and allows some of its' better moments to catch you off guard and shine

Xtal- 4/5 Tha-3.5/5 Pulsewidth- 4.1/5 Ageispolis- 3.3/5 i- 4.5/5 Green Calx- 4.3/5 Heliosphan- 2.8/5 We Are the Music Makers- 3.3/5 Schottkey 7th Path- 3.6/5 Ptolemy- 3.9/5 Hedphelym- 3.4/5 Delphium- 3.9/5 Actium- 3.1/5 Total- 3.7/5

This is great to chill out to. At times reminds me of Stranger things. But also sometimes a tough listen on its own.

Yep I can vibe with it

A 3 rating has a very broad definition for me.

Ambient is ok. Doesn’t bother me but doesn’t really make much of an impact either. This was good as far as ambient goes. 3 stars.

Once again, this project serves up an album that I almost undoubtedly would not hear elsewhere, and for that, I am deeply grateful. This album's style of music is one that I so rarely encounter, and it's fantastic. I know so little about how this kind of music is made, but next week I'm starting a course in recording technology (I'm in Berklee Online's undergrad program, just taking a course or two per session, and I absolutely love it) and I have a feeling I'll begin to gain at least an entry-level understanding. As a listening experience, I think this album is excellent.

Cool

It's alright. A bit boring at points, but enjoyable as well. It was probably impressive at the time, and it still sounds pretty clean now. It's longer than I'd like it to be, but oh well. My favourite song was probably Pulsewidth, if I remember correctly.

I know a guy who has this tattooed on him...

This was an alright album. I didn't dislike anything on it but I like other Aphex Twin music more. I just found it kind of boring and more of background music than anything, so not a lot stood out to me. Not bad at all, just not great either. Standout Tracks: Xtal, Pulsewidth, Heliosphan

This caught me on the right day. I could see this getting a bit irksome but I was in need of some mindless background ambience. Still too long.

2.5

Background noise.

I was a little leery of the description but this was nice to just chill to in the background

I mean, it’s fine.

Holds up pretty well as an ambient album

I mean, it's what it says on the tin: ambient. There are some grooves on here, but I assume the author had heard Aphex Twin was an important figure and went with this record. It's not nearly as challenging as some of his later stuff, as someone who only knows him in passing, but it's pleasant enough when it's on. Spots sound a little dated, while other spots still sound fresh. Favorite tracks: "Tha", "Xtal"

i keep returning to this album thinking there’s got to be more in it but maybe it’s just mildly diverting background music

- Good ambient background music - Easy to get lost in

hallucinations from a warm grotto 2.8

It's ambient

This was fine, I suppose. I had a moment of amusement when I recognized "Ageispolis," which was sampled by Die Antwoord on "Ugly Boy," but I found this album a little puzzling. I felt like it was too ambient to command my attention, yet had too much of a beat to be truly ambient. I guess I'm rounding up from 2.5 stars.

ok. too much beat but good sounds

this was OK as background music, but not really my thing. i did find my head nodding a long now and then

I feel like this what super Hans from peep show would listen to with Jeremy

I’ve always heard good things about Aphex Twin but I found myself a bit underwhelmed by this record. Overrated or is the later stuff better?

So how do I judge this music? It does what it sets out to do... be ambient music you can put on in the background and forget about. Does that make it good? I enjoyed it a lot since it faded in the background as I worked, but that's not really but I'm looking for in most of my music listening. So it suffers from that. It's also quite boring musically which is the point.

Big beats are the best. But these are sort of small beats and are okay. Very chill. Fades into the background but is called selected ambient works so is that good?

3.5 stars. Electronica that is really solid ambient music. No lyrics but ethereal sound draws you in.

I can recognize that there is some incredible craftsmanship in the songs on this album. Xtal didn't really do it for me, but "Tha" is incredible. I think the songs that do more with less work best for my own sensibilities in this particular genre. The beats are incredible though, very good. Pulsewidth has incredible moments, but some lulls stop it from being great. Heliospan has some incredible sections, but also doesn't really manage to stick the landing for me. Overall, good stuff, but not for me.

Background tunes

Mun nuoruudessa vain coolit animaatio-opiskelijat kuunteli Aphex Twiniä (ja mä en ollut animaatio-opiskelija enkä varmaan kovin coolikaan), mutta onhan tämä kaunista.

Good

I respect it for the impact it has had

Selected Ambient Works 85–92 is the debut album by Aphex Twin, the pseudonym of British electronic musician Richard D. James. This ambient techno album contains psychedelic, experimental electronic musical work from 1985-1992. At release, this album received critical acclaim and earned an underground reputation. It is described as an electronica classic, for bringing techno to the mainstream through its beautiful, ambient soundscapes. I really loved this album and will be trying to listen to more from the artist.

3.7 - I can see why this album was a sensation in 1992. I appreciate the ambient elements and some impressive layering of sound, but I suspect this is another "you had to be there" record.

Interesting without being amazing

Nice ambient techno. Has a bit of a lull halfway through but it picks up steam again toward the end. I probably won’t do the entire album from A to Z again, but I can definitely see myself putting on the final five or so tracks and letting the algorithm take it from there.

Didn’t hate it, didn’t like it. Never been into Aphex Twin or most electronica, and this one didn’t change my mind.

Ik ben fan van elektronische muziek, maar dan wel het minste van ambient. Je kan er niet zoveel goed of slecht mee doen. Het is vaak prima op de achtergrond en verder springt er weinig uit. Dat geldt ook zeker voor deze variant. En dan geldt voor mij de standaard bij platen met een continue kwaliteit, maar weinig extra's: 3 sterren. Los van de waardering van de plaat, veel kudos voor de inspiratie die AT anderen heeft geleverd, met deze plaat, maar ook met later werk.

Wel interessant om dit te luisteren. Je hoort nog de jaren 70 en 80 synthesizer invloeden van de Mike Oldfield en Jean Michel Jarre, maar ook de house van de jaren 90 die hier op voortborduurt. Het is niet iets wat ik veel vaker op zou zetten, maar het stoort me totaal niet terwijl ik aan het werk ben. Prima achtergrondmuziek.

Electronica is not my forte. I liked what I heard, but at the same time, nothing really stuck out to me. Would be great for background music though. That being said, not something I would actively seek out.

I don't know the genre enough to know if this is groundbreaking, but it's not terrible. Perhaps I am jaded of its imitators?

I don't know. It's obviously influential and creative, but I just can't get into it.

First time I have listened to Aphex Twin - I really enjoyed this album.

It’s not bad- it is as described: ambient background noise. Gave me an unreal feeling of being a sims character whilst listening and going about my day

The album was as titled, ambient. It was definitely a good vibe to have on in the background while working.

Richard D James wants you to listen again

Je peux apprécier les ambiances et les textures, mais ce n'est pas un genre de musique que j'affectionne particulièrement. Je suis contente d'avoir découvert autre chose, sans plus.

It was fine to work with in the background, I guess, but it still felt extremely boring to me

Als achtergrondmuziek is dit best oké

entretenido, de fondo también lo llevé, estuvo bien

This was a better listen than I expected. I remember Aphex Twin being huge with my druggier, less boozy friends back in the day. Turns out they were on to something.

Good background music, played through it while working. Some interesting experiments with sound.

The grandfather of EDM. Clearly experimental, but interesting and ended up being good background music. Honestly, as an album, it became a lot by the end and I needed a break from sound. Which is not necessarily a bad thing.

Nice ambient/atmospheric stuff, but not sure I'd revist often

3.5

Je suis absolument débordé dans mes diverses activités, je passe donc mon tour pour ce review d'énième album étrange.

Atmospheric

goede vibe

I didn't have enough drugs to listen to this and chill

good ambiance music I guess

I owned a different Aphex Twin album back in the day which I rarely played. I appreciated that it was good but it's not really for me. Same with this one, its definitely a good record and was pleasant to listen to whilst working or drifting off to sleep but is not for me, Clive. Best song Xtal.

I must say I prefer the complete objects of good ambient or adequate techno to this, but it's the canvas ambient techno alright. Aphex Twin falls for the throw-it-all-in-a-bucket trap, but most of the tracklisting has something to say in its five-minute chunks.

It’s ambient music so it’s supposed to be boring and uninteresting….. but it isn’t, some catchy loops.

C'est pas mauvais, mais c'est un peu long, j'ai de la difficulté à voir l'attrait si grand envers lui. Je comprends par contre l'impact qu'il a du avoir

It sounds like the kind of music that would be playing in the background of an infomercial for extended warranty on my spaceship. Do I like it? I don't know, I can't pay attention long enough to tell.

Grappig