Aphex Twin's _Selected Ambient Works Volume II_ is ten years old

Quite right. Please, this isn't a 'meme' though, or at least it's not meant to be one.

I'm not saying there ought to be an equivalent, but RDJ and his work and his attitude really does feel like a one-off and I can't think of any other electronic artist who comes close, which is kind of amazing considering how early his involvement was in techno/ambient/IDM and just how many boundaries he pushed back then.

Talking about this here now:

What Is The "What Is The X Of Today" Of Today? Why is this meme so bad and hated?

okay, well i didn't mean it as part of any meme, i was genuinely interested to see if anyone could think of anyone who came close. I mean, I was thinking maybe Oneohtrix (who I don't like much) could count in some way; maybe even Actress, but again much as those are respected and thoughtful artists, I don't think their scopes are anywhere near as broad.

mu-Ziq IMO, a much under-rated producer. And yes all comparisons are invidious etc. etc.

who is the Nicolas Jaar of the early nineties?

Ken Downie (jks)

went to Marc Weidenbaum's SF reading for his 33 1/3 book. read from it, had a couple musicians do cool live stuff, answered some questions. asked him if he had thoughts about why Aphex never returned to this style. he kinda contradicted himself, first admitting this album really stands alone, then saying that actually, it was a rhythmic / melodic work like the rest, and that far from abandoning the style, after SAW II Aphex built on what he accomplished there.

not sure if i agree, but interesting to think about.

i guess this is old news to SAW II fans, but i realized today that "Parallel Stripes" is basically just a binaural beat. it's not hard to tell that it's two very similar sine waves phasing in and out against each other, but i imagine that RJD had binaural beats' alleged effects on brain functions in mind when he made it (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binaural_beats)

http://www.kallbinauralaudio.com/crosstalk-cancellation-or-why-dr-edgar-choueiri-is-my-hero-part-2/

coming soon: loudspeakers capable of playing back binaural audio

about a year ago, i drunksplurged on two copies of "the most minimal record ever made", which does nothing but play a 33Hz sine wave. you're supposed to play two at once, and the unavoidable differences between record players and speakers will create a binaural beat. i haven't had an opportunity to try it yet, but i really want to crank it up and confuse my entire neighborhood

protip: use Audacity to play 33Hz sine waves instead

yeah, that's a lot cheaper too! there's something cool about owning a slab of vinyl that only plays one tone though.

the shot of the moire patterns formed by the grooves sold me. just bought one, thanks

Milton are you familiar with the Thomas Brinkmann "alphabet" series? speaking of patterns on vinyl...

that WOW record is super cool looking

was just looking online for some closeups of those Brinkmann records. had one of mine pinned to the wall at the office for a while.

clearly having a very very slow morning at work you guys

I fell asleep after about three songs, woke up at 4:30am with all the lights on. Woops.

Did almost exactly this last night. Disc 2.

A couple of months after the release of SAW II a free festival was held near where I was living at the time in Clissold Park. At least I think it was that year - this would suggest so -

http://history-is-made-at-night.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/hackney-homeless-festival-1994.html?m=1

Following the festival, some friends with a double-decker bus / travelling sound system stayed on in the park for a couple of days playing New Age / ambient music through the night as we hung out.

It was oddly idyllic and peaceful and Blue Calx at least would have gotten a spin. So the album is of course reminiscent of that time and place, but I didn't know then that it was also mostly recorded right in the area as well.

Also / as well.

23 years now anyway.

This might be the best album to listen to while sick. I've tried listening to all kinds of stuff over the past week and it all felt wrong but I kept coming back to this until I finally just conceded and put it on constant repeat.

Good god -- next week it's 25 years old.

monumental album.

stone in ... retrospect

I am puzzled by this “this album is 25 years old” trend...I guess its a way to keep the olds engaged

It's to remind you of the icy hand of relentless time.

Yeah, that it does

seems a natural and enduring way of looking at things

Remember when the US celebrated its bicentennial? That landmark recognized a span of time roughly eight times as long as SAWII is old. Hope that helps.

Think it's also that when SAW II came out, 25 year old albums were things like Abbey Road and Let It Bleed and there seems a disconnect thinking of it in those terms.

Fun fact: no human being has yet lived for a span of time longer 5X the age of SAWII.

also, if you listen to SAWII five times in a row with no breaks, you die

Happy early birthday

I already thought Aphex Twin had the best study music, but this has to be his best one. I finally got around to it last fall while organizing some longer papers for a class. I found it weirdly helpful and definitely my favorite of his at the moment.

The third-to-last song "Tassels" is metal as fuck. Is it #22? Are the numbers different depending on format?

It's #22 on Spotify.

#6 is a noir earworm.

If #6 is "Curtains" which it might not be.

Sorry #7 is the noir earworm.

love that one

Almost 30 years old!

Christ on a bike.

Sorry, did I say 'ten'? I meant 'twenty.'

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 18 February 2014 16:34 (ten years ago) bookmarkflaglink

it's about time he put a new record out!

― Crackle Box, Tuesday, 18 February 2014 16:37 (ten years ago) bookmarkflaglink

Ned, you bastard. I've been patiently waiting for years to make a parody thread about how it's 10 years since the '10 years since SAW II' thread started.

― If it was up to the unions we still have stream trains (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Tuesday, 18 February 2014 16:48 (ten years ago) bookmarkflaglink

Zing.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 18 February 2014 16:50 (ten years ago) bookmarkflaglink

Just wait for the thirty year event.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 18 February 2014 16:51 (ten years ago) bookmarkflaglink

You've done it again, Ned. Now I've got to wait another decade.

Time to play the long game!

https://i.imgur.com/ALBJbdy.png

It's not April 5th yet!

so warp’s instagram has been posting some cryptic SAW II things and people are speculating that maybe it will be getting an anniversary reissue of some kind

!

Can we get a damn SAW III to follow it up too? Is that too much to ask for, Richard?!

you were right

Expanded edition coming in October. 3 CDs, 4 LPs, a super fancy box version.

dammit 2xCassette sold out! Great medium for this tbh

sadly i dont have £299 for an oak box

any indication of the regular vinyl getting wide release?