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| | Selected Ambient Works, Vol. 2 | | | Music Artist : | | Aphex Twin | | Music Style : | | General | | Record Label : | | Sire / London/Rhino | | Release Date : | | 1994-04-12 | | Discs : | | 2 | | Store Price : | | $19.98 | | Artistopia's Price: $19.98 | | Usually ships in 24 hours | | |
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CD Tracks/Songs
Disc 11. cliffs
2. radiator
3. rhubarb
4. grass
5. mold
6. ropes
7. circles
8. weathered stone
9. tree
10. domino
11. steel plate
Disc 21. blue calx
2. parallel stripes
3. metal grating
4. windowsill
5. b+w stripes
6. siding nails
7. corrugated tubing
8. lichen
9. leaves
10. tassels
11. rusty metal
12. b+w stripesII
13. Parralell Strips
14. Shiny Metal Rods
15. Grey Stripe
16. Z Twig
17. Window Sill
18. Hexagon
19. Lichen
20. Spots
21. Tassels
22. White Blur 2
23. Match Sticks
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Other Artist Albums
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Customer Reviews of This Album/CD |
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 Aphex Twin's subtle side.
Submitted on: 2009-10-14 |
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I first heard this album ten years ago, got into it initially and put it away for a while. I've a love for electronic music all over the map, Stockhausen, Krautrock (eg Harmonia and Popol Vuh), Eno, most other british IDM, 80's and 90's techno/industrial, weird new age, etc, etc and all I can say is after putting this album on recently I've become completely obsessed with it once again. Unfortunately getting a complete version on CD is impossible. You'll have to hunt for the two missing tracks (one of them especially is worth the hunt). The rest of what's here is quite varied, ranging from musique concrete to noise (soft of course, but still, noise), minimal techno (with beats) to minimalism (without beats). And it works as a coherent whole nonetheless, so well that some people forget the beats are there.
What makes it special is the combination of little, subtle things you just won't hear elsewhere.. the smooth, round, warm, luscious bass and beats and such wonderful, subtle analogue distortion in the minimal techno sections of the album (the minimal techno tracks on here are worth the price of admission alone), minute glissando on the tail ends of the synth hits, spiraling chromatic melodies and odd chord progressions, phrasing, small bursts of staticky hi-hats deep in the mix that predate Autechre's entire late-90's phase. It's those deeply buried layers of synth melodies and room tones, so quiet in the mix that you will only notice them if you listen to this album on headphones in the dark. There's no overt production fireworks, just poetry, the feeling and headspace evoked by each of the tracks. When RDJ said this album was inspired by dreams I believe him. This is like listening to a dream journal instead of reading one. It reminds me of the music I've heard in my derams.
I can think of some possible influences, like Brian Eno's 'on land 4', but any influence that comes to mind is only comparable to a few brief sections of this album here and there. RDJ takes his influences and creates his own world. The problem is that if this one clicks with you, it might take some time to get away from it, as listening to most other electronica suddenly becomes very much like going on a date with Captain Obvious. |
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warm sound and interesting ambience..
Submitted on: 2009-06-25 |
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| the sounds im erse you and warmly wr p around you..beautiful m lodies mix with soothing vocal loops..inc edibly comforting and dist nt at the same t me..headphone music to l se yourself in..great alb m for those who und rstand.. |
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 Minimal heights
Submitted on: 2009-05-02 |
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3 1/2
Early innovative ambient masterwork? Sure thing. Overpraised on principle alone? A little. There are quite a few slow burning compositions that do seem worthy of their place in the early electronic history books, but the sprawling collection together includes much lifeless drainage amidst minimalist inspirations. |
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one more five star review
Submitted on: 2009-04-05 |
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| this album was my introduction to james/aphex, and while the other albums are more innovative and challenging, this one is my favorite. the musical imagination on display is really something unique. the effect of these pieces is not in melody, because there usually isn't any, or in the harmonies, which are not especially daring, but in the strange chemistry of short musical motifs linked to unfamiliar synthesized musical sounds (many sounding like hybrid instrumental vocals) morphing across a slowly evolving rhythmic landscape. meditative, dreamy, occasionally eery or foreboding, these discs will open your ears and expand your musical expectations. |
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 Great album for relaxed listening.
Submitted on: 2008-11-25 |
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| The title of this says at it all. This is a great album for relaxed listening. |
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