Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works 85-92

Well, what can I say? Very well-made album, with a very eclectic sound. It's nice to see elements of techno, ambient, house, and trance swirled into every single track. "Xtal" starts off the album, and I think it's just amazing. Awesome use harmony, very mellow. "Tha" is even more mellow, and the notes drift off with the reverberation. "Pulsewidth" is a track with a more structured techno sound, and the booming bassdrum is a nice addition. This track manages to squeeze some energy into mellow ambient. "Ageispolis" goes beyond the four-to-the-floor beat and ventures into some breakbeat territory. This has a nice punch to it, being nice and bottom heavy in the tonal range. "i" has no beat to it, and it's just a collage of pads playing chords. "Green Calx" immediately contrasts itself to the previous track by being somewhat abrasive in sound. Uses some 303 sounds. "Heliophan" starts off with a moody progression of chords, and it keeps on going with the beat just carrying it. Moddy ambient. "We Are The Music Makers" is another bass-heavy breakbeat track. "Schottkey 7th Path" goes back into the IDM/ambient sound put forth near the beginning of the CD. "Ptolemy" is especially good, and the banging four-to-the-floor rhythm is very nice. It also has some 303 sounds, and a very nice chord progression. Very energetic compared to some of the other tracks on this album. "Hedphelym" is very cacophanous, with very dissonant chords interfering with each other, producing an eerie sound. "Delphium" sounds almost tribal with it's wall of drums. "Actium" is just a progression of melody over a repeating bassline.

In all, I do like this CD very much, but there are definitely some favorite tracks that I recommend: "Xtal," "Tha," "Pulsewidth," "Heliosphan," "Ptolemy," and "Hedphelym." A very electic and unique album to be sure, but it presents non-conventional music in a very nice way. If you have never heard any Aphex Twin stuff, give this a try. I'm sure you will find something you like.