Caustic Window – Caustic Window LP

So the story goes …. Richard D. James, aka Aphex Twin decided to release his album under the alias "Caustic Window." However, he decided to abandon the project when only five copies were pressed.
Luckily, one copy escaped the destruction and appeared in 2014 on Discogs. The asking price was $13,500. The vinyl copy was sold on eBay for $46,300, Minecraft creator Markus Persson bought the lucky copy.

Looking for a vinyl copy in the Uk. Ping me if you’re selling.

Serge from Clone.nl seems to be in possession of a copy

https://www.discogs.sie.com/digs/collecting/dj-serge-rare-records/

Someone please update the listing

Originally sent to joyrex.com on 14 Sept 1999:

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This was an email that was sent to me (Joyrex) about the rumored "CAT023" a white label Caustic Window album that Rich has had done for about 3 years now. What follows is Bowgie's description of the album, as he is one of four (4) people who have the album. It is rumored that Bowgie is actually Mu-ziq (aka Mike Paradinas). This has not been confirmed. A full tracklisting is impossible since it's a white label.

There are no titles: Untitled.

It has hand written labels by RDJ:

SIDE 1 in black marker pen: "CAUSTIC WINDOW LP 33 1/3 SIDE A REPHLEX" in the run out groove: "CAT 023-A1 A PORKY PRIME CUT":

There are two tracks on side A,
the first is a subtle melodic grower, with hi q's; pianoish DX sounds & woodwind type synths.nice but not very immediate.

Track 2 is *much* more like it: Industrial type drums straight out of J5 and the catchiest afx acid line (not 303). Builds and builds with pad sounds & percessive held chords in a spooky fashion.

SIDE 2 Same hand written info except it says: "SIDE B" in black marker pen and in the run out groove it's the same but says side "L"5 Tracks on B:

Track 1) called "muttley" by Richard.It features samples from "dastardly & Muttley"(Wacky Races Cartoon) starting off with Dastardly shouting "Muttley!" then Muttley the dog going "RashingFrashingWrarraFrarraWrash". Other samples: A girl speaking: "You know I don't even know why you bother talking" and the track ends with "what an utterly fantastical journey" (unknown sample) As regards to the music, it starts with a monophonic synth line doing a percussive riff up 4 notes, ed by another sound a few bars later. Then the drums kick in. Bass and snare from Phloam, sort of metallic guiro and clangs from Schottkey. Halfway through an orchestral string chords sample comes in, and the girl speaking sample appears. It's a great track, very SAW85-92 in period.

Track 2) Happy, jolly little track with high pitched bell-like hihats acid sounds and long square wave bass note. Random dat glitches spice up the percussion. The melody comes from the interplay of tuned bass drum & tuned metal hihats.

Track3) Wow!This is a treat for fans of SOSW. Starts with Roland R8 hihats, then a marimba melody & the BD Kikkz in with an acidicish line.marimba fades in again. Then a BB1 DX pad in 5ths (lots of reverb) makes it fuckin lush. Drum break then the track restarts with stabs from Audax powder, then acid & marimba. Track ends wth drums.

Track 4) My favourite: Noisey drum loops (Tuned white noise?) acid pokes. Bass drum from Hedphelym or the B-sides to ABB2. Also odd bell like High melodies & metallic sampled melodies! very odd track.

Track 5) Tribal bongos, Quoth Bd kik & "a,aphex-a,aphex"samples. About 1 min. long.

SIDE 3 Handwritten on label: "CW LP side C" and in the run out groove it says; "THIRD REICH VETERANS WILL NOT VICTORY WAR PARADE. CAT 023 -01" 4 tracks

Track 1) Very simple synth melody & 4/4 kik drum / snare ed later by emotional sounding soft detuned string notes. Hihats and hi Q's later and lo-bandwidth metallic samples.

Track 2) A very early track.One of the 1st he did. Childish squeaky acid line. Crap piano riff. Redeemed by lush strings & reverb on certain drum sounds,which might have indicated Here was a future talent.

Track 3) Square wave bassline, melodic held acid line, R8 drums. Simple lovely very Aphex.

Track 4) Jazz fusion aphex! Drum sounds similar to Gak. Sounds like Gak in fact except for a low farting bass and muted jazzy piano riff & overlaid solos.

SIDE 4 "CAUSTIC WINDOW LP . side D" handwritten in black on label in runout groove:"CAT 023 - G1 A PORKY PRIME CUT " 5 tracks

Track 1) An ambient track. This was a reject from SAW85-92 and is unspeakably lovely. A monophonic synth weaves around soft flutes to devastating effect. The synth filter opens & closes to emphasise the riff at certain times, & the flute goes freestyle towards the end. Metallic percussion invades the song at times complementing the groovy momentum gathered by the main riff.

Track 2) This is Phlaps off the criminal justice bill comp. [Totem Records – TTPLP 005 / TTPCD 005]

Track 3) This is Cunt off TEX 3 [Label: Volume – teex lp 3 / teex cd 3]

Track 4) This is a phone call between Mixmaster Morris & Scanner [Morris Gould, Robin Rimbaud]. Richard got 2 phones, rang them both (one to Morris, one to Scanner) and luckily they both answered simultaneously. What follows is very funny. Both Morris & Robin think each other has initiated the call and confusion reigns. This increases as a third voice enters the fray (RDJ). Eventually they recognise him as Richard: "If you put the phone down your gonna die.. "

Track 5) Same trick between Chris Jeffs & Mike Paradinas. This time Cylob figures it out straight away but the funniest bit is where he says "I think Richard wants us to talk to each other", to which Mike replies "Oh great... " track (& album) ends.

You can post this info on the joyrex site (is that you?) or wherever. I promised Richard not to let anyone have copies. I stick to that.

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someone sold this for 48 quid last year? ? ?

And how on earth is one going to obtain a copy of said digital release when one finds out way past the initial Kickstarter project ended...

To those who actually made the kickstarter happening: thank you.

Another solid release.

Personally I think it's fantastic. I was happy to pay for the digital release even though it will be inevitably leaked simply because Richard and Rephlex deserve the money. And it's the proper way to buy an album such as this. I personally think this is the best Caustic Window material I've heard.

Fantastic. it every way, the vinyl went for 46K on ebay. Every single song is so great! Was worth being a part of its release. Great everyone!

How do i purchase the digital copies?

So, with official blessings from Richard James and Rephlex Records, if you contribute 16.00 USD (little under 10.00 GBP or around 11.20 EUR) and become one of the only people legally allowed to own a digital copy of the famed Caustic Window LP ripped straight from the vinyl in a lossless audio format that we will as a community vote and decide on. It's a superb way to the artist by legally purchasing something you will never get to purchase otherwise - Rephlex has no plans and will not press this record commercially.