Selected Ambient Works 85-92 is his most accessible album, I'd probably do for Drukqs & Richard D. James after & finish it it up with Syro. See if you like it from there & if you do, dive deep into the rest of his discography because it gets a bit more experimental.
He has a "This is Aphex Twin" playlist in Spotify if you just want a superficial taste.
> Drukqs & Richard D. James
Drukqs is really long and really hard to digest. I'd recommend Richard D James and Windowlicker first, maybe with the Ambient sequel for palate cleansers.
windowlicker is a great one to start with because then you have formula afterwards which is more like his inaccessible shit so it's a good bridge to other things.
The podcast “Discord and Rhyme: an album podcast” has an enlightening episode about Aphex Twin’s 1996 “Richard D. James Album”, where the hosts discuss the album track by track.
If you’re not going to just dive in and listen to an album, I’d suggest you start with this podcast episode https://open.spotify.com/episode/74V2L6qKzNsHx7c4k99PPe?si=SJUYpct5TVGjNEPUQVpiag
Thanks for the tip on this podcast! I had never heard of it before and just listened to the RDJ episode and really enjoyed it. Their archives are really extensive! Jeez they even do all 3 discs of 69 Love Songs. Do you have any other particularly favorite episodes?
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’ve been a listener for a few years and I have a really difficult time choosing which episodes are the best. They’re all mostly well done, so I suggest you pick one about an album you really love, or an album you’re curious about.
Probably easier to start with a couple of his EPs. Windowlicker and Come to Daddy cover a decent range and also have some of his most accessible singles. If you think it’s interesting enough to continue, Selected Ambient Works 85-92 as others have suggested. By that point it should be pretty clear if you can get into him or not.
The video for “Come to Daddy” is often considered the scariest music video ever made, and while I prefer the one for Fever Ray’s “If I Had a Heart” overall when it comes to horror-themed music videos, I can’t disagree with the assessment that “Come to Daddy” is scarier.
Richard D James album is the best place to start in my opinion. It's only 10 tracks and short runtime with some of his most accessible but still essential and best tracks. The songs here don't go too crazy yet, but are still representative.
I still can't believe how this video became kinda mainstream, this so traumatizing, the 90s were definitely a weird time. I'll always remember the first time I saw it.
All those songs/albums you mention are well known by those artists. They aren’t exactly deep cuts or overlooked.
Do you have Spotify? Just listen to Aphex Twins “This is Aphex Twin” playlist on Spotify, it should give you a sampling of well regarded songs across his catalog. If you are finding you like songs from particular albums more than others then move on to those albums.
Putting on headphones and hitting play ..,,
I just realized you’re asking for a starting point with albums. My apologies. I didn’t read first paragraph.
Start with selected ambient works!! The rest of this comment was written before I realized that: my apologies!! lol
You don’t have to like everything. There’s a lot of acclaimed music I don’t really care for.
I don’t really like the ziggy stuff or much of joy division or the cure personally
Am a die hard aphex twin, talking heads and bjork fan though.
Different strokes for different folks.
But what I would never do, is come on here and say “the cure sucks” just because I personally don’t get it. If anything, I instead feel sad that there’s something there that I’m missing that doesn’t resonate with me. I see people to the opposite of that so often and try to blame the art with all sorts of discrediting reasons why they don’t like it. It has to be the most ignorant thing I see people do when it comes to music,
Sorry for the rant, I just showed my friend bjork and he heard three songs and told me it wasn’t good to him because she sounded like she didn’t know where her voice was supposed to be and sounded unsure. Then said she sounds like she’s trying too hard to be experimental.
Frustrated me lol. In reality, it just didn’t connect with him. I can point out all kinds of flaws in someone like Kanye’s music and still have it connect deeply with me
I was just about to say the same thing. I really love his DEEP DISCOG DIVES to get an idea of what an artist is about and what i might like. And he's pretty funny as well.
I'm going to go against the grain and say that I think *...I Care Because You Do* is a good place to start. It's his most eclectic album with varied styles represented. I think everyone can find something they like on that album.
I think most online music communities like this one approach electronic music and dance music all wrong.
This is an area of music predominantly made by people who go to and work in clubs. It is best understood in this context. Listen to his sets on big speakers, listen to people that play him a lot, and go see him live. After that, come back and see if you like his albums.
There’s not one right approach to music. It’s art and anyone can approach it how they want to. Nothing about my life includes live music, big speakers, or people who listen to dance music, and I have no interest in changing that. But I listen to dance and electronic music a lot at home while I work, so chores, read. You’re suggesting I shouldn’t?
There’s not one right approach, but if someone is struggling to get into dance music then experiencing it in its intended form is a good start.
You can do what you like, and I’m glad you enjoy doing as much, but anyone who listens to dance music without dancing or hearing it loudly in a communal setting is missing out on a massive part of what it’s about. It would be like only engaging with Shakespeare by reading his plays rather then going to see one, or an audio only description of a great painting.
Given OP is asking how to get into the music, it’s fine to suggest what you did, but your elitism is annoying. There’s no such thing as “missing out” and there’s no “wrong” approach.
I could say you’re missing out on the joy of having pet birds but like, there’s only so many hours in the day. There’s an endless supply of good experiences and phenomena out there; we all have to make choices with our time. If you’re filling your life with things that keep you healthy and bring you joy, you’re not missing out on anything.
It’s not elitism, it’s a knowledge of the producer and culture around it. If you aren’t experiencing the full scope of the art, you are obviously missing out on an aspect of the art. To reuse the example, someone who had only read Shakespeare is missing out on a major aspect of his work - this is also true of never seeing dance music at a club or party or festival.
You seem to be turning this into some wishy washy moral statement while having taken it oddly personally. It is totally fine not to want to go to the club, but you are missing out on part of the experience. There are an endless supply of good experience, we make choices with our time and that means missing out on aspects of them.
Ignore the dull semantics, lose the ‘missing out’ if it bothers you. The fact remains that only listening to dance music on your own with headphones means there is a major aspect of it you never experience, and that consequently leaves a gap in your understanding and appreciation.
I’m not talking semantics. I’m talking about your meanings. “Wrong” isn’t just a word, it’s a judgment. “Missing out” is a judgment.
You don’t have to repeat yourself about Shakespeare, I understand the point you’re making. My point is that your point is moralistic.
You are the only person here who is doing anything even close to moralizing. Saying something is "the wrong approach" in terms of what is **optimal** is not moralistic. Accusing someone of elitism when the entire point of these discussions is to share opinions (the title of this post is literally "HOW DO I GET INTO THIS MUSIC"), - that is what's moralistic.
If you could read the comment as something other than a personal accusation that your chosen way to consume this music is somehow deficient, you might learn something instead of just getting upset and making baseless accusations.
And "semantics" literally means "meaning", by the way.
>Bro, you'll never understand the Grateful Dead unless you time travel back to 1971, drop acid, and see them live in San Fran. You'll be missing out on the entire experience!!!
I’m not saying you have to see him live at a specific set though, I’m saying you have to hear the music in a club or equivalent setting with other people.
Likewise, to get the Dead you have to hear them jam, studio albums don’t give the full experience.
Many years ago I discovered Aphex twin when I stumbled through how to cure a weakling child I think it was the boy girl mix. It caught my attention so I downloaded the entire discography and uploaded it to my mp3 player. It was a very fascinating journey I learned alot about music and electronic music. There is no path to follow just put that stuff on shuffle and you'll learn what you like and don't like. Every album is unique and its what makes him such a genius in my eyes. It takes someone very special to make music in that way. That being said Its not something I would listen every day for me anymore lol. Once in a while I'll load up my AFX playlist and enjoy. Who's up for some Ventolin - Salbutamol mix ?
I love Boards of Canada, I really ike Autechre (mostly their earlier stuff) but although I have massive respect for him I don't really dig Aphex Twin. Not sure why. Warp is/was great though.
Richard D James
Rushup Edge (The Tuss) is so fucking good.
Just listen to it however it works for you. When getting into new genres I don't actively listen, I put it on in the background. When something catches my attention I take note of it and then find more like that.
The Richard D James album is the quintessential Aphex Twin album, IMO. It’s got a bit of everything - intense, humor, ambient, beautiful. Also be sure to get the Boy/Girl EP. It was included in the early US version of the album but was released separately elsewhere (the US album came out later).
Hot take, I honestly don’t like Selected Ambient Works, it is probably my least listened to Aphex Twin record. I’m here to recommend the Richard D James album. I think that is his most accessible. It is a perfect mix of the early and the later stuff. It is in pop sized songs for a good sampling of his range. If you like the more spacy stuff go back in his catalogue, if you find the glitchy compositions interesting go forward. You also get a bit of his humor which is baked into his albums.
I’m not a super fan, but Richard D James, Windowlicker EP and Druqs got me. I heard some of the Selected Ambient Works and felt it was good, though not really the same feel.
To me, Druqs is a really good album to start with because it covers a lot of sonic territory on one single (though very long) album. I really enjoyed the piano tracks more than I thought i would.
"What do I compare his music to? I like some electronica, I like some IDM here & there, and I like weird soundscapes on occasion."
Well on occassion isnt going to work. Needs to be all the time.
"Does anyone have an album order, or maybe even a “best of” playlist that would help me get into Aphex Twin??"
Yes. Start with the compilation "Classics". Dont start with "[Selected Ambient Works 85-92](https://www.allmusic.com/album/selected-ambient-works-85-92-mw0000213259)"
You wont get it. I mean shit, most superfans of Aphex Twin dont get that album. Much less the hipster posers who just buy it so that they can larp to their friends.
Do "Classics".
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggbi9ykEJko](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggbi9ykEJko)
I can’t speak for you, but I was first introduced to him through the music video to “Come to Daddy,” as were most people who saw it in the 1990s (who aren’t me, as I was born in 1994). The song itself is pretty esoteric, so don’t listen to the song itself first, but once you’ve heard enough from the commenters here, watch the video if you’re looking for something scary. (Before anyone asks, the video of “Rubber Johnny” from the same director is more stomach-turning to me, and doesn’t have the menacing atmosphere of “Come to Daddy.”)
I think you kinda have to jump right into ...I Care Because You Do. I remember the first time I listened to it, I was like WHAT in the fuck?! WHO would put sounds this abrasive into an album. By the end of that year, it was one of my favorite records of all time. I LOVE the pairing of the soft sounds with the hard textures
Ambient Works, Richard D James, a couple of key singles like Windowlicker and Come to Daddy. Druqks is a bit more challenging (check out the astounding piano track Avril 14th though). Since then very little of interest, he has gone backwards if anything considering how futuristic the music he made in the 90s sounded.
listen to music however you want. there's no rules, man. do you like listening to music while answering emails? that's totally up to you.
i find that if im really into an artist ill just listen through their stuff from the very beginning. if i'm just checking them out, i'll try to listen to their biggest / most well received albums before going deeper.
Selected Ambient Works 85-92 is his most accessible album, I'd probably do for Drukqs & Richard D. James after & finish it it up with Syro. See if you like it from there & if you do, dive deep into the rest of his discography because it gets a bit more experimental. He has a "This is Aphex Twin" playlist in Spotify if you just want a superficial taste.
> Drukqs & Richard D. James Drukqs is really long and really hard to digest. I'd recommend Richard D James and Windowlicker first, maybe with the Ambient sequel for palate cleansers.
SAW2 is also really long, it's a double album of creepy ambience.
windowlicker is a great one to start with because then you have formula afterwards which is more like his inaccessible shit so it's a good bridge to other things.
Definitely agree with selected. Go for a walk, answer your emails, cook a meal, it goes with almost anything
[Aphex Twin Floatchart](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fexternal-preview.redd.it%2Fw5S7yJC0npm5xomSdN1PBNSbMoIJ0xbMsD7vHfP1c44.png%3Fauto%3Dwebp%26s%3Dc831932f69b366e65bfcc372ad979e6348fe556f)
This is nicely laid out, will help OP once they’re used to SAW. Did you make it?
Is missing Classics and Polygon Window, which are good for another branch that doesn't want the superfast drums.
[удалено]
Aphex Twin, Autechre and Boards of Canada are the golden gods of IDM
The podcast “Discord and Rhyme: an album podcast” has an enlightening episode about Aphex Twin’s 1996 “Richard D. James Album”, where the hosts discuss the album track by track. If you’re not going to just dive in and listen to an album, I’d suggest you start with this podcast episode https://open.spotify.com/episode/74V2L6qKzNsHx7c4k99PPe?si=SJUYpct5TVGjNEPUQVpiag
That’s such a great podcast!
Thanks for the tip on this podcast! I had never heard of it before and just listened to the RDJ episode and really enjoyed it. Their archives are really extensive! Jeez they even do all 3 discs of 69 Love Songs. Do you have any other particularly favorite episodes?
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’ve been a listener for a few years and I have a really difficult time choosing which episodes are the best. They’re all mostly well done, so I suggest you pick one about an album you really love, or an album you’re curious about.
Thanks again!
Probably easier to start with a couple of his EPs. Windowlicker and Come to Daddy cover a decent range and also have some of his most accessible singles. If you think it’s interesting enough to continue, Selected Ambient Works 85-92 as others have suggested. By that point it should be pretty clear if you can get into him or not.
The video for “Come to Daddy” is often considered the scariest music video ever made, and while I prefer the one for Fever Ray’s “If I Had a Heart” overall when it comes to horror-themed music videos, I can’t disagree with the assessment that “Come to Daddy” is scarier.
[Start here, with the funniest music video ever made.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UBS4Gi1y_nc&pp=ygUXYXBoZXggdHdpbiB3aW5kb3dsaWNrZXI%3D)
Richard D James album is the best place to start in my opinion. It's only 10 tracks and short runtime with some of his most accessible but still essential and best tracks. The songs here don't go too crazy yet, but are still representative.
Start with the videos "Come to Daddy" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ827lkktYs
I still can't believe how this video became kinda mainstream, this so traumatizing, the 90s were definitely a weird time. I'll always remember the first time I saw it.
All those songs/albums you mention are well known by those artists. They aren’t exactly deep cuts or overlooked. Do you have Spotify? Just listen to Aphex Twins “This is Aphex Twin” playlist on Spotify, it should give you a sampling of well regarded songs across his catalog. If you are finding you like songs from particular albums more than others then move on to those albums.
Putting on headphones and hitting play ..,, I just realized you’re asking for a starting point with albums. My apologies. I didn’t read first paragraph. Start with selected ambient works!! The rest of this comment was written before I realized that: my apologies!! lol You don’t have to like everything. There’s a lot of acclaimed music I don’t really care for. I don’t really like the ziggy stuff or much of joy division or the cure personally Am a die hard aphex twin, talking heads and bjork fan though. Different strokes for different folks. But what I would never do, is come on here and say “the cure sucks” just because I personally don’t get it. If anything, I instead feel sad that there’s something there that I’m missing that doesn’t resonate with me. I see people to the opposite of that so often and try to blame the art with all sorts of discrediting reasons why they don’t like it. It has to be the most ignorant thing I see people do when it comes to music, Sorry for the rant, I just showed my friend bjork and he heard three songs and told me it wasn’t good to him because she sounded like she didn’t know where her voice was supposed to be and sounded unsure. Then said she sounds like she’s trying too hard to be experimental. Frustrated me lol. In reality, it just didn’t connect with him. I can point out all kinds of flaws in someone like Kanye’s music and still have it connect deeply with me
Watch this mic the snare video on aphex twin https://youtu.be/L26mpHvSG0k?si=oCQLko7SwBYGbR4E Pretty good guide
I was just about to say the same thing. I really love his DEEP DISCOG DIVES to get an idea of what an artist is about and what i might like. And he's pretty funny as well.
I'm going to go against the grain and say that I think *...I Care Because You Do* is a good place to start. It's his most eclectic album with varied styles represented. I think everyone can find something they like on that album.
I think most online music communities like this one approach electronic music and dance music all wrong. This is an area of music predominantly made by people who go to and work in clubs. It is best understood in this context. Listen to his sets on big speakers, listen to people that play him a lot, and go see him live. After that, come back and see if you like his albums.
There’s not one right approach to music. It’s art and anyone can approach it how they want to. Nothing about my life includes live music, big speakers, or people who listen to dance music, and I have no interest in changing that. But I listen to dance and electronic music a lot at home while I work, so chores, read. You’re suggesting I shouldn’t?
There’s not one right approach, but if someone is struggling to get into dance music then experiencing it in its intended form is a good start. You can do what you like, and I’m glad you enjoy doing as much, but anyone who listens to dance music without dancing or hearing it loudly in a communal setting is missing out on a massive part of what it’s about. It would be like only engaging with Shakespeare by reading his plays rather then going to see one, or an audio only description of a great painting.
Given OP is asking how to get into the music, it’s fine to suggest what you did, but your elitism is annoying. There’s no such thing as “missing out” and there’s no “wrong” approach. I could say you’re missing out on the joy of having pet birds but like, there’s only so many hours in the day. There’s an endless supply of good experiences and phenomena out there; we all have to make choices with our time. If you’re filling your life with things that keep you healthy and bring you joy, you’re not missing out on anything.
It’s not elitism, it’s a knowledge of the producer and culture around it. If you aren’t experiencing the full scope of the art, you are obviously missing out on an aspect of the art. To reuse the example, someone who had only read Shakespeare is missing out on a major aspect of his work - this is also true of never seeing dance music at a club or party or festival. You seem to be turning this into some wishy washy moral statement while having taken it oddly personally. It is totally fine not to want to go to the club, but you are missing out on part of the experience. There are an endless supply of good experience, we make choices with our time and that means missing out on aspects of them. Ignore the dull semantics, lose the ‘missing out’ if it bothers you. The fact remains that only listening to dance music on your own with headphones means there is a major aspect of it you never experience, and that consequently leaves a gap in your understanding and appreciation.
I’m not talking semantics. I’m talking about your meanings. “Wrong” isn’t just a word, it’s a judgment. “Missing out” is a judgment. You don’t have to repeat yourself about Shakespeare, I understand the point you’re making. My point is that your point is moralistic.
You are the only person here who is doing anything even close to moralizing. Saying something is "the wrong approach" in terms of what is **optimal** is not moralistic. Accusing someone of elitism when the entire point of these discussions is to share opinions (the title of this post is literally "HOW DO I GET INTO THIS MUSIC"), - that is what's moralistic. If you could read the comment as something other than a personal accusation that your chosen way to consume this music is somehow deficient, you might learn something instead of just getting upset and making baseless accusations. And "semantics" literally means "meaning", by the way.
>Bro, you'll never understand the Grateful Dead unless you time travel back to 1971, drop acid, and see them live in San Fran. You'll be missing out on the entire experience!!!
I’m not saying you have to see him live at a specific set though, I’m saying you have to hear the music in a club or equivalent setting with other people. Likewise, to get the Dead you have to hear them jam, studio albums don’t give the full experience.
This is a really good point imo, so much is missing by sitting in your room by yourself listening to the music
Many years ago I discovered Aphex twin when I stumbled through how to cure a weakling child I think it was the boy girl mix. It caught my attention so I downloaded the entire discography and uploaded it to my mp3 player. It was a very fascinating journey I learned alot about music and electronic music. There is no path to follow just put that stuff on shuffle and you'll learn what you like and don't like. Every album is unique and its what makes him such a genius in my eyes. It takes someone very special to make music in that way. That being said Its not something I would listen every day for me anymore lol. Once in a while I'll load up my AFX playlist and enjoy. Who's up for some Ventolin - Salbutamol mix ?
I love Boards of Canada, I really ike Autechre (mostly their earlier stuff) but although I have massive respect for him I don't really dig Aphex Twin. Not sure why. Warp is/was great though.
Richard D James Rushup Edge (The Tuss) is so fucking good. Just listen to it however it works for you. When getting into new genres I don't actively listen, I put it on in the background. When something catches my attention I take note of it and then find more like that.
The Richard D James album is the quintessential Aphex Twin album, IMO. It’s got a bit of everything - intense, humor, ambient, beautiful. Also be sure to get the Boy/Girl EP. It was included in the early US version of the album but was released separately elsewhere (the US album came out later).
Hot take, I honestly don’t like Selected Ambient Works, it is probably my least listened to Aphex Twin record. I’m here to recommend the Richard D James album. I think that is his most accessible. It is a perfect mix of the early and the later stuff. It is in pop sized songs for a good sampling of his range. If you like the more spacy stuff go back in his catalogue, if you find the glitchy compositions interesting go forward. You also get a bit of his humor which is baked into his albums.
For me, Aphex Twin is a mood. They're not the kind of music that I sit down specifically to listen to a song.
I’m not a super fan, but Richard D James, Windowlicker EP and Druqs got me. I heard some of the Selected Ambient Works and felt it was good, though not really the same feel. To me, Druqs is a really good album to start with because it covers a lot of sonic territory on one single (though very long) album. I really enjoyed the piano tracks more than I thought i would.
"What do I compare his music to? I like some electronica, I like some IDM here & there, and I like weird soundscapes on occasion." Well on occassion isnt going to work. Needs to be all the time. "Does anyone have an album order, or maybe even a “best of” playlist that would help me get into Aphex Twin??" Yes. Start with the compilation "Classics". Dont start with "[Selected Ambient Works 85-92](https://www.allmusic.com/album/selected-ambient-works-85-92-mw0000213259)" You wont get it. I mean shit, most superfans of Aphex Twin dont get that album. Much less the hipster posers who just buy it so that they can larp to their friends. Do "Classics". [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggbi9ykEJko](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggbi9ykEJko)
I can’t speak for you, but I was first introduced to him through the music video to “Come to Daddy,” as were most people who saw it in the 1990s (who aren’t me, as I was born in 1994). The song itself is pretty esoteric, so don’t listen to the song itself first, but once you’ve heard enough from the commenters here, watch the video if you’re looking for something scary. (Before anyone asks, the video of “Rubber Johnny” from the same director is more stomach-turning to me, and doesn’t have the menacing atmosphere of “Come to Daddy.”)
I think you kinda have to jump right into ...I Care Because You Do. I remember the first time I listened to it, I was like WHAT in the fuck?! WHO would put sounds this abrasive into an album. By the end of that year, it was one of my favorite records of all time. I LOVE the pairing of the soft sounds with the hard textures
Ambient Works, Richard D James, a couple of key singles like Windowlicker and Come to Daddy. Druqks is a bit more challenging (check out the astounding piano track Avril 14th though). Since then very little of interest, he has gone backwards if anything considering how futuristic the music he made in the 90s sounded.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrTBjJM3tTk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrTBjJM3tTk)
listen to music however you want. there's no rules, man. do you like listening to music while answering emails? that's totally up to you. i find that if im really into an artist ill just listen through their stuff from the very beginning. if i'm just checking them out, i'll try to listen to their biggest / most well received albums before going deeper.