Aphex Twin - Richard D. James Album (1996)

4th album by Richard D. James under his most familiar moniker - presumably why it starts off the quite wonderful '4'.  As well as pushing the limits of his interest in jungle breakbeats skittering all over the place, this is a nice, compact little record bursting with melody, sweetness and freshness - the Pet Sounds of 90s UK electronica perhaps?  Certainly on the gorgeous plucked strings of Goon Gumpas and Girl/Boy Song.  A thoroughly satisfying way to spend 32 minutes - nothing outstays its welcome, and there's always tiny little details that grab you on repeated listens.

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Previously posted on SGTG: Surfing On Sine Waves

Polygon Window - Surfing On Sine Waves (1993)

Aphex Twin is probably the most well known vehicle for Richard D James (out of many over the years), but my favourite record of his is this 1992 recording.  The only full-length release under James' 'Polygon Window' moniker, this came out in early 1993 as the first (non-compilation) album in Warp Records' Artificial Intelligence series.

The album cover is I believe a sepia-toned beach in Cornwall (where Richard grew up), but might as well be from some alien planet when taken in conjunction with the music within.  Surfing On Sine Waves could easily be what you hear after touching down on an advanced civilisation in a far-flung galaxy and asking the inhabitants what passes for commericial dance music on their planet.  After all the twisting and turning beats and warped electronics, the final track is a goregous ambient drift that reveals James' debt to Eno.

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