Analogue Bubblebath
EP by
The Aphex Twin
ReleasedSeptember 1991 (1991-09)[1][2]
Genre
Length19:53
LabelMighty Force
ProducerRichard D. James
Richard D. James chronology
Analogue Bubblebath
(1991)		 Analog Bubblebath Vol 2
(1991)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[9]

Analogue Bubblebath, also released as Aphex Twin ep, is the first record by musician and producer Richard D. James. The EP was released under his alias The Aphex Twin through Mighty Force Records in September 1991. It was the inaugural release for the label, which at the time was a record shop in Exeter.[1][2] The record was hugely influential on the development of electronic music, particularly techno and ambient techno. Its release has been described as a key event in the history of dance music. It is the first release in what became the Analogue Bubblebath series.

James previously had little inclination to release his music, though it had long circulated on tapes amongst his friends, and he would include his tracks in his set when DJing. His reluctance was eventually overcome while he was tripping on acid at a rave where he was performing, where he finally agreed to release the record.[10][11]

The title track was later described as "one of the most perfect tracks ever written" by the influential publication Mixmag,[12] and has often been called one of the best tracks in James' catalogue.[13][14] The initial pressing of 1000 copies sold out in less than a week; it was followed by further pressings of several thousand each.[10][15]

On release it was frequently played by London pirate radio stations and by the then newly-legal station Kiss FM. The record quickly gained James a cult following in the techno underground, and one of the early white label copies was heard by the head of R&S Records, leading to James' releases on that label.

Background

James had been making tapes of his music since his school days, which then circulated amongst his friends.[1][16] He also included tracks of his own music in his early DJ performances.[17][18][19] He has often said that he had little inclination in this period to release his music. James preferred to keep his music exclusively for playing at his performances, similar to the use of dubplates in sound system culture.[22]

Mark Darby, a free party organiser and rave promoter, opened the Mighty Force record shop in Exeter in January 1991.[2] Like many independent record shops, it became an unofficial place for musicians and DJs to hang out, and was a focal point for the rave scene in the south west.[2][23] James' friend Tom Middleton frequented the shop, and played Darby a C90 tape of James' music over the shop's sound system. Darby was eager to release music from it. He later commented: "I couldn’t believe it: it was like nothing I’d ever heard before."[10] James was very reluctant to release a record on Darby's fledgling label. Darby stated that it took "around three months" to convince James to release it.

The Academy in Plymouth. The agreement to release the record was made during a rave at the venue.

Darby had booked James to perform at a rave at the Academy in Plymouth. During the rave James started tripping on acid. While James was tripping backstage after his set, Darby and Middleton were able to convince James to release the record. Darby later said "I think if he had not done that trip that night there may have never been any Aphex Twin."[10] James has given a similar account: "they made me sign the contract when I was off my face. I was tripping and they're waving this money and a pen at me. It’s a bit clichéd but it's the way they got me to sign."[11]

The original record was mastered from the C90 tape onto a Betamax F1 tape. The initial pressing of one thousand (12" vinyl) records was distributed by Darby's friends, taking copies to record shops around London, and it quickly sold out. Further pressings of several thousand each followed soon after.[10]

Music

The music varies from Detroit-influenced ambient techno to intense acid and hardcore.[25] The track "Isopropophlex" uses samples from the arcade game Berzerk,[26] along with a flanged and filtered voice sample. The musician and producer Tom Middleton collaborated on "En Trance to Exit" under the pseudonym Schizophrenia.

Berlin DJ Ellen Allien called the track "Analogue Bubblebath" "a classic tune by the best electronic producer in the world."[27] The author and critic Simon Reynolds wrote of its "fluttery, diaphanous riff-pattern and hazy yet crystalline production".[6] James' friend and fellow producer Tom Middleton considers it as "like pure emotion in sound".[28] The influential publication Mixmag called it "one of the most perfect tracks ever written".[12] The Guardian described it as "one of those timeless tracks that convey incredible emotional depth" and noted that "it still stands as a gold standard for electronic music nearly 30 years after its initial release."[13] It has often been cited as one of the best compositions in James' extensive discography.[13][14]

Simon Reynolds observed that the rest of the EP "revealed that James was no slouch when it came to industrial-strength hardcore." In contrast to the ambient sound of the title track, the industrial, menacing sound of "Isopropophlex" was described as "astringent" and suggestive of "a nasty corrosive fluid".[6] Critic Ira Robbins, writing in 1997, referred to its "aggressively sequenced dance rhythms".[29] In an examination of James' work, The A.V. Club described the track as "restless, a pounding bass line fighting it out with synths that stab through the arrangement with purposeful malice."[5]

The tracks "Analogue Bubblebath" and "Isopropophlex" can also be found on the R&S Records compilation Classics. The EP was reissued by TVT Records in the US in 1994, on both CD and 12" vinyl format.

Impact

The record created a buzz in the UK about Aphex Twin, and on release won immediate acclaim, quickly earning the artist a cult following.[30][31][6] It was heavily played on the many pirate radio stations in London. It also had playlist support from influential London radio station Kiss FM, and was played frequently by DJ Colin Dale.[32][33][34] The original white label release found distribution in continental Europe. Renaat Vandepapeliere of the Belgian label R&S Records heard the record and then contacted James, which led to the releases James put out on that label in 1992.[35][36]

The record went on to be hugely influential. Its title track was described as a "redrawing of ambient techno aesthetics" by Rolling Stone.[3] The author Simon Reynolds said that its sound "announced a new... direction in techno".[6] The musician and Planet Mu founder Mike Paradinas said the record "was like a completely new English techno, completely inspired by his own influences."[37] The Guardian named its release one of the "key events in the history of dance music".[23]

Track listing

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Analogue Bubblebath"4:40
2."Isopropophlex"5:19
Side B
No.TitleLength
3."En Trance to Exit" (with Schizophrenia)4:22
4."AFX 2"5:25

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The Aphex Effect". Future Music. Bath: Future Publishing. April 1993. pp. 22–23. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2019. Alt URL
  2. 1 2 3 4 Darby, Mark. "Mark Darby / DJ". Alpha Radio. Archived from the original on 7 November 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The new Rolling Stone album guide (4th ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 21. ISBN 9780743201698.
  4. 1 2 Harrison, Andrew (June 1992). "Who is the Aphex Twin?". Select. London: EMAP. Archived from the original on 29 May 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 Fowle, Kyle (22 September 2014). "A beginner's guide to the many sounds of Aphex Twin". The A.V. Club. Chicago: Onion, Inc. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Reynolds, Simon (2013). Energy Flash : a Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture (2nd ed.). London: Faber & Faber. pp. 165–166. ISBN 9780571289141.
  7. ↑ [3][4][5][6]
  8. ↑ DiGravina, Tim. "Analogue Bubblebath - Aphex Twin". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  9. ↑ Cross, Charles R. (2004). "Aphex Twin". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 21. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Darby, Mark (13 March 2018). "The Mighty Force from the Bubblebath to Fog City!". Record Collector (Interview). London: Diamond Publishing Ltd. Archived from the original on 4 April 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  11. 1 2 3 James, Richard D. (May 1995). "True Lies". Mixmag (Interview). Interviewed by Marcus, Tony. London: EMAP. Archived from the original on 17 March 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021. Alt URL
  12. 1 2 Hinton, Patrick (3 August 2018). "9 killer tracks from 9 Aphex Twin aliases". Mixmag. Wasted Talent Ltd. Archived from the original on 23 April 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  13. 1 2 3 Dayal, Geeta (28 February 2019). "Aphex Twin's best songs – ranked!". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019. 1. AFX – Analogue Bubblebath (1991)
  14. 1 2 "The 50 best Aphex Twin tracks of all time". FACT Magazine. The Vinyl Factory Group. 14 April 2017. Archived from the original on 4 July 2018. Retrieved 15 November 2019. 01. The Aphex Twin 'Analogue Bubblebath' (Mighty Force, 1991)
  15. ↑ Darby, Mark (December 2002). "Mighty Force Records History" (Interview). WATMM.com. Archived from the original on 7 November 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  16. 1 2 Smith, Andrew (30 January 1993). "Double Exposure". Melody Maker. London: IPC Media. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  17. ↑ Sepulveda, Manuel; Middleton, Tom (9 February 2015). "'Mindphuqed by Rich!' – Digging into the Aphex Twin Archives". Boiler Room. London: Boiler Room (UK) Ltd. Archived from the original on 19 May 2017.
  18. 1 2 Snapes, Laura (13 September 2016). "The Wheal Thing: Aphex Twin's Alternative Cornish Language". The Quietus. London: Black Sky Thinking Ltd. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  19. ↑ Middleton, Tom (23 September 2014). "Tom Middleton on his Bedroom Studio Days with Aphex Twin". Big Shot Magazine (Interview). Interviewed by Ressler, Darren. Brooklyn. Archived from the original on 20 May 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  20. ↑ McCann, Ian (13 February 1993). "Twin Speaks". New Musical Express. London. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  21. ↑ Sherburne, Philip (5 May 2019). "Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works Volume II". Pitchfork. Chicago: Condé Nast. Archived from the original on 7 May 2019.
  22. ↑ [10][11][16][18][20][21]
  23. 1 2 Vine, Richard (14 June 2011). "A history of dance music: Aphex Twin's first single Bubblebath released by Mighty Force records". The Guardian. London: Guardian News & Media Ltd. Archived from the original on 24 April 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  24. ↑ Kirwan, Paul (October 1999). "The Record Buyer's Guide to The Aphex Twin" (PDF). Muzik. London: IPC Media. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 July 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  25. ↑ [3][4][5][6][24]
  26. ↑ Upton, Ed (5 June 2012). "Five Records: DMX Krew". FACT Magazine. The Vinyl Factory Group. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  27. ↑ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (4 April 2014). "Ellen Allien's favourite tracks". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Archived from the original on 3 April 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  28. ↑ Hobbs, Mary Anne (6 December 2005). "We Love Aphex". The Breezeblock. Event occurs at 39:48. BBC. BBC Radio 1. Archived from the original on 29 December 2008. Retrieved 15 November 2019. Alt URL
  29. ↑ Robbins, Ira (1997). "Aphex Twin". The Trouser Press guide to '90s rock : the all-new fifth edition of The Trouser Press record guide (5th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 46. ISBN 9780684814377.
  30. ↑ Strong, Martin (1998). The great rock discography (4th ed.). Edinburgh: Canongate. p. 23. ISBN 9780862418274.
  31. ↑ Barr, Tim (2000). Techno : the rough guide. London: Rough Guides Ltd. p. 13. ISBN 9781858284347.
  32. ↑ Turenne, Martin (1 April 2003). "Aphex Twin The Contrarian". Exclaim!. Toronto: Exclaim! Media. Archived from the original on 3 July 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  33. ↑ Wren, David; Jacobs, Daniel; Moyse, Scott (2003). "Aphex Twin". Rock : the rough guide (3rd ed.). London: Rough Guides. p. 35. ISBN 9781858284576.
  34. ↑ Aitken, Stuart (November 2003). "Rephlexology". Mad.co.uk. Centaur Communications. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  35. ↑ Fintoni, Laurent (12 February 2017). "Paul White salutes the world-building genius of Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works 85-92". Fact. London: Vinyl Factory Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  36. ↑ Acardipane, Marc (27 November 2014). "Das Vergessene Interview: Marc Acardipane Über Aphex Twin" [The Forgotten Interview: Marc Acardipane on Aphex Twin]. Faze Magazin (Interview) (in German). Interviewed by Schäfer, Sven. Wuppertal: FAZE Music & Verlags GmbH. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  37. ↑ Clay, Joe (28 April 2014). "Chewed Corners: Mike Paradinas' Favourite Records". The Quietus. Black Sky Thinking Ltd. Archived from the original on 26 August 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
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