Aphex Twin I Care Because You Do

My first Aphex album.

And the one I visit the least.

Not out of malice or dislike, but just I've always felt I've never quite grasped what he was really trying to do with this group of tracks. I've always had the sense that each "Aphex Twin" album has had some vague underlying concept, with his other monikers serving to put out other tracks that didn't always fit into his vision of what the oeuvre of Aphex should be. The SAW's and Drukqs are clearly driven by a simple concept, with RDJ and I Care Because You Do perhaps a little more oblique.

Perhaps because it was my first taste of Aphex (and pretty much of IDM) that I was never really interested in figuring out where it stood in the history of the genre, as I moved on quickly to absorbing as much of the music as I could after hearing ICBYD. (I stole a promo copy from my local radio station) So I never gave the tracks much thought other than just thinking this music was fucking awesome esp. Acrid, Ventolin, and Alberto sent my Weezer-adled brain into a tailspin. But now I'm interesting in trying to understand it more. To me it's more than just a collection of tracks that he was working on at that time that vaguely went together, but I've never been able to get really beyond "well most of the tracks sound melancholy and sad" I could be greatly romanticizing (or fanboi wanking) his album construction process and if so then tell me, but something about this album is too weird and great for it to be just some tracks he "had lying around." (Which I've always assumed was his way of romanticizing his "bohemian musician" facade)

thoughts on this enigma?

It seems like this album is strongly based on strings (Icct Hedral, the Waxen Pith, Next Heap With). This is in Richard's electro-classical phase imo, ending at the RDJ Album (Girl/Boy Song, etc.) and the Donkey Rhubarb EP. He was hinting at the stuff he'd do on Drukqs, which makes me believe that some Drukqs tracks (piano ones, definitely) were made around this time, but I have no proof to back that up.

/babble

lets wait a couple weeks for this eh?

  On 3/22/2010 at 6:21 AM, sneaksta303 said:

lets wait a couple weeks for this eh?

i think yeah, it really shows elements that his later work would use/follow

string work, more interesting layers to each track.

i'd be quite interested to know when the tracks were made, they sound quite varied.

  On 3/22/2010 at 9:42 AM, ieafs said:

  On 3/22/2010 at 9:22 AM, thief said:

string work, more interesting layers to each track.

i'd be quite interested to know when the tracks were made, they sound quite varied.

erm, the dates each track was made is on the back of the sleeve?

Wow, there is a back of it? Where can I turn around mp3s with Soulseek?

I think this was my first Aphex Twin album too, it could of been RdJ lp but I think it was I Care....

For me there are 5 classic tunes on this record, the rest of 'em I don't like at all. Mookid, Alberto Bassalm... amoung others I love very much.

What I learnt from this album and which stays true to this day is that all his releases have a time span of growning on me, then I will either love or hate each track in equal measure. With Aphex Twin there is no middle ground. It's either total brilliance or totaly awful.

  On 3/22/2010 at 3:31 PM, beerwolf said:

Alberto Bassalm

  On 3/22/2010 at 1:14 PM, HokusPoker said:

  On 3/22/2010 at 9:42 AM, ieafs said:

  On 3/22/2010 at 9:22 AM, thief said:

string work, more interesting layers to each track.

i'd be quite interested to know when the tracks were made, they sound quite varied.

erm, the dates each track was made is on the back of the sleeve?

 

Wow, there is a back of it? Where can I turn around mp3s with Soulseek?

lol

probably my favorite album. i think the idea is that the album is a self-portrait of richard. the cover art is a self portrait, and i think the music is part of it.

  On 3/22/2010 at 5:00 PM, jefferoo said:

  On 3/22/2010 at 3:31 PM, beerwolf said:

Alberto Bassalm

Balsaam? Basalm? Balsamm? LoL, Summat like that.

Start as you Mean....awesome stuff....i think this was the first album i ever listened to in full...Acrid Avid turned me onto it...beautiful opener.

No, there are no dates when each of the tracks were made - but, some date back to as far as 1992-3, but most were finalized in 1994.

Shortly afterwards, the tracks that would collectively become known as "Melodies from Mars" were the early experiments before the Richard D James album came to fruition. It's rumoured he created over 150 tracks before whittling it down to the ones that appeared on the final RDJA release and the Girl/Boy EP.

What's this, Joyrex?

May be a bit small, but I've seen bigger images of this before.

edit: found a larger pic

  On 3/22/2010 at 7:08 PM, Joyrex said:

It's rumoured he created over 150 tracks before whittling it down

oh my god......want

that would be cooly

My favourite AFX release.

Next Heap With is brilliant.

Aw, why was my picture of the ICBYD back cover taken down?

My image won't seem to post anymore, idk if that's a moderator thing or what but ieafs is right, there are years for each track on the back of the cover.

I hate your avatar, bubbha

me 2. scares the shit out of me.

  On 3/22/2010 at 9:42 AM, ieafs said:

  On 3/22/2010 at 9:22 AM, thief said:

string work, more interesting layers to each track.

i'd be quite interested to know when the tracks were made, they sound quite varied.

erm, the dates each track was made is on the back of the sleeve?

You are absolutely right Sad to say it shows how long it's been since I held the actual vinyl/cassette/cd in my hands and looked at the artwork... Damn MP3s!

  On 3/22/2010 at 8:32 PM, bubbhasdance said:

What's this, Joyrex?

 

May be a bit small, but I've seen bigger images of this before.

 

edit: found a larger pic

I don't think Discogs allows hotlinking, but you are right.

  On 3/23/2010 at 5:47 AM, ieafs said:

  On 3/22/2010 at 7:08 PM, Joyrex said:

No, there are no dates when each of the tracks were made - but, some date back to as far as 1992-3, but most were finalized in 1994.

 

Shortly afterwards, the tracks that would collectively become known as "Melodies from Mars" were the early experiments before the Richard D James album came to fruition. It's rumoured he created over 150 tracks before whittling it down to the ones that appeared on the final RDJA release and the Girl/Boy EP.

sorry what? there's dates for each track (90-94) on the back... it's pretty obvious listening anyway

 

and i like how people's offhand remarks get paraphrased into legend like this...

My apologies (see shameful reason above), and those "offhand remarks" were by Richard himself... so unless he's lying...

  On 3/25/2010 at 3:15 AM, ieafs said:

  On 3/24/2010 at 6:37 PM, Joyrex said:

  On 3/22/2010 at 9:42 AM, ieafs said:

  On 3/22/2010 at 9:22 AM, thief said:

string work, more interesting layers to each track.

i'd be quite interested to know when the tracks were made, they sound quite varied.

erm, the dates each track was made is on the back of the sleeve?

 

You are absolutely right Sad to say it shows how long it's been since I held the actual vinyl/cassette/cd in my hands and looked at the artwork... Damn MP3s!

 

  On 3/22/2010 at 8:32 PM, bubbhasdance said:

What's this, Joyrex?

 

May be a bit small, but I've seen bigger images of this before.

 

edit: found a larger pic

 

I don't think Discogs allows hotlinking, but you are right.

 

  On 3/23/2010 at 5:47 AM, ieafs said:

  On 3/22/2010 at 7:08 PM, Joyrex said:

No, there are no dates when each of the tracks were made - but, some date back to as far as 1992-3, but most were finalized in 1994.

 

Shortly afterwards, the tracks that would collectively become known as "Melodies from Mars" were the early experiments before the Richard D James album came to fruition. It's rumoured he created over 150 tracks before whittling it down to the ones that appeared on the final RDJA release and the Girl/Boy EP.

sorry what? there's dates for each track (90-94) on the back... it's pretty obvious listening anyway

 

and i like how people's offhand remarks get paraphrased into legend like this...

 

My apologies (see shameful reason above), and those "offhand remarks" were by Richard himself... so unless he's lying...

yeah i know... but it's just funny when something someone says qithout much thought one day in 1995 becomes this concrete truth... i don't doubt he had 150 tracks kicking around for ICBYD, but it's just funny that that number has become gospel when it was probably just an offhand estimate.

No, the 150 tracks was in reference to RDJA - he said it in a few interviews as well. Not surprised really, considering out of those we got Melodies from Mars, and there's also the Mind the Gap and Mr. Men stuff Mike P mentioned ages ago from that time period. I think that was also the time he started involving computers in his music making, so he was probably very prolific with new toys to play with.