Will he ever do anything in the style of On again?

  On 7/30/2016 at 10:53 PM, beerwolf said:

On is a 10/10 classic imo. I think perhaps after hearing Girl/Boy (and then the RDJ album) and Selected Ambient Works One this would of been near the top of the first tunes of Richard I heard (from the Come to Viddy VHS tape).

 

RDJ album + Selected Ambient Works One + Come to Daddy/Donkey Rhubarb/On (all in quick succession)  = Watmm Membership For Life

awww   

Tamclap is more AB5 or MFM feels, Start As You Mean To Go On (from ICBYD) might be interpreted as maybe a more hardcore version of On.

Sekonda (from the dump) possibly a more melancholic one.

I've never really liked "On". I'm giving it another chance right now. I'll return.

Wow, it's absolutely brilliant! It's so simple yet so effective. It's perfectly balanced in every way. It's just right.

  On 8/2/2016 at 12:07 AM, jejunum said:

Wow, it's absolutely brilliant! It's so simple yet so effective. It's perfectly balanced in every way. It's just right.

Right? the whole package is just incredible from head to toe. And those remixes too. There's something about the music, feeling and movement in the track that's just unlike anything else. I know there are many many serene moments in the rdj discography, like in SAW I and II, Alberto Basalm, a lot the the RDJ Album, etc, but On (original) as well as Pritchard/Middleton's Reload remix are just like the definition of serenity to me. Ahh, back when there were these organic and eclectic fusions of trance/electronica/techno/ambient that were just so open and pure. Reload / Global Communication was a major force in this sound as well.  

On is one of my favorite Aphex tracks, and the type of sound I think you're describing, Lane Visitor, is on of my favorite Aphex modes. Obviously, what's great about him is the breadth of work, from Analogue Bubblebath to Aisatsana and everything in between. 

There have always been scattered songs throughout the Aphex discography that sound like one-offs to me, absolutely brilliant tracks that he never really repeated -- Windowlicker comes to mind (tho maybe that's more a culmination of his CTD/RDJ album style). On is very special and always brings out the emotion. To answer your question, it seems unlikely that anything like On will be created again, but that just enhances its melancholy and beauty to me. 

  On 8/2/2016 at 4:23 AM, Business said:

On is one of my favorite Aphex tracks, and the type of sound I think you're describing, Lane Visitor, is on of my favorite Aphex modes. Obviously, what's great about him is the breadth of work, from Analogue Bubblebath to Aisatsana and everything in between. 

There have always been scattered songs throughout the Aphex discography that sound like one-offs to me, absolutely brilliant tracks that he never really repeated -- Windowlicker comes to mind (tho maybe that's more a culmination of his CTD/RDJ album style). On is very special and always brings out the emotion. To answer your question, it seems unlikely that anything like On will be created again, but that just enhances its melancholy and beauty to me. 

  On 8/2/2016 at 12:55 AM, Lane Visitor said:

 

  On 8/2/2016 at 12:07 AM, jejunum said:

Wow, it's absolutely brilliant! It's so simple yet so effective. It's perfectly balanced in every way. It's just right.

 

 

Right? the whole package is just incredible from head to toe. And those remixes too. There's something about the music, feeling and movement in the track that's just unlike anything else. I know there are many many serene moments in the rdj discography, like in SAW I and II, Alberto Basalm, a lot the the RDJ Album, etc, but On (original) as well as Pritchard/Middleton's Reload remix are just like the definition of serenity to me. Ahh, back when there were these organic and eclectic fusions of trance/electronica/techno/ambient that were just so open and pure. Reload / Global Communication was a major force in this sound as well.  

 

I regularly go back to the D-scape mix. Can never quite decide if it's the most evil and unsettling 10 minutes he's ever done or one of the most entrancingly seductive. The On and Ventolin EPs are all bananas. 

I wish there was a compilation version of On like there are Ventolin, and Come to Daddy, then I could add it to my 'almost Aphex albums' list.

  On 8/2/2016 at 10:51 PM, Jez Courtez said:

 

  On 8/2/2016 at 12:55 AM, Lane Visitor said:

 

  On 8/2/2016 at 12:07 AM, jejunum said:

Wow, it's absolutely brilliant! It's so simple yet so effective. It's perfectly balanced in every way. It's just right.

 

 

Right? the whole package is just incredible from head to toe. And those remixes too. There's something about the music, feeling and movement in the track that's just unlike anything else. I know there are many many serene moments in the rdj discography, like in SAW I and II, Alberto Basalm, a lot the the RDJ Album, etc, but On (original) as well as Pritchard/Middleton's Reload remix are just like the definition of serenity to me. Ahh, back when there were these organic and eclectic fusions of trance/electronica/techno/ambient that were just so open and pure. Reload / Global Communication was a major force in this sound as well.  

 

 

I regularly go back to the D-scape mix. Can never quite decide if it's the most evil and unsettling 10 minutes he's ever done or one of the most entrancingly seductive. The On and Ventolin EPs are all bananas. 

 

D-Scape is so mysterious and dark. And yes, the 10 min mark thing makes it even more maniacal. I feel like I'm in the movie Eyes Wide Shut, walking through that weird satanic elitist ritual thing they take part in with renaissance masks on. 

  On 8/2/2016 at 11:40 PM, purlieu said:

I wish there was a compilation version of On like there are Ventolin, and Come to Daddy, then I could add it to my 'almost Aphex albums' list.

that would be amazing! haha, yeah i know what you mean. i guess part of the charm is its short and sweetness, but yeah id kill for a full On LP. 

  On 7/30/2016 at 12:39 AM, Lane Visitor said:

I don't know guys, I don't hear anything ameture about On. Maybe youthful-spirited, innocent, playful, and a bit freeform/intuitive-sounding. But in terms of melody, production, arrangement, and mix, I think its expertly crafted, and there's more intention than maybe expected.

 

There is a sense of diy in SAW 85-92, On, and others from that era, but I don't think amateur is the word for that, I think it's just more raw and underground, and more focused on emotion and atmosphere first, and technicality second. 

 

I mean its all debatable and subject i guess.. like would you call James Ferraro's Far Side Virtual amateur? I wouldn't say so, i'd say that release is wonky and weird and of course, it's midi jams, so its intentionally awkward, but I'm sure that Ferraro intended for that. Whether Richard intended for On to sound raw and kind of DIY, is another question. Also, it was 93- electronic music production and mixing wasn't quite up to the standard of today it seems.

There's not much progression in On though, from what I remember? Isn't it just the same 16 bars over and over with instruments added or subtracted from time to time?

No.

^ Can someone mark this as best answer please?

I absolutely love On, but it's very simple, and doesn't require much music theory to compose.  It's pentatonic, specifically simply sticking to the black notes only.  Here's the main piano riff:

This naïve approach to making music doesn't make it any less beautiful, of course.  If anything, it's great news, that after not much learning, someone can make something this nice sounding.  The trickier part is making your own drum patches to sample, thinking laterally enough to play the kick at two different pitches, and overall putting such disparate sounds together.  (Samples of) orchestral instruments plus custom electronic patches are an underrated combination.  The delay helps, too, of course!

In short, if you want to hear more music like this, great, go and make it!  It's simple enough, and rewarding enough.  I'd love to hear what you come up with.

Yeah, it's all about using limited resources in creative and interesting ways. For every twenty generic acid jams you come out with, something that bit more off-kilter happens, and that's what's worth keeping.

I love On. I just put it back on rotation recently. Love the energy and unique vibe of it to this day.

  On 8/3/2016 at 11:02 AM, zazen said:

 

  On 7/30/2016 at 12:39 AM, Lane Visitor said:

I don't know guys, I don't hear anything ameture about On. Maybe youthful-spirited, innocent, playful, and a bit freeform/intuitive-sounding. But in terms of melody, production, arrangement, and mix, I think its expertly crafted, and there's more intention than maybe expected.

 

There is a sense of diy in SAW 85-92, On, and others from that era, but I don't think amateur is the word for that, I think it's just more raw and underground, and more focused on emotion and atmosphere first, and technicality second. 

 

I mean its all debatable and subject i guess.. like would you call James Ferraro's Far Side Virtual amateur? I wouldn't say so, i'd say that release is wonky and weird and of course, it's midi jams, so its intentionally awkward, but I'm sure that Ferraro intended for that. Whether Richard intended for On to sound raw and kind of DIY, is another question. Also, it was 93- electronic music production and mixing wasn't quite up to the standard of today it seems.

There's not much progression in On though, from what I remember? Isn't it just the same 16 bars over and over with instruments added or subtracted from time to time?

 

It's definitely simple, that's part of its allure. Progressive/complex =/= professional or seasoned. Some of the most incredible tracks imo are those with just a few elements repeating over and over with not many changes. 

I can see where you're coming from Lane but can't you enjoy On for what it is, and not need more new tracks kinda like it?

On is brilliant.  It was strange, because I'd heard "Start as You Mean to Go On" first, and for a long time, it felt like On was the remix, but now it just feels like a stone classic.  It's warm and friendly and wistful and abrasive.  It's a top ten all time for me.

I think On was the remix.  More accurately, I think Start As You Mean to Go On has live-tweaked drums, which he then sampled single hits of, and used those in On, including the kick played back at two different pitches (hmm, maybe just that... the snare seems to vary slightly throughout On, so probably isn't a sample, or at least not a single one).  I think most people probably prefer On though.  It's not exactly diminished by recycling sounds from a previous track.

Hmm, if he still didn't have a multitrack recorder at that point (did he ever get one?), it's probably the kick from 0:30 into Start As You Mean to Go On, as it's isolated then in the master track.  That's a curiously limiting way to remix your own material though, without the stems, if that's what he did...  That's not taking advantage of having access to the source material at all, remixing your own work the same way anyone else with a copy of the album can!

  On 8/4/2016 at 10:22 PM, Lane Visitor said:

It's definitely simple, that's part of its allure. Progressive/complex =/= professional or seasoned. Some of the most incredible tracks imo are those with just a few elements repeating over and over with not many changes.

Yeah I get that simple tracks are better sometimes. 'On' is quite nice but but it always gave me the vibe of 'the person that made this has some nice equipment and knows how to build mood but its a bit repetitive'. Really, a lot of his early stuff is like that. In the early days of electronica just knowing how to use the equipment and produce well gave you a big advantage. If you're looking for evidence of Rich's musical genius its better to look at the later stuff, from Richard D James album onwards, basically.

I think On was his first release on Warp and I think the production was much better than anything he had done before - really crisp.

I always preferred the Mu-Ziq mix of On and you could maybe argue that Mike P had a better grasp of musical progression than Rich at that stage.

His first Warp release was Surfing On Sine Waves, surely?

Interesting that you point out RDJ Album onwards as a starting point for his musical genius as that's actually the point my interest in him dips a bit, hah.

  On 8/8/2016 at 1:54 PM, purlieu said:

His first Warp release was Surfing On Sine Waves, surely?

 

Oh yeah thats true. I think On might be the first 'Aphex Twin' Warp release.

  On 8/8/2016 at 1:15 PM, zazen said:

I think On was his first release on Warp and I think the production was much better than anything he had done before - really crisp.

I always preferred the Mu-Ziq mix of On and you could maybe argue that Mike P had a better grasp of musical progression than Rich at that stage.Yeah I get that simple tracks are better sometimes. 'On' is quite nice but but it always gave me the vibe of 'the person that made this has some nice equipment and knows how to build mood but its a bit repetitive'. Really, a lot of his early stuff is like that. In the early days of electronica just knowing how to use the equipment and produce well gave you a big advantage. If you're looking for evidence of Rich's musical genius its better to look at the later stuff, from Richard D James album onwards, basically.

Totally.  I love 90s electronic music, but a lot of it comes off as being made by people who simply had access to the equipment and enough passion to use it, without any real knowledge of what they were doing.  Underworld had been around in other forms and were pretty up on music making.  Liam Howlett of the Prodigy knew at least a bit of music theory from his childhood piano lessons (if my memory serves, it's been a while since I read any biographies).  Orbital and Aphex Twin just had some synths and effects units, and enough passion to use them, without even knowing what is and isn't in key at first.  To a certain extent, they lucked their way into their careers through privilege.  Though later on, they both got a lot better, but again, that was only really possible because they were already making a living off of what they were doing, enabling them to dedicate all their time to the craft.  As much as I love their work, I really get the impression that you could have taken anyone with a passion for music making, given them the same equipment, and gotten different yet equally good work out of them.  Which is what happened to everyone once computers could emulate all the synths, and people stopped buying music from record labels as much, cutting out the middle people, and letting everyone make their own music in much the same manner.

Similarly, The Beatles and other bands of that era were popular in large part because they played the electric guitar shortly after it had been invented.  Had those specific bands not existed, others would have taken their place.  It applies to other fields too.  People like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs had the careers they did in large part because they had access to computers when most people didn't.  They were all good at what they did, sure, but they also grew up at a very specific time with access to very specific tools other people didn't have.

Perhaps one of the better examples is Yello, who you could cynically describe as the only band who could afford a Fairlight CMI when it first came out, giving them their unique hook.  (ZTT's roster soon following.)

Now that everyone has access to all this, of course, expensive analogue synths are becoming fashionable...

As far as the crisp production goes, this is probably shortly after Aphex Twin bought that DAT recorder...

  On 8/8/2016 at 1:00 PM, ZoeB said:

I think On was the remix.  More accurately, I think Start As You Mean to Go On has live-tweaked drums, which he then sampled single hits of, and used those in On, including the kick played back at two different pitches (hmm, maybe just that... the snare seems to vary slightly throughout On, so probably isn't a sample, or at least not a single one).  I think most people probably prefer On though.  It's not exactly diminished by recycling sounds from a previous track.

 

Hmm, if he still didn't have a multitrack recorder at that point (did he ever get one?), it's probably the kick from 0:30 into Start As You Mean to Go On, as it's isolated then in the master track.  That's a curiously limiting way to remix your own material though, without the stems, if that's what he did...  That's not taking advantage of having access to the source material at all, remixing your own work the same way anyone else with a copy of the album can!

Interesting!  My thinking at first was that Start As You Mean to Go On just used the same sample set as On with some LPF gymnastics over the top, but now I'll take a fresh listen to see if I can guess which one is the sample(or if they both are...).

So about the distortion on the samples.  I've not heard much quite like it, and I've read here and there that one of the 'tricks' used for the early 90s tracks was running "un-tracked" audio through the esp section of an ms-20.  I wonder if On/Start As You Mean to Go On(and/or the resonance/distortion in Ventolin) would be an example of this? 

  On 8/9/2016 at 8:41 PM, BaggerMcGuirk said:

Interesting!  My thinking at first was that Start As You Mean to Go On just used the same sample set as On with some LPF gymnastics over the top, but now I'll take a fresh listen to see if I can guess which one is the sample(or if they both are...).

 

So about the distortion on the samples.  I've not heard much quite like it, and I've read here and there that one of the 'tricks' used for the early 90s tracks was running "un-tracked" audio through the esp section of an ms-20.  I wonder if On/Start As You Mean to Go On(and/or the resonance/distortion in Ventolin) would be an example of this? 

Yes, it sounds like an MS-20 filter to me.  Or rather, not having used an MS-20 myself, it sounds like my A-106-1.  I assumed it was a simple custom MS-20 patch in Starts As You Mean to Go On, with live twiddling for variety, which was then sampled into On and played back at different rates.  Or, yes, it could be another sound simply fed into the filter, not generated in the MS-20 itself.  I wouldn't worry about it too much.  It's not the most pleasant sound, but that's not what that filter's for!  It's pretty easy to get nasty sounds out of it.  You don't have to be particularly exact with it.  It's more of an art than a science, you know?