Selected Ambient Works 85–92

Selected Ambient Works 85–92 is the debut album by Anglo-Irish electronic musician Richard D. James, released under the pseudonym of Aphex Twin. The 1992 LP, on the Belgian ambient label Apollo (an imprint of the more prominent R&S Records), was his third release. An analogue remaster was released in 2006, and a digital remaster in 2008. Selected Ambient Works 85–92 was appreciated for its minimalist and atmospheric nature and is considered by many music critics to be one of the greatest albums in ambient, IDM, and electronic music. It has since influenced several electronic artists and was followed by Selected Ambient Works Volume II. On the week ending 27 September 2014, the album entered at #30 in the UK Dance Albums Chart after the release of his 2014 album Syro.

Background

James was born in Limerick, Ireland and grew up in Lanner, Cornwall with two older sisters, in a "very happy" childhood during which they "were pretty much left to do what [they] wanted". He enjoyed living there, feeling apart from nearby cities and the rest of the world. James attended Redruth School in Redruth, Cornwall, and claimed to had won 50 pounds in a competition to make a program that produced sound on a Sinclair ZX81 (a machine with no sound hardware) at age 11. He subsequently created music using a ZX Spectrum and a sampler.

Aphex Twin

Richard David James (born 18 August 1971), best known by his alias Aphex Twin, is an English electronic musician and composer based in London. He is best known for his influential and idiosyncratic work in electronic music styles such as IDM and ambient techno in the 1990s, for which he won widespread critical acclaim. He is also the co-founder of Rephlex Records with Grant Wilson-Claridge.

Initially releasing acid and techno records as AFX and under other aliases, James's first received widespread acclaim for his 1992 album Selected Ambient Works 85-92 and his subsequent 1993 release Selected Ambient Works Volume II. He rose to mainstream popularity with his 1997 EP, Come To Daddy and his 1999 single "Windowlicker". Taking a 14-year hiatus following the release of his 2001 album Drukqs to mixed reviews, James returned in 2014 with a new album, Syro, earning him critical praise and a win for Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album.

History

Early years

James was born in Limerick, Ireland, but he grew up in Lanner, Cornwall, UK, with two older sisters, in a "very happy" childhood during which they "were pretty much left to do what [they] wanted". He enjoyed living there, feeling apart from nearby cities and the rest of the world. James attended Redruth School in Redruth, Cornwall, and claimed to have produced sound on a Sinclair ZX81 (a machine with no sound hardware) at age 11: