Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92 [2 LP, Black Vinyl]

Cornish electronic music producer Richard D. James introduced himself to the world with Selected Ambient Works 85-92, his debut studio album as Aphex Twin released November 9, 1992, via Apollo Records, a subsidiary of Belgian label R&S Records. The album collects ambient techno tracks James recorded on cassette beginning at age 13 or 14, with the earliest pieces dating back to 1985 using homemade equipment constructed from synthesizers and drum machines. This remastered edition on double black vinyl presents the 2013 remaster cut by Matt Colton at Alchemy from the original DAT tapes. The album entered the Dance Albums Chart at number six in December 1992 and has since been named the greatest album of the 1990s by Fact magazine, appearing on numerous best-of lists including Pitchfork's greatest IDM album of all time and the 2018 edition of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

The 13-track collection opens with "Xtal," featuring gentle breakbeats and delicate melodies that established James's signature sound of atmospheric texture layered over club rhythms. "Tha" delivers nine minutes of aquatic techno, while "Pulsewidth" captures airy rave energy and "Ageispolis" showcases heartbreaking composition. The brief "i" provides a minute-long interlude before "Green Calx" and "Heliosphan" continue the ambient techno journey. Side two opens with the seven-minute "We Are the Music Makers," followed by "Schottkey 7th Path," "Ptolemy," "Hedphelym," "Delphium," and the closing track "Actium." The album synthesizes elements from techno, house, hip-hop, hardcore, and ambient into what critics described as a somnambulist dreamscape that melted heavenly shoegaze melodies into slow-burn beats and ice-clear techno. The music differs significantly from Brian Eno's ambient work, paying homage instead to the refracted minimalism of Philip Glass and Karlheinz Stockhausen.

Pressed on two black vinyl LPs with lacquer cut by Matt Colton at Alchemy and pressed at MPO, this remastered edition captures enhanced clarity and separation across 74 minutes. The pressing comes housed in the original artwork featuring the iconic Aphex Twin logo designed by Paul Nicholson, with both records in plain black die-cut paper inner sleeves. The remaster maintains the album's characteristic heavy bass response while delivering crisp highs and excellent dynamics. With over 30,000 copies sold by June 1993 and continued influence on artists from Daft Punk to Boards of Canada, this vinyl edition preserves a landmark release that expanded the scope of ambient music and introduced techno to indie music audiences.

• Format: Black Vinyl 2 LP
• Standout tracks: "Xtal," "Tha," "Ageispolis"
• Pressing details: Remastered from original DAT tapes, lacquer cut by Matt Colton at Alchemy, pressed at MPO, plain black die-cut paper inner sleeves
• Genre/style: Ambient Techno, Intelligent Dance Music (IDM), Electronica, Experimental Electronic
• UPC: 5055274703046

This remastered double vinyl edition delivers one of electronic music's most influential albums with enhanced fidelity, capturing the ethereal beauty and innovative production that made Selected Ambient Works 85-92 a blueprint for 1990s electronica and beyond.

* The Spotify track list may not exactly represent the tracks and audio of this LP edition.

Track List:

Side A:

1. Xtal
2. Tha
3. Pulsewidth

Side B:

1. Ageispolis
2. I
3. Green Calx
4. Heliosphan

Side C:

1. We Are The Music Makers
2. Schottkey 7th Path
3. Ptolemy

Side D:

1. Hedphelym
2. Delphium
3. Actium