Search - Polygon Window :: Surfing on Sine Waves

Better than the Aphex Twin "..I care because you do" and

Rinchen Choesang | Melbourne, Australia | 12/25/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Richard D James Album" releases for this 'punter'. It is almost worth 4 and 1/2 stars - as is the 'Selected Ambient Works 85-92' Aphex Twin album.



As far as standout tracks go:



1) 'Polygon Window' - is a great first track, pretty laid back for RDJ

2) 'Audax Powder' - has a great jaunty vibe and is equal to the best tracks on the Aphex Twin albums mentioned above

3) 'Quoth' - was a forerunner of the driven 'punchy, syncopated beats' style perfected by Autechre and seen elsewhere in the RDJ ouevre. Great track!

5) 'Supremacy II' - another Ae precursor, this track sizzles!

6) 'UT1-dot' - another jaunty romp, with a 'spacy' development

7) untitled - insistent and 'in your face', constantly seeming to build to an unconsummated climax, brilliantly dissolving into nothingness. One of my favourite RDJ tracks and like another reviewer said, by far the best on this album

8) 'Quixote' - more spacy, spooky and chilled out, a great foil to Track 7

10) 'Redruth School' - bright, bouncy and buoyant - beautiful!



For me, this album has an 'innocence' missing in much of the later RDJ ouevre. I find a lot of his music a bit too clever, bordering on pretentious at times. There is often is a lack of an emotional core for me, which is a pity, 'cos he has a prodigious talent! 'Sine Waves' is a highpoint in Richard D James' career, along with the 'Selected Ambient...' album mentioned above.



This is an excellent album and is well worth its modest cost!



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