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{{Redirect|SAW II|the film|Saw II}} |
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{{Infobox Album | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Albums --> |
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{{Use British English|date=March 2017}} |
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Name = Selected Ambient Works Volume II | |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2015}} |
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Type = [[Album]] | |
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{{Infobox album |
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Artist = [[Aphex Twin]] | |
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| name = Selected Ambient Works Volume II |
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Cover = Cover_colour.jpg | |
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| type = studio |
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| artist = [[Aphex Twin]] |
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| cover = Selected Ambient Works Volume II cover.jpg |
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| border = yes |
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| alt = |
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Label = [[Warp Records]]<br /><small>WARP021 {{flagicon|EU}}</small><br><br>[[Sire Records|Sire]]/[[Warner Bros. Records]]<br /><small>45482 (rest of world)</small>| |
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| released = {{Start date|1994|3|7|df=y}} |
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Producer = [[Aphex Twin|Richard D. James]] | |
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| genre = |
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Reviews = *[[Allmusic]] {{Rating|4|5}} [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:ahdfyl68xpnb~T1 link] |
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* [[Ambient music|Ambient]]<ref name="rs-guide"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-aphex-twin-2-15638-324639|title=Aphex Twin – 'Syro'|website=[[NME]]|date=18 September 2014|access-date=13 June 2020|last=Pattison|first=Louis|archive-date=13 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613084922/https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-aphex-twin-2-15638-324639|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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*[[Robert Christgau]] (B-) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=aphex+twin link] |
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* [[dark ambient]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://reverb.com/news/recreating-the-synths-of-aphex-twins-selected-ambient-works-ii|title=Recreating the Synths of Aphex Twin's "Selected Ambient Works II"|website=[[Reverb.com]]|date=7 March 2019|access-date=23 July 2019|last=Carr|first=Dan|archive-date=23 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723182409/https://reverb.com/news/recreating-the-synths-of-aphex-twins-selected-ambient-works-ii|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.factmag.com/2011/03/25/kevin-drumms-imperial-distortion-on-vinyl/amp/|title=Kevin Drumm's Imperial Distortion on vinyl|website=[[Fact (UK magazine)|Fact]]|date=25 March 2011|access-date=19 March 2018|archive-date=19 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180319214635/https://www.factmag.com/2011/03/25/kevin-drumms-imperial-distortion-on-vinyl/amp/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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*''[[Rolling Stone]]'' {{Rating|4|5}} [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/aphextwin/albums/album/122902/review/6067432/selected_ambient_works_volume_ii link] | |
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* [[Electronic music|electronic]]<ref name="rs-review" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Beta |first1=Andy |title=Richard D. James: 10 Essential Releases |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/9512-richard-d-james-10-essential-records/ |website=Pitchfork |date=29 September 2014 |access-date=26 October 2021 |archive-date=26 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026201214/https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/9512-richard-d-james-10-essential-records/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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Last album = ''[[On (EP)|On]]''<br />(1993) | |
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* [[Drone music|drone]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/225-drukqs/|title=Aphex Twin: Drukqs|website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|date=25 October 2001|access-date=20 September 2018|last=Seymour|first=Malcolm III|archive-date=18 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090318041833/http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/225-drukqs/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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This album = ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II''<br />(1994) | |
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* [[minimal music|minimalism]]<ref name="melodyreynolds">{{cite news |last1=Reynolds |first1=Simon |title=Ambient – The Buzzword of '93 |work=Melody Maker |date=Christmas 1993}}</ref> |
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Next album = ''[[Classics (Aphex Twin album)|Classics]]''<br />(1994) |}} |
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| length = {{Duration|m=156|s=42}} (CD)<br/>{{Duration|m=166|s=53}} (LP/MC) |
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| label = [[Warp (record label)|Warp]] |
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| producer = [[Aphex Twin|Richard D. James]] |
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| chronology = [[Aphex Twin|Richard D. James]] |
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| prev_title = [[On (EP)|On]] |
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| prev_year = 1993 |
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| next_title = [[GAK (EP)|GAK]] |
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| next_year = 1994 |
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| misc = {{Extra chronology |
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| artist = [[Aphex Twin]] album |
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| type = studio |
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| prev_title = [[Selected Ambient Works 85–92]] |
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| prev_year = 1992 |
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| title = Selected Ambient Works Volume II |
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| year = 1994 |
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| next_title = [[Classics (Aphex Twin album)|Classics]] |
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| next_year = 1995 |
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}} |
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}} |
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'''''Selected Ambient Works Volume II''''' (abbreviated as '''''SAW II''''')<ref name="Pitchfork33&1/3book" /> is the second studio album by [[Aphex Twin]], the pseudonym of the British electronic musician Richard D. James. It was released on 7{{nbsp}}March 1994 through [[Warp (record label)|Warp]]. Billed as a follow-up to James' debut ''[[Selected Ambient Works 85–92]]'', the album differs in sound by being largely beatless [[ambient music]]. James said that it was inspired by [[lucid dream]]ing, and likened the music to "standing in a [[power station]] on [[Lysergic acid diethylamide|acid]]."<ref name="DavidToop1">{{cite magazine|title=Lost in space|magazine=[[The Face (magazine)|The Face]]|publisher=[[EMAP]]|volume=2|issue=66|date=March 1994|last=Toop|first=David|author-link=David Toop}}</ref> |
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The album reached No. 11 on the [[UK Albums Chart]]. ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II'' had a mostly positive reception from critics on release and later placed on various best of the decade lists by publications such as ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'', and ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''.<ref name="rg2r">{{cite book|chapter=Aphex Twin|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ctjc6UWCm4C&pg=PP43|access-date=13 June 2020|last1=Wren|first1=David|last2=Jacobs|first2=Daniel|last3=Moyse|first3=Scott|title=The Rough Guide to Rock|editor-last=Buckley|editor-first=Peter|publisher=[[Rough Guides]]|year=2003|isbn=1-8435-3105-4|pages=35–36|archive-date=19 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221219231345/https://books.google.com/books?id=7ctjc6UWCm4C&pg=PP43|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Volume II'' is considered to be James' shift from [[ambient techno]] to darker ambient music. |
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'''''Selected Ambient Works Volume II''''' ('''''SAW2'''''), released in 1994, is an [[Ambient music|ambient]] [[double album]] by Richard D. James under his [[Aphex Twin]] [[moniker]]. It is a follow-up to 1992's ''[[Selected Ambient Works 85-92]]''. |
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In 2016 ''Pitchfork'' picked ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II'' as the second greatest ambient album of all time, after [[Brian Eno]]'s ''[[Ambient 1: Music for Airports]]''. |
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==History== |
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''Volume II'' differs significantly from the [[Selected Ambient Works 85-92|first volume in the series]], in that the first volume is mostly [[Beat (music)|beat]]-oriented, with complex instrumental [[rhythmic]] patterns and heavy [[bass (musical term)|bass]] frequencies. In contrast to the fast, club-inspired ambient music of its predecessor, ''Volume II'' consists of slow, moody pieces, performed much like ambient pioneer [[Brian Eno]]; e.g. "[lichen]" is reminiscent of Eno's ''[[Discreet Music]]''. Many of the tracks feature almost no percussion, and have strong [[synth]] textures. James said that the album is "like standing in a power station on [[LSD|acid]]." |
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== Background == |
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Richard D. James has stated in interviews that the sounds in this music were inspired by [[lucid dreaming|lucid dreams]], and that upon awaking, he would attempt to re-create the sounds and record them. He claimed that he has natural [[synesthesia|synaesthesia]], which contributed to this album. |
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===Composition=== |
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James stated that the sounds on ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II'' were inspired by [[lucid dream]]s, and that upon awaking, he would attempt to re-create the sounds and record them. He claimed to have natural [[synesthesia|synaesthesia]], which contributed to this album.<ref name="DavidToop1" /> James described the album as being "like standing in a power station on acid"; he continued that "if you just stand in the middle of a really massive one, you get a really weird presence and you've got that hum. You just feel electricity around you. That's totally dreamlike for me. It's just like a right strange dimension."<ref name="DavidToop1"/> |
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''Volume II'' differs significantly from ''Selected Ambient Works 85–92'', in that it consists of lengthy, textured [[ambient music|ambient]] compositions with sparing use of percussion and occasional vocal samples, in a vein ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' related to [[Brian Eno]]'s early ambient works and [[John Cage]]'s [[minimal music|minimalism]].<ref name="rs-guide"/> The album itself makes liberal use of [[Microtonal music|microtonal]] [[musical tuning]]s, which James was investing himself in at the time.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Philp |first1=Ray |title=New Aphex Twin song 'Korg Funk 5' surfaces in interview with ex-Korg engineer Tatsuya Takahashi|url=https://ra.co/news/39480 |access-date=10 April 2024 |work=Resident Advisor |date=11 July 2017 |language=en}}</ref> The 22nd track features a sample taken from an interview with a woman who had murdered her husband; the tape of the interview had been stolen from a police station by a friend of James' who worked there as a cleaner.<ref name="field recording">{{cite web|url=https://aphextwin.warp.net/release/68148-aphex-twin-selected-ambient-works-volume-ii|title=Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works Volume II|publisher=[[Warp (record label)|Warp]]|access-date=30 January 2018|last=James|first=Richard D.|author-link=Aphex Twin|archive-date=5 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190505054454/https://aphextwin.warp.net/release/68148-aphex-twin-selected-ambient-works-volume-ii|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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==Track listing== |
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[[Simon Reynolds]] commented that on ''Volume II'' James changed styles "from the idyllic, [[Erik Satie|Satie]]-esque naivete of early tracks like '[[Analogue Bubblebath]]' to clammy, foreboding sound-paintings."<ref name="artforum">{{cite magazine|title=Chill: The New Ambient|magazine=[[Artforum International]]|volume=33|issue=5|date=January 1995|last=Reynolds|first=Simon|author-link=Simon Reynolds|page=60|issn=1086-7058}}</ref> Reynolds stated that, along with other artists such as [[Seefeel]], [[David Toop]] and [[Max Eastley]], James had moved from "rave into the vicinity of "[[Dark ambient#Isolationism|isolationism]]", a term coined by [[Kevin Martin (British musician)|Kevin Martin]] to label music which "breaks with all of ambient's feel-good premises. Isolationism is ice-olationist, offering cold comfort. Instead of pseudopastoral peace, it evokes an uneasy silence: the uncanny calm before catastrophe, the deathly quiet of aftermath."<ref name="artforum" /> |
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===Artwork=== |
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The artwork for the album was designed by Paul Nicholson,<ref name= "art interview">{{cite web|url=https://www.residentadvisor.net/news.aspx?id=38637|title=Aphex Twin logo designer Paul Nicholson shows more unseen sketches|website=[[Resident Advisor]]|date=6 April 2017|access-date=14 April 2017|last=Coultate|first=Aaron|archive-date=15 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170415201552/https://www.residentadvisor.net/news.aspx?id=38637|url-status=live}}</ref> who was credited as Prototype 21 in the liner notes.<ref name="sleeve-vinyl">{{cite AV media notes|title=Selected Ambient Works Volume II|others=[[Aphex Twin]]|year=1994|publisher=[[Warp (record label)|Warp]]|id=WARPLP21LTD|last=James|first=Richard D.|author-link=Aphex Twin}}</ref> He stated in an interview with ''[[Resident Advisor]]'' that the images were taken by "Richard's girlfriend at the time, Sam" and that most of the photographs were taken in a flat that the three were all living in together.<ref name= "art interview" /> |
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The front cover is the result of James scratching the Aphex Twin logo onto the back of a leather travel case, which Sam took a picture of.<ref name= "art interview"/> Of the pie charts and size of the photographs in the artwork, Nicholson said that they were "related to the track signatures, how long they were."<ref name= "art interview"/> The timecodes of a track would be converted into a decimal, then into the percentage of the total length of the side of the record the track is on, and then into a degree to be used on the pie chart.<ref name= "art interview"/> All six pie charts were colour-coded, and those colours are used throughout the artwork, including the textless CD and vinyl labels.<ref name="pitchfork" /> |
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==Release== |
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''Volume II'' originally consisted of 25 [[song]]s, all untitled except for the song "Blue [[Calx]]." Every song matches with a specific [[photograph]] taken by James himself (except for a solid blue [[emblem]] representing the first track of the second CD, "Blue Calx"). The graphics are part of an [[encode]]d track-listing system that uses circles and [[pie diagram]]s—present in varying forms among the different releases—to represent each track (it may even be the case that the diagrams themselves are the actual track names). The lack of written titles for the tracks on this release provided impetus for fans of the album to come up with their own. Officially, however, the songs are still referred to by their track numbers. The most widely accepted track names are below: |
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''Selected Ambient Works Volume II'' was released through [[Warp (record label)|Warp]] on 7 March 1994 as a double [[compact disc|CD]], double [[Cassette tape|cassette]] and triple [[Phonograph record|LP]], and later on [[Music download|digital formats for download]].<ref name="allmusic" /><ref name=warp-release>{{cite web|url=http://warp.net/records/releases/aphex-twin/selected-ambient-works-volume-ii|title=Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works Volume II|publisher=[[Warp (record label)|Warp]]|access-date=7 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091118192738/http://warp.net/records/releases/aphex-twin/selected-ambient-works-volume-ii|archive-date=18 November 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> The album sold 9,336 copies in its first week of release<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musicweek.com/businessanalysis/read/alt-j-s-this-is-all-yours-secures-the-no-1-album-slot-on-30-947-sales/059709|title=Official Charts Analysis: alt-J's This Is All Yours secures No 1 album slot on 30,947 sales|website=[[Music Week]]|publisher=Intent Media|date=29 September 2014|access-date=29 September 2014|last=Pakinkis|first=Tom|url-access=subscription}}</ref> and entered the [[UK Albums Chart]] on 19 March 1994 at No.{{nbsp}}11, remaining on the chart for three weeks.<ref name="UKchart">{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/27567/aphex-twin/|title=Aphex Twin|publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|access-date=20 September 2018|archive-date=3 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403164659/http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/27567/aphex-twin/|url-status=live}}</ref> The CD pressings omit the 19th track for space reasons. [[Sire Records|Sire]] released the album on compact disc on 12 April 1994.<ref name=CMJmar94a>{{cite news|title=Progressive Retail|location=Great Neck, NY|editor-last=McLoughlin|editor-first=Megan|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/CMJ/IDX/CMJ-New-Music-Report-1994-03-21-IDX-21.pdf|work=[[CMJ#CMJ New Music Report|CMJ New Music Report]]|publisher=College Media Inc.|date=21 March 1994|access-date=4 September 2022|archive-date=4 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904214900/https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/CMJ/IDX/CMJ-New-Music-Report-1994-03-21-IDX-21.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> The US pressing omits the 4th and the 19th tracks.<ref name="allmusic"/> The album was re-issued on vinyl by 1972 Records on 6 March 2012, though the master was made from a US CD copy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/aphex_twins_selected_ambient_works_volume_ii_to_get_vinyl_reissue|title=Aphex Twin's 'Selected Ambient Works Volume II' to Get Vinyl Reissue|website=[[Exclaim!]]|date=13 January 2012|access-date=8 February 2016|last=Hughes|first=Josiah|archive-date=7 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307062335/http://exclaim.ca/music/article/aphex_twins_selected_ambient_works_volume_ii_to_get_vinyl_reissue|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2017 James added the album to his own web store, and included not only a 26th track, but made the 19th track available in a digital format for the first time since its inclusion on an ambient music CD compilation entitled ''Excursions in Ambience: The Third Dimension'', also released in 1994.<ref name="field recording"/> |
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By July 1994 it had sold over 60,000 copies outside the United States.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YAgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA131|title=Ambient Figureheads|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|volume=106|issue=30|date=23 July 1994|access-date=2 May 2018|last=Pride|first=Dominic|page=131|archive-date=13 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613230018/https://books.google.com/books?id=YAgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA131|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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{| cellspacing=2 |
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|- |
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! !! |
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!Duration !! CD !!/!!align=left|VINYL |
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|- |
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| 01 || [cliffs] |
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| 07:21 || 1-01 ||/|| A-1 |
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|- |
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| 02 || [radiator] |
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| 06:27 || 1-02 ||/|| A-2 |
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| 03 || [rhubarb] |
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| 07:44 || 1-03 ||/|| A-3 |
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|- |
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| 04 || [hankie] |
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| 04:31 || 1-04 ||/|| A-4 ''(Warp CD only, not the Sire edition)'' |
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|- |
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| 05 || [grass] |
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| 08:51 || 1-05 ||/|| B-1 |
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|- |
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| 06 || [mould] ''aka'' [mold]<!-- Brit spelling of 'mold' for Brit artist --> |
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| 03:27 || 1-06 ||/|| B-2 |
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|- |
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| 07 || [ropes] ''aka'' [curtains] |
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| 08:42 || 1-07 ||/|| B-3 |
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|- |
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| 08 || [blur] ''aka'' [circles] |
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| 05:02 || 1-08 ||/|| B-4 |
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|- |
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| 09 || [weathered stone] |
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| 06:45 || 1-09 ||/|| C-1 |
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|- |
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| 10 || [tree] |
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| 09:48 || 1-10 ||/|| C-2 |
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|- |
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| 11 || [domino] |
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| 07:09 || 1-11 ||/|| C-3 |
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|- |
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| 12 || [white blur 1] ''aka'' [steel plate] |
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| 02:37 || 1-12 ||/|| C-4 |
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|- |
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| 13 || Blue Calx |
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| 07:16 || 2-01 ||/|| D-1 |
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|- |
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| 14 || [parallel stripes] |
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| 07:55 || 2-02 ||/|| D-2 |
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| 15 || [shiny metal rods] ''aka'' [metal grating] |
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| 05:29 || 2-03 ||/|| D-3 |
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| 16 || [grey stripe] ''aka'' [windowsill]<!-- Brit spelling of 'gray' for Brit artist --> |
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| 04:38 || 2-04 ||/|| D-4 |
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|- |
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| 17 || [z twig] ''aka'' [b+w stripes] |
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| 02:01 || 2-05 ||/|| D-5 |
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|- |
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| 18 || [windowsill] ''aka'' [siding nails]<!-- Brit spelling of 'window sill' for Brit artist --> |
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| 07:13 || 2-06 ||/|| E-1 |
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|- |
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| 19 || [stone in focus] ''aka'' [wall-to-wall carpet] ''aka'' #19 |
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| 10:05 || - ||/|| E-2 ''(vinyl only — see Notes)'' |
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|- |
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| 20 || [hexagon] ''aka'' [corrugated tubing] |
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| 05:50 || 2-07 ||/|| E-3 |
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|- |
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| 21 || [lichen] |
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| 04:07 || 2-08 ||/|| E-4 |
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|- |
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| 22 || [spots] ''aka'' [leaves] |
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| 07:03 || 2-09 ||/|| F-1 |
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|- |
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| 23 || [tassels] |
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| 07:24 || 2-10 ||/|| F-2 |
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|- |
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| 24 || [white blur 2] ''aka'' [rusty metal] |
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| 11:21 || 2-11 ||/|| F-3 |
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|- |
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| 25 || [matchsticks] ''aka'' [b+w stripesII]<!-- Brit spelling of 'match sticks' for Brit artist --> |
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| 05:36 || 2-12 ||/|| F-4 |
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|} |
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== |
==Reception== |
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{{Music ratings |
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There were several editions of ''SAW2'' available for purchase. The most complete, with all 25 tracks, were the Limited Edition [[United Kingdom|UK]] vinyl, which was pressed on brown vinyl and limited to a press run of 10,000 copies, the regular black vinyl release, and the UK cassette edition, released simultaneously with the vinyl and CD. Both of these are out of print. The second most complete version is the Warp Records (UK) CD release, which has every track except for "[stone in focus]", omitted due to the capacity limit of the CD format. The third most complete version is the Sire Records (US) CD release, which ''also'' omits "[hankie]". The only hard-copy digital form of "[stone in focus]" can be found on the [[Astralwerks]] compilation ''[[Excursions In Ambience: The Third Dimension]]''. On this compilation, it has been given the name "#19" and appears as track number 10. [http://www.discogs.com/release/59922] |
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| rev1 = ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' |
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| rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|4}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4227873.html|title=Compilations Of Music To Rave By|newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|date=8 May 1994|access-date=16 October 2016|last=DeRogatis|first=Jim|author-link=Jim DeRogatis|url-access=subscription|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228191858/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4227873.html|archive-date=28 February 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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| rev2 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' |
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| rev2score = C<ref name="ew">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/article/1994/04/15/selected-ambient-works-volume-ii|title=Selected Ambient Works Volume II|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=15 April 1994|access-date=7 February 2016|last=Aaron|first=Charles|author-link=Charles Aaron|archive-date=18 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118190252/https://ew.com/article/1994/04/15/selected-ambient-works-volume-ii/|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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| rev3 = ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' |
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| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works Vol. II|magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]]|issue=365|date=November 2016|page=100}}</ref> |
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| rev4 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' |
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| rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="rs-review">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/aphextwin/albums/album/122902/review/6067432/selected_ambient_works_volume_ii|title=Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works Volume II|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=30 June 1994|access-date=7 February 2016|last=Wiederhorn|first=Jon|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080222163323/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/aphextwin/albums/album/122902/review/6067432/selected_ambient_works_volume_ii|archive-date=22 February 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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| rev5 = ''[[Select (magazine)|Select]]'' |
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| rev5score = 4/5<ref name="select review">{{cite magazine|title=Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works Volume II|magazine=[[Select (magazine)|Select]]|issue=46|date=April 1994|last=Collis|first=Clark|page=89}}</ref> |
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| rev6 = ''[[The Village Voice]]'' |
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| rev6score = B−<ref name="christgau">{{cite news|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv594-94.php|title=Consumer Guide|newspaper=[[The Village Voice]]|date=31 May 1994|access-date=13 February 2016|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|archive-date=25 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125100026/http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv594-94.php|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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}} |
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''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' gave the album a positive review, with critic [[Simon Reynolds]] stating that the album has "plenty of the shimmeringly euphoric and majestically melancholy tunes that have won James so many devout fans," but that it "will leave you not so much blissed as spooked out."<ref name="spin-review">{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-GJOt0bM2-YC&pg=RA1-PA74|title=Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works Part II|magazine=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|volume=9|issue=12|date=March 1994|access-date=13 June 2020|last=Reynolds|first=Simon|author-link=Simon Reynolds|editor-last=Marks|editor-first=Craig|page=74|issn=0886-3032|archive-date=23 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423053921/https://books.google.com/books?id=-GJOt0bM2-YC&pg=RA1-PA74|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s Jon Wiederhorn stated that "While many of his disciples have done little more than propel [[New-age music|New Age]] atmospheres into the computer age, producing comforting but often emotionless [[elevator music]], James has used the medium to confront his shadowy demons, exploring realms of spooky, textured sound."<ref name="rs-review" /> He concluded that the album "provides a visionary perspective on ambient electronic music."<ref name="rs-review" /> Clark Collis of ''[[Select (magazine)|Select]]'' stated that "Anyone who thinks they know what to expect on the basis of 'Volume I' might care to sit down, have a nice cup of tea and prepare themselves for a shock."<ref name="select review" /> Collis noted the album was not successful "as a conventional dance record", but "as an album to wallow in at 5am while watching the wallpaper conduct a heated argument with the lightshade, it is indeed the knees of the bee."<ref name="select review" /> |
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Other reviews were less favourable. [[Robert Christgau]], writing in ''[[The Village Voice]]'', critiqued positive reviews of the album by fellow critics Frank Owen, Simon Reynolds, and [[J. D. Considine]], contending that "James is rarely as rich as good [[Brian Eno|[Brian] Eno]], not to mention good Eno-[[Jon Hassell|Hassell]] or Eno-[[Harold Budd|Budd]]", and that "these experiments are considerably thinner ("purer," Owen wishes) and more static ("pulse dreamily," Considine dreams) than the overpriced juvenilia on the import-only Volume I."<ref name="christgau" /> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' critic [[Charles Aaron]] wrote that "At its best [the album] is an avant-garde score in search of a postapocalyptic theater piece, à la [[Philip Glass]]. More often, it's chamber music for humorless cyber-nerds".<ref name="ew" /> |
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The names for the tracks listed, as aforementioned, are interpretations of the photographs on the labels for the [[vinyl]] copies and inlay for the double [[compact disc|CD]] release. On the Sire Records (US) editions, various photos were altered, either by showing unblurred photographs or by changing the image altogether. The image representing "[stone in focus]" was removed entirely on the US version, leaving behind an empty white box. The image for "Blue Calx", it being the only explicitly named track, is a blue box that reads "Blue Calx". |
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===Retrospective views=== |
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"Blue Calx" originally appeared on the [[Applied Rhythmic Technology]] compilation album ''[[The Philosophy Of Sound And Machine]]'' under the artist name Blue Calx, which was released in cooperation with [[Rephlex Records]]. |
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{{Music ratings |
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| subtitle = Retrospective reviews |
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| rev1 = [[AllMusic]] |
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| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/selected-ambient-works-vol-2-mw0000111038|title=''Selected Ambient Works, Vol. 2'' – Aphex Twin|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=7 February 2016|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|archive-date=17 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220117100224/https://www.allmusic.com/album/selected-ambient-works-vol-2-mw0000111038|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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| rev2 = ''[[The Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]'' |
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| rev2score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite book |title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Encyclopedia of Popular Music]] |last=Larkin |first=Colin |author-link=Colin Larkin (writer) |location=London |publisher=[[Omnibus Press]] |edition=5th concise |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-85712-595-8 |chapter=Aphex Twin}}</ref> |
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| rev3 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' |
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| rev3score = 10/10<ref name="pitchfork">{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/aphex-twin-selected-ambient-works-volume-ii/|title=Aphex Twin: ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II''|website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|date=5 May 2019|access-date=5 May 2019|last=Sherburne|first=Philip|author-link=Philip Sherburne|archive-date=7 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190507063754/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/aphex-twin-selected-ambient-works-volume-ii/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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| rev4 = ''[[Resident Advisor]]'' |
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| rev4score = 5/5<ref name="ra">{{cite web|url=https://www.residentadvisor.net/reviews/23648|title=Rewind: Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works Volume II|website=[[Resident Advisor]]|date=7 March 2019|access-date=7 March 2019|last=Hawthorn|first=Carlos|archive-date=7 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107231308/https://www.residentadvisor.net/reviews/23648|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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| rev5 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]'' |
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| rev5score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="rs-guide">{{cite book|chapter=Aphex Twin|last=Frere-Jones|first=Sasha|author-link=Sasha Frere-Jones|title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide|title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide|editor1-last=Brackett|editor1-first=Nathan|editor2-last=Hoard|editor2-first=Christian|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|edition=4th|year=2004|isbn=0-7432-0169-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/21 21–23]}}</ref> |
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| rev6 = ''[[Spin Alternative Record Guide]]'' |
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| rev6score = 8/10<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Aphex Twin |last=Reynolds |first=Simon |author-link=Simon Reynolds |title=[[Spin Alternative Record Guide]] |editor1-last=Weisbard |editor1-first=Eric |editor2-last=Marks |editor2-first=Craig |location=New York City |publisher=[[Vintage Books]] |year=1995 |isbn=0-679-75574-8 |pages=15–16}}</ref> |
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}} |
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At the end of the decade ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II'' was included on several publications' lists of top albums of the 1990s, including ''Rolling Stone'' and ''Spin''.<ref name="spins90slist" /><ref name="rs-1990s" /> Polls conducted in 1996 and 2001 by [[Hyperreal.org]] placed the record as the first and second respectively of all-time ambient records.<ref>{{cite web |last=Renick |first=Kevin|date=January 2002 |title=Classic Ambient Recordings: The 2001 Survey|url=http://music.hyperreal.org/epsilon/info/2001_classic_ambient.html|archive-date=3 Feb 2011|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203001010/http://music.hyperreal.org/epsilon/info/2001_classic_ambient.html|website=Epsilon |publisher=[[Hyperreal.org|Hyperreal]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Roy |first=Darryl Stephen|date=1 September 1996 |title=Ambient Albums|url=http://music.hyperreal.org/epsilon/info/1996_recommended_ambient.html|archive-date=30 June 2010|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100630084328/http://music.hyperreal.org/epsilon/info/1996_recommended_ambient.html |website=Epsilon |publisher=[[Hyperreal.org|Hyperreal]]}}</ref> Commenting on the audience's reaction of the album in 1999, Simon Reynolds stated that "many in the Aphex cult were thrown for a loop" and that "Aphex aficionados remain divided" on the album.<ref name="spins90slist">{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bGjsvmNt8UgC&pg=PA148|title=The Greatest Albums of the '90s — 56. Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works 85–92 / Selected Ambient Works Volume II|magazine=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|volume=15|issue=9|date=September 1999|access-date=13 June 2020|last=Reynolds|first=Simon|page=148|issn=0886-3032|archive-date=19 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221219231435/https://books.google.com/books?id=bGjsvmNt8UgC&pg=PA148|url-status=live}}</ref> David Fricke, Rob Sheffield, and Ann Powers of ''Rolling Stone'' stated the album was James creating "an enriched, wraparound style of burp-and-whoosh programming, the perfect soundtrack for pulling the pieces of your brain back together after spilling them all over the club floor. The first dance album to celebrate the rhythms in your head."<ref name="rs-1990s">{{cite magazine|title=Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works, Volume II|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|issue=812|date=13 May 1999|last1=Sheffield|first1=Rob|author-link1=Rob Sheffield|last2=Powers|first2=Ann|author-link2=Ann Powers|last3=Fricke|first3=David|author-link3=David Fricke|page=79|issn=0035-791X}}</ref> ''Spin'' placed both ''[[Selected Ambient Works 85–92]]'' and ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II'' at number 56 on its list of the top albums of the 1990s, calling it "an awe-inspiring feat of avant-techno texturology".<ref name="spins90slist" /> Alex Linhardt of online music magazine ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' placed the album at number 62 on its list of top albums of the 1990s, stating that it "spurred on one of the great trajectories of pop music in the 1990s, influencing everyone from [[Radiohead]] to [[Timbaland]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/5923-top-100-albums-of-the-1990s/4/|title=Top 100 Albums of the 1990s|website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|date=17 November 2003|access-date=8 February 2016|last=Linhardt|first=Alex|archive-date=24 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324114606/https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/5923-top-100-albums-of-the-1990s/?page=4|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was later ranked the album second on the website's 2016 list of the best [[ambient music]] albums of all time, after [[Brian Eno]]'s ''[[Ambient 1: Music for Airports]]'' by Phillip Sherburne.<ref name="Best">{{cite web |last=Sherburne |first=Phillip |title=The 50 Best Ambient Albums of All Time |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/9948-the-50-best-ambient-albums-of-all-time/?page=5 |website=Pitchfork |date=26 September 2016 |access-date=21 April 2023 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920044343/https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/9948-the-50-best-ambient-albums-of-all-time/?page=5 |url-status=live }}</ref> Giving added historical context of ''Volume II'' initially confusing some listeners expecting a techno LP based on its name, Carlos Hawthorn of ''[[Resident Advisor]]'' gave the album a 5/5 for its 25th anniversary, stating that it brought "atmospheres to life with intensely vivid sonic textures" and "[as] artists and fans alike, we all owe something to this strange masterpiece."<ref name="ra"/> |
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===Legacy and influence=== |
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The front cover for this album features the textual Aphex Twin logo that was used on the earlier ''[[Xylem Tube EP]]'', albeit in a broken, incomplete form. |
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Mark Richardson of ''Pitchfork'' noted that ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II'' was "a very early example of a record being anticipated, experienced, and, ultimately, analyzed in minute detail through online communication."<ref name="saw-book">{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/features/paper-trail/9388-aphex-twins-selected-ambient-works-volume-ii/|title=Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works Volume II|website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|date=25 April 2014|access-date=8 February 2016|last=Richardson|first=Mark|archive-date=9 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160209044042/http://pitchfork.com/features/paper-trail/9388-aphex-twins-selected-ambient-works-volume-ii/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Pitchfork'' noted that the [[Electronic mailing list]] titled IDM ([[Intelligent dance music]]) had a profound influence on how the album would be received in the future, noting that the community's influence has to do with the album's mysterious non-titles.<ref name="saw-book" /> List member Greg Eden, who kept a detailed discography, gave the tracks names based on a word or two that related to the corresponding images.<ref name="saw-book" /> Eden would later work for Warp, the original label that released ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II''.<ref name="saw-book" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://warp.net/news/words-about-body-riddle-by-greg-eden/|title=Words About Body Riddle|publisher=[[Warp (record label)|Warp]]|date=16 December 2008|access-date=8 February 2016|last=Eden|first=Greg|archive-date=20 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920105605/http://warp.net/news/words-about-body-riddle-by-greg-eden/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Simon Reynolds noted that the album signaled a shift in [[techno]] and ambient music toward a darker sound reminiscent of [[Brian Eno]]'s notion of "environmental music".<ref name=Reynolds-Energy-Flash>{{cite book|title=Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture|last=Reynolds|first=Simon|author-link=Simon Reynolds|publisher=Soft Skull Press|year=2012|isbn=978-1-5937-6407-4|page=178}}</ref> |
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== Remixes == |
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A book written by [[Marc Weidenbaum]] (a music journalist and former editor of [[Tower Records (music retailer)|Tower Records]]'s in-store magazine ''[[Pulse! (magazine)|Pulse!]]'') about the album was released in the [[33⅓]] series on 13 February 2013.<ref name="saw-book" /><ref name="dummy" /> The series are short books inspired by or focused on albums and are generally written as longform essays.<ref name="dummy">{{cite web|url=http://www.dummymag.com/news/kanye-west-bjork-j-dilla-and-more-to-be-featured-in-upcoming-33-book-series|title=Kanye West, Bjork, J Dilla and more to be featured in a 33⅓ book series|website=Dummy|date=26 July 2013|access-date=8 February 2016|archive-date=15 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315122647/http://www.dummymag.com/news/kanye-west-bjork-j-dilla-and-more-to-be-featured-in-upcoming-33-book-series|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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* ''SAW2 CD1 TRK2 (Original Mix)'' (aka "[radiator]"), available on the compilation album ''[[26 Mixes for Cash]]''. Originally recorded for Richard's [[John Peel|Peel Session]] in 1995. |
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==Track listing== |
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* ''SAW2 CD1 TRK7'' (aka "[curtains]" aka "[ropes]"), jointly remixed with [[LFO (band)|LFO]]'s ''Simon from Sidney'', remixed by [[Pram (band)|Pram]] for the [[Warp Records|Warp]] 10th anniversary compilation ''[[Warp 10: Influences, Classics, Remixes|10+3 Remixes]]''. |
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None of the tracks are given titles on the original release of the album, with each track instead represented by a photograph in the album's artwork. The titles on digital releases of the album simply number the songs from 1–24, with the track commonly known as "Stone in Focus", the 19th track, skipped over as it was not available on CD releases.<ref>{{cite web |title=Selected Ambient Works, Vol. II |url=https://open.spotify.com/album/1EHmRVzsyd1KRifjOY79gH?go=1&sp_cid=59ec9c8ac83063ffab1afa1bf398b23b&utm_source=embed_player_p&utm_medium=desktop |publisher=Spotify |access-date=21 March 2024 }}</ref> The track "Blue Calx" was released prior to the album on the compilation [i]The Philosophy of Sound and Machine[/i], from which the name is taken. Unofficial titles based on the photographs were popularised by Greg Eden, and are indicated below.<ref name="Pitchfork33&1/3book">{{cite web |last=Richardson |first=Mark |title=Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works Volume II |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/paper-trail/9388-aphex-twins-selected-ambient-works-volume-ii/ |access-date=21 March 2024 |work=Pitchfork |date=25 April 2014 |archive-date=28 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240128233255/https://pitchfork.com/features/paper-trail/9388-aphex-twins-selected-ambient-works-volume-ii/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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The 2017 bonus track "th1 [evnslower]" is known from its digital release and "Radiator" was officially named as such on Warp's ''Peel Session 2''.<ref name="33&1/3">{{cite book |last1=Weidenbaum |first1=Marc |title=Selected Ambient Works Volume II |date=2014 |series=[[33⅓]] |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]] |location=London/New York |isbn=9781623567637 |pages=67–71 |url=https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/aphex-twins-selected-ambient-works-volume-ii-9781623568900/ |access-date=30 May 2022 |archive-date=30 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220530152039/https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/aphex-twins-selected-ambient-works-volume-ii-9781623568900/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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* ''SAW2 CD1 TRK1'' (aka "[cliffs]"), remixed by [[Four Tet]] for the [[Warp Records|Warp]] 10th anniversary compilation ''10+3 Remixes''. |
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'''CD pressings{{efn|Omits track #19, "Stone in Focus", due to the capacity limit of the CD format.}}''' |
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* ''SAW2 CD1 TRK1'' (aka "[cliffs]"), ''SAW2 CD1 TRK3'' (aka "[rhubarb]"), ''SAW2 CD2 TRK5'' (aka "[z twig]") and ''SAW CD2 TRK8'' (aka "[lichen]") remixed by [[Wisp (musician)|Wisp]] on "Selected Ambient Works 2: Reworked", released April 30th 2004 on TavCOM Records. |
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{{Track listing |
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| headline = Disc one |
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| all_writing = Richard D. James.<ref name="sleeve-vinyl"/> |
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| title1 = Cliffs |
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| length1 = 7:27 |
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| title2 = Radiator |
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| length2 = 6:34 |
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| title3 = Rhubarb |
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| length3 = 7:44 |
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| title4 = Hankie |
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| note4 = {{efn|Track #4 is omitted from US CD and vinyl pressings.}} |
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| length4 = 4:39 |
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| title5 = Grass |
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| length5 = 8:55 |
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| title6 = Mould |
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| length6 = 3:31 |
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| title7 = Curtains |
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| length7 = 8:51 |
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| title8 = Blur |
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| length8 = 5:08 |
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| title9 = Weathered Stone |
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| length9 = 6:54 |
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| title10 = Tree |
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| length10 = 9:58 |
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| title11 = Domino |
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| length11 = 7:18 |
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| title12 = White Blur 1 |
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| length12 = 2:43 |
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| total_length = 79:42 |
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}} |
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{{Track listing |
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| headline = Disc two |
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| title1 = Blue Calx |
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| length1 = 7:20 |
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| title2 = Parallel Stripes |
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| length2 = 8:00 |
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| title3 = Shiny Metal Rods |
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| length3 = 5:33 |
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| title4 = Grey Stripe |
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| length4 = 4:45 |
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| title5 = Z Twig |
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| length5 = 2:05 |
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| title6 = Windowsill |
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| length6 = 7:16 |
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| title7 = Hexagon |
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| length7 = 5:58 |
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| title8 = Lichen |
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| length8 = 4:15 |
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| title9 = Spots |
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| length9 = 7:10 |
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| title10 = Tassels |
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| length10 = 7:30 |
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| title11 = White Blur 2 |
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| length11 = 11:27 |
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| title12 = Matchsticks |
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| length12 = 5:41 |
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| total_length = 77:00 |
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}} |
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'''UK vinyl and cassette pressings''' |
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== Notes of interest == |
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{{Track listing |
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| headline = Side one |
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| title1 = Cliffs |
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| length1 = 7:27 |
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| title2 = Radiator |
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| length2 = 6:34 |
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| title3 = Rhubarb |
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| length3 = 7:44 |
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| title4 = Hankie |
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| length4 = 4:39 |
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| total_length = 26:24 |
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}} |
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{{Track listing |
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| headline = Side two |
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| title1 = Grass |
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| length1 = 8:55 |
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| title2 = Mould |
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| length2 = 3:31 |
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| title3 = Curtains |
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| length3 = 8:51 |
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| title4 = Blur |
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| length4 = 5:08 |
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| total_length = 26:25 |
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}} |
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{{Track listing |
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| headline = Side three |
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| title1 = Weathered Stone |
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| length1 = 6:54 |
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| title2 = Tree |
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| length2 = 9:58 |
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| title3 = Domino |
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| length3 = 7:18 |
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| title4 = White Blur 1 |
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| length4 = 2:43 |
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| total_length = 26:53 |
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}} |
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{{Track listing |
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| headline = Side four |
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| title1 = Blue Calx |
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| length1 = 7:20 |
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| title2 = Parallel Stripes |
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| length2 = 8:00 |
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| title3 = Shiny Metal Rods |
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| length3 = 5:33 |
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| title4 = Grey Stripe |
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| length4 = 4:45 |
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| title5 = Z Twig |
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| length5 = 2:05 |
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| total_length = 27:43 |
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}} |
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{{Track listing |
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| headline = Side five |
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| title1 = Windowsill |
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| length1 = 7:16 |
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| title2 = Stone in Focus |
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| length2 = 10:11 |
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| title3 = Hexagon |
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| length3 = 5:58 |
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| title4 = Lichen |
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| length4 = 4:15 |
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| total_length = 27:40 |
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}} |
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{{Track listing |
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| headline = Side six |
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| title1 = Spots |
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| length1 = 7:09 |
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| title2 = Tassels |
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| length2 = 7:30 |
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| title3 = White Blur 2 |
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| length3 = 11:27 |
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| title4 = Matchsticks |
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| length4 = 5:41 |
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| total_length = 31:47 |
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}} |
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{{Track listing |
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"Blur" was used in the closing credits of the final episode of season 3 of [[The Sopranos|The Sopranos]], [[Army_of_One_%28The_Sopranos_episode%29|Army of One]]. |
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| headline = 2017 aphextwin.warp.net bonus track |
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| title26 = th1 [evnslower] |
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| length26 = 11:07 |
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}} |
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==Personnel== |
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Numerous tracks from ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II'' are used in the comedy series [[Blue Jam]] and [[Jam (TV series)|Jam]]. |
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Credits adapted from ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II'' liner notes unless noted.<ref name="sleeve-vinyl"/> |
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*[[Aphex Twin|Richard D James]] – writer, producer, liner notes, photography |
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*Prototype 21 – design |
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* "Sam" – photographs (not credited in liner notes)<ref name= "art interview"/> |
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== Charts == |
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The album is referenced by name in the song [[Pretentious Jenny]] by band Visually Impaired Placenta. |
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{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |
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|+ Chart performance for ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II'' |
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! scope="col"| Chart (1994) |
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! scope="col"| Peak<br />position |
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|- |
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{{album chart|UK2|11|date=19940313|rowheader=true|access-date=22 March 2024}} |
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|} |
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==Certifications== |
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Track number 3, "rhubarb" was used as part of the soundtrack for a film used by the [[BBC]] on Digital TV test transmissions. Also, "rhubarb" and "stone in focus" are featured several times in the animated flash series [[Salad Fingers]] and [[Spoilsbury Toast Boy]], respectively, both of which are by animator [[David Firth]]. |
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{{certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II''}} |
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{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United Kingdom|artist=Aphex Twin|title=Selected Ambient Works – Vol Ii|award=Silver|certyear=2020|relyear=1996|id=16386-2691-2|access-date=1 May 2020}} |
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{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true|noshipments=true}} |
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==Notes== |
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"Rhubarb" "Curtain" "Window Sill" and "Radiator" were featured on a BBC Documentary about the philosophy of "[[Time]]". |
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{{notelist}} |
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==References== |
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"Shiny Metal Rods" was used in a "[[Saab]]" Commercial and in a channel 4 advertisement for a TV programme. |
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{{reflist}} |
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==External links== |
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"Rhubarb" was featured on the 2007 award winning [[Canada|Canadian]] documentary ''[[Sharkwater]]''. |
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* {{Discogs master|481|Selected Ambient Works Volume II}} |
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{{Aphex Twin}} |
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Cover versions of “Blue Calx” and "Cliffs" played on acoustic instruments by the Western classical new-music ensemble [[Alarm Will Sound]] appeared on its album ''Acoustica''—an album of Aphex Twin pieces re-scored for chamber ensemble. |
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{{Authority control}} |
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"[z twig]" was used in the Niko Bellic teaser trailer for ''[[Grand Theft Auto IV]]'', and features on the game's [[Grand Theft Auto IV soundtrack|soundtrack]] in electronic music station The Journey, retitled as "TRK5". |
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== External links == |
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*[http://xltronic.com/nostalgia/aphextwin.nu/v4/learn/98491895499398.shtml The SAW II GRAPHICAL F.A.Q] |
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*[http://xltronic.com/discography/alias/1/aphex-twin Complete Aphex Twin discography] |
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*[http://www.warprecords.com/ography/release.php?cat=WARP21 ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II''] at the Warp Records discography (features audio clips). |
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*[http://xltronic.com/discography/release/196/selected-ambient-works-ii-warp-lp21ltd Brown Vinyl scans] |
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*[http://www.discogs.com/release/54978 More pictures of the brown vinyl edition] |
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*[http://www.discogs.com/release/59922 Information on ''Excursions In Ambience: The Third Dimension''] |
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*[http://jamsbio.com/user/sandeep/blue_calyx/ ''SAWII user review''] |
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{{Richard David James}} |
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[[Category:Aphex Twin albums]] |
[[Category:Aphex Twin albums]] |
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[[Category:1994 albums]] |
[[Category:1994 albums]] |
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[[Category:Warp |
[[Category:Warp (record label) albums]] |
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[[Category:Sire Records albums]] |
[[Category:Sire Records albums]] |
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[[Category:Ambient |
[[Category:Ambient albums]] |
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[[Category:Sequel albums]] |
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[[fr:Selected Ambient Works Volume II]] |
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Revision as of 17:23, 15 May 2024
Selected Ambient Works Volume II | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 7 March 1994 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 156:42 (CD) 166:53 (LP/MC) | |||
Label | Warp | |||
Producer | Richard D. James | |||
Richard D. James chronology | ||||
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Aphex Twin album chronology | ||||
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Selected Ambient Works Volume II (abbreviated as SAW II)[9] is the second studio album by Aphex Twin, the pseudonym of the British electronic musician Richard D. James. It was released on 7 March 1994 through Warp. Billed as a follow-up to James' debut Selected Ambient Works 85–92, the album differs in sound by being largely beatless ambient music. James said that it was inspired by lucid dreaming, and likened the music to "standing in a power station on acid."[10]
The album reached No. 11 on the UK Albums Chart. Selected Ambient Works Volume II had a mostly positive reception from critics on release and later placed on various best of the decade lists by publications such as Rolling Stone, Spin, and Pitchfork.[11] Volume II is considered to be James' shift from ambient techno to darker ambient music.
In 2016 Pitchfork picked Selected Ambient Works Volume II as the second greatest ambient album of all time, after Brian Eno's Ambient 1: Music for Airports.
Background
Composition
James stated that the sounds on Selected Ambient Works Volume II were inspired by lucid dreams, and that upon awaking, he would attempt to re-create the sounds and record them. He claimed to have natural synaesthesia, which contributed to this album.[10] James described the album as being "like standing in a power station on acid"; he continued that "if you just stand in the middle of a really massive one, you get a really weird presence and you've got that hum. You just feel electricity around you. That's totally dreamlike for me. It's just like a right strange dimension."[10]
Volume II differs significantly from Selected Ambient Works 85–92, in that it consists of lengthy, textured ambient compositions with sparing use of percussion and occasional vocal samples, in a vein Rolling Stone related to Brian Eno's early ambient works and John Cage's minimalism.[1] The album itself makes liberal use of microtonal musical tunings, which James was investing himself in at the time.[12] The 22nd track features a sample taken from an interview with a woman who had murdered her husband; the tape of the interview had been stolen from a police station by a friend of James' who worked there as a cleaner.[13]
Simon Reynolds commented that on Volume II James changed styles "from the idyllic, Satie-esque naivete of early tracks like 'Analogue Bubblebath' to clammy, foreboding sound-paintings."[14] Reynolds stated that, along with other artists such as Seefeel, David Toop and Max Eastley, James had moved from "rave into the vicinity of "isolationism", a term coined by Kevin Martin to label music which "breaks with all of ambient's feel-good premises. Isolationism is ice-olationist, offering cold comfort. Instead of pseudopastoral peace, it evokes an uneasy silence: the uncanny calm before catastrophe, the deathly quiet of aftermath."[14]
Artwork
The artwork for the album was designed by Paul Nicholson,[15] who was credited as Prototype 21 in the liner notes.[16] He stated in an interview with Resident Advisor that the images were taken by "Richard's girlfriend at the time, Sam" and that most of the photographs were taken in a flat that the three were all living in together.[15]
The front cover is the result of James scratching the Aphex Twin logo onto the back of a leather travel case, which Sam took a picture of.[15] Of the pie charts and size of the photographs in the artwork, Nicholson said that they were "related to the track signatures, how long they were."[15] The timecodes of a track would be converted into a decimal, then into the percentage of the total length of the side of the record the track is on, and then into a degree to be used on the pie chart.[15] All six pie charts were colour-coded, and those colours are used throughout the artwork, including the textless CD and vinyl labels.[17]
Release
Selected Ambient Works Volume II was released through Warp on 7 March 1994 as a double CD, double cassette and triple LP, and later on digital formats for download.[18][19] The album sold 9,336 copies in its first week of release[20] and entered the UK Albums Chart on 19 March 1994 at No. 11, remaining on the chart for three weeks.[21] The CD pressings omit the 19th track for space reasons. Sire released the album on compact disc on 12 April 1994.[22] The US pressing omits the 4th and the 19th tracks.[18] The album was re-issued on vinyl by 1972 Records on 6 March 2012, though the master was made from a US CD copy.[23] In 2017 James added the album to his own web store, and included not only a 26th track, but made the 19th track available in a digital format for the first time since its inclusion on an ambient music CD compilation entitled Excursions in Ambience: The Third Dimension, also released in 1994.[13]
By July 1994 it had sold over 60,000 copies outside the United States.[24]
Reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Chicago Sun-Times | [25] |
Entertainment Weekly | C[26] |
Q | [27] |
Rolling Stone | [5] |
Select | 4/5[28] |
The Village Voice | B−[29] |
Spin gave the album a positive review, with critic Simon Reynolds stating that the album has "plenty of the shimmeringly euphoric and majestically melancholy tunes that have won James so many devout fans," but that it "will leave you not so much blissed as spooked out."[30] Rolling Stone's Jon Wiederhorn stated that "While many of his disciples have done little more than propel New Age atmospheres into the computer age, producing comforting but often emotionless elevator music, James has used the medium to confront his shadowy demons, exploring realms of spooky, textured sound."[5] He concluded that the album "provides a visionary perspective on ambient electronic music."[5] Clark Collis of Select stated that "Anyone who thinks they know what to expect on the basis of 'Volume I' might care to sit down, have a nice cup of tea and prepare themselves for a shock."[28] Collis noted the album was not successful "as a conventional dance record", but "as an album to wallow in at 5am while watching the wallpaper conduct a heated argument with the lightshade, it is indeed the knees of the bee."[28]
Other reviews were less favourable. Robert Christgau, writing in The Village Voice, critiqued positive reviews of the album by fellow critics Frank Owen, Simon Reynolds, and J. D. Considine, contending that "James is rarely as rich as good [Brian] Eno, not to mention good Eno-Hassell or Eno-Budd", and that "these experiments are considerably thinner ("purer," Owen wishes) and more static ("pulse dreamily," Considine dreams) than the overpriced juvenilia on the import-only Volume I."[29] Entertainment Weekly critic Charles Aaron wrote that "At its best [the album] is an avant-garde score in search of a postapocalyptic theater piece, à la Philip Glass. More often, it's chamber music for humorless cyber-nerds".[26]
Retrospective views
Retrospective reviews | |
---|---|
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [18] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [31] |
Pitchfork | 10/10[17] |
Resident Advisor | 5/5[32] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [1] |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 8/10[33] |
At the end of the decade Selected Ambient Works Volume II was included on several publications' lists of top albums of the 1990s, including Rolling Stone and Spin.[34][35] Polls conducted in 1996 and 2001 by Hyperreal.org placed the record as the first and second respectively of all-time ambient records.[36][37] Commenting on the audience's reaction of the album in 1999, Simon Reynolds stated that "many in the Aphex cult were thrown for a loop" and that "Aphex aficionados remain divided" on the album.[34] David Fricke, Rob Sheffield, and Ann Powers of Rolling Stone stated the album was James creating "an enriched, wraparound style of burp-and-whoosh programming, the perfect soundtrack for pulling the pieces of your brain back together after spilling them all over the club floor. The first dance album to celebrate the rhythms in your head."[35] Spin placed both Selected Ambient Works 85–92 and Selected Ambient Works Volume II at number 56 on its list of the top albums of the 1990s, calling it "an awe-inspiring feat of avant-techno texturology".[34] Alex Linhardt of online music magazine Pitchfork placed the album at number 62 on its list of top albums of the 1990s, stating that it "spurred on one of the great trajectories of pop music in the 1990s, influencing everyone from Radiohead to Timbaland".[38] It was later ranked the album second on the website's 2016 list of the best ambient music albums of all time, after Brian Eno's Ambient 1: Music for Airports by Phillip Sherburne.[39] Giving added historical context of Volume II initially confusing some listeners expecting a techno LP based on its name, Carlos Hawthorn of Resident Advisor gave the album a 5/5 for its 25th anniversary, stating that it brought "atmospheres to life with intensely vivid sonic textures" and "[as] artists and fans alike, we all owe something to this strange masterpiece."[32]
Legacy and influence
Mark Richardson of Pitchfork noted that Selected Ambient Works Volume II was "a very early example of a record being anticipated, experienced, and, ultimately, analyzed in minute detail through online communication."[40] Pitchfork noted that the Electronic mailing list titled IDM (Intelligent dance music) had a profound influence on how the album would be received in the future, noting that the community's influence has to do with the album's mysterious non-titles.[40] List member Greg Eden, who kept a detailed discography, gave the tracks names based on a word or two that related to the corresponding images.[40] Eden would later work for Warp, the original label that released Selected Ambient Works Volume II.[40][41]
Simon Reynolds noted that the album signaled a shift in techno and ambient music toward a darker sound reminiscent of Brian Eno's notion of "environmental music".[42]
A book written by Marc Weidenbaum (a music journalist and former editor of Tower Records's in-store magazine Pulse!) about the album was released in the 33⅓ series on 13 February 2013.[40][43] The series are short books inspired by or focused on albums and are generally written as longform essays.[43]
Track listing
None of the tracks are given titles on the original release of the album, with each track instead represented by a photograph in the album's artwork. The titles on digital releases of the album simply number the songs from 1–24, with the track commonly known as "Stone in Focus", the 19th track, skipped over as it was not available on CD releases.[44] The track "Blue Calx" was released prior to the album on the compilation [i]The Philosophy of Sound and Machine[/i], from which the name is taken. Unofficial titles based on the photographs were popularised by Greg Eden, and are indicated below.[9]
The 2017 bonus track "th1 [evnslower]" is known from its digital release and "Radiator" was officially named as such on Warp's Peel Session 2.[45]
CD pressings[a]
All tracks are written by Richard D. James.[16]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Cliffs" | 7:27 |
2. | "Radiator" | 6:34 |
3. | "Rhubarb" | 7:44 |
4. | "Hankie" ([b]) | 4:39 |
5. | "Grass" | 8:55 |
6. | "Mould" | 3:31 |
7. | "Curtains" | 8:51 |
8. | "Blur" | 5:08 |
9. | "Weathered Stone" | 6:54 |
10. | "Tree" | 9:58 |
11. | "Domino" | 7:18 |
12. | "White Blur 1" | 2:43 |
Total length: | 79:42 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Blue Calx" | 7:20 |
2. | "Parallel Stripes" | 8:00 |
3. | "Shiny Metal Rods" | 5:33 |
4. | "Grey Stripe" | 4:45 |
5. | "Z Twig" | 2:05 |
6. | "Windowsill" | 7:16 |
7. | "Hexagon" | 5:58 |
8. | "Lichen" | 4:15 |
9. | "Spots" | 7:10 |
10. | "Tassels" | 7:30 |
11. | "White Blur 2" | 11:27 |
12. | "Matchsticks" | 5:41 |
Total length: | 77:00 |
UK vinyl and cassette pressings
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Cliffs" | 7:27 |
2. | "Radiator" | 6:34 |
3. | "Rhubarb" | 7:44 |
4. | "Hankie" | 4:39 |
Total length: | 26:24 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Grass" | 8:55 |
2. | "Mould" | 3:31 |
3. | "Curtains" | 8:51 |
4. | "Blur" | 5:08 |
Total length: | 26:25 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Weathered Stone" | 6:54 |
2. | "Tree" | 9:58 |
3. | "Domino" | 7:18 |
4. | "White Blur 1" | 2:43 |
Total length: | 26:53 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Blue Calx" | 7:20 |
2. | "Parallel Stripes" | 8:00 |
3. | "Shiny Metal Rods" | 5:33 |
4. | "Grey Stripe" | 4:45 |
5. | "Z Twig" | 2:05 |
Total length: | 27:43 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Windowsill" | 7:16 |
2. | "Stone in Focus" | 10:11 |
3. | "Hexagon" | 5:58 |
4. | "Lichen" | 4:15 |
Total length: | 27:40 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Spots" | 7:09 |
2. | "Tassels" | 7:30 |
3. | "White Blur 2" | 11:27 |
4. | "Matchsticks" | 5:41 |
Total length: | 31:47 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
26. | "th1 [evnslower]" | 11:07 |
Personnel
Credits adapted from Selected Ambient Works Volume II liner notes unless noted.[16]
- Richard D James – writer, producer, liner notes, photography
- Prototype 21 – design
- "Sam" – photographs (not credited in liner notes)[15]
Charts
Chart (1994) | Peak position |
---|---|
UK Albums (OCC)[46] | 11 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[47] | Silver | 60,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Notes
References
- ^ a b c Frere-Jones, Sasha (2004). "Aphex Twin". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 21–23. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ Pattison, Louis (18 September 2014). "Aphex Twin – 'Syro'". NME. Archived from the original on 13 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- ^ Carr, Dan (7 March 2019). "Recreating the Synths of Aphex Twin's "Selected Ambient Works II"". Reverb.com. Archived from the original on 23 July 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
- ^ "Kevin Drumm's Imperial Distortion on vinyl". Fact. 25 March 2011. Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
- ^ a b c d Wiederhorn, Jon (30 June 1994). "Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works Volume II". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 22 February 2008. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ Beta, Andy (29 September 2014). "Richard D. James: 10 Essential Releases". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
- ^ Seymour, Malcolm III (25 October 2001). "Aphex Twin: Drukqs". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 18 March 2009. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- ^ Reynolds, Simon (Christmas 1993). "Ambient – The Buzzword of '93". Melody Maker.
- ^ a b Richardson, Mark (25 April 2014). "Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works Volume II". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ a b c Toop, David (March 1994). "Lost in space". The Face. Vol. 2, no. 66. EMAP.
- ^ Wren, David; Jacobs, Daniel; Moyse, Scott (2003). "Aphex Twin". In Buckley, Peter (ed.). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. pp. 35–36. ISBN 1-8435-3105-4. Archived from the original on 19 December 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- ^ Philp, Ray (11 July 2017). "New Aphex Twin song 'Korg Funk 5' surfaces in interview with ex-Korg engineer Tatsuya Takahashi". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
- ^ a b James, Richard D. "Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works Volume II". Warp. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- ^ a b Reynolds, Simon (January 1995). "Chill: The New Ambient". Artforum International. Vol. 33, no. 5. p. 60. ISSN 1086-7058.
- ^ a b c d e f Coultate, Aaron (6 April 2017). "Aphex Twin logo designer Paul Nicholson shows more unseen sketches". Resident Advisor. Archived from the original on 15 April 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ a b c James, Richard D. (1994). Selected Ambient Works Volume II (Media notes). Aphex Twin. Warp. WARPLP21LTD.
- ^ a b Sherburne, Philip (5 May 2019). "Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works Volume II". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 7 May 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
- ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Selected Ambient Works, Vol. 2 – Aphex Twin". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 17 January 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ "Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works Volume II". Warp. Archived from the original on 18 November 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ Pakinkis, Tom (29 September 2014). "Official Charts Analysis: alt-J's This Is All Yours secures No 1 album slot on 30,947 sales". Music Week. Intent Media. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
- ^ "Aphex Twin". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- ^ McLoughlin, Megan, ed. (21 March 1994). "Progressive Retail" (PDF). CMJ New Music Report. Great Neck, NY: College Media Inc. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
- ^ Hughes, Josiah (13 January 2012). "Aphex Twin's 'Selected Ambient Works Volume II' to Get Vinyl Reissue". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- ^ Pride, Dominic (23 July 1994). "Ambient Figureheads". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 30. p. 131. Archived from the original on 13 June 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ^ DeRogatis, Jim (8 May 1994). "Compilations Of Music To Rave By". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
- ^ a b Aaron, Charles (15 April 1994). "Selected Ambient Works Volume II". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 18 January 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ "Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works Vol. II". Q. No. 365. November 2016. p. 100.
- ^ a b c Collis, Clark (April 1994). "Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works Volume II". Select. No. 46. p. 89.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert (31 May 1994). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on 25 November 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
- ^ Reynolds, Simon (March 1994). Marks, Craig (ed.). "Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works Part II". Spin. Vol. 9, no. 12. p. 74. ISSN 0886-3032. Archived from the original on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Aphex Twin". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
- ^ a b Hawthorn, Carlos (7 March 2019). "Rewind: Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works Volume II". Resident Advisor. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
- ^ Reynolds, Simon (1995). "Aphex Twin". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. New York City: Vintage Books. pp. 15–16. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
- ^ a b c Reynolds, Simon (September 1999). "The Greatest Albums of the '90s — 56. Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works 85–92 / Selected Ambient Works Volume II". Spin. Vol. 15, no. 9. p. 148. ISSN 0886-3032. Archived from the original on 19 December 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- ^ a b Sheffield, Rob; Powers, Ann; Fricke, David (13 May 1999). "Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works, Volume II". Rolling Stone. No. 812. p. 79. ISSN 0035-791X.
- ^ Renick, Kevin (January 2002). "Classic Ambient Recordings: The 2001 Survey". Epsilon. Hyperreal. Archived from the original on 3 February 2011.
- ^ Roy, Darryl Stephen (1 September 1996). "Ambient Albums". Epsilon. Hyperreal. Archived from the original on 30 June 2010.
- ^ Linhardt, Alex (17 November 2003). "Top 100 Albums of the 1990s". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- ^ Sherburne, Phillip (26 September 2016). "The 50 Best Ambient Albums of All Time". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Richardson, Mark (25 April 2014). "Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works Volume II". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 9 February 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- ^ Eden, Greg (16 December 2008). "Words About Body Riddle". Warp. Archived from the original on 20 September 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- ^ Reynolds, Simon (2012). Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture. Soft Skull Press. p. 178. ISBN 978-1-5937-6407-4.
- ^ a b "Kanye West, Bjork, J Dilla and more to be featured in a 33⅓ book series". Dummy. 26 July 2013. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- ^ "Selected Ambient Works, Vol. II". Spotify. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ Weidenbaum, Marc (2014). Selected Ambient Works Volume II. 33⅓. London/New York: Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 67–71. ISBN 9781623567637. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ "British album certifications – Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works – Vol Ii". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
External links
- Selected Ambient Works Volume II at Discogs (list of releases)