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Selected Ambient Works Volume II (often abbreviated as SAW2), released in 1994, is the second album by Richard D. James under his Aphex Twin moniker, and is a follow-up to 1992's Selected Ambient Works 85–92. The album peaked at #11 on the UK Albums Chart. It was number 62 on Pitchfork Media's "Top 100 Albums of the 1990s".[1]
Overview
Volume II differs significantly from the first volume in the series, in that it consists of lengthy, textured ambient compositions with minimal percussion and occasional vocal samples, in a vein similar to Brian Eno's ambient works. James described the album as being "like standing in a power station on acid"[2] and went on to note that the sounds on record 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.[2]
Artwork and formats
The album proper consists of 25 songs, all of which are untitled except for "Blue Calx". The liner notes present a series of images to represent the title of each song,[citation needed] including a blue emblem for "Blue Calx". Colour-coded pie charts are also included to show which songs belonged to which side of vinyl, as well as approximations of the duration of each song per side (for example, the colour of the first side is mustard). Officially, each song is named after its respective running order number,[3] but fan impetus led to each song being given a name based on the image representing it (such as "[rhubarb]" for track 3)[4]. The US edition changed several of the images, either by unblurring or replacing them; in the case of track 19, a blank square was left instead. Due to this, several fan names were also changed to match the new set of pictures.[citation needed]
Due to the limits of the compact disc format, track 19 was removed from all CD pressings. This omission has since become standard, even for online retailers. The song was later included on the Astralwerks compilation Excursions in Ambience: The Third Dimension, titled as "#19". The original US version also removed track 4 from the first disc. The vinyl edition came in two editions: a standard black vinyl pressing with full-colour artwork and a limited edition brown vinyl pressing with monochromatic photography.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Richard D. James
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | Untitled | 7:27 |
2. | Untitled | 6:34 |
3. | Untitled | 7:44 |
4. | Untitled (omitted from US CD pressing) | 4:34 |
5. | Untitled | 8:55 |
6. | Untitled | 3:31 |
7. | Untitled | 8:51 |
8. | Untitled | 5:08 |
9. | Untitled | 6:54 |
10. | Untitled | 9:58 |
11. | Untitled | 7:18 |
12. | Untitled | 2:38 |
Total length: | Total length: UK CD version, all vinyl and cassette versions: 79:32 US CD version: 74:58 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
13. | "Blue Calx" | 7:20 |
14. | Untitled | 8:00 |
15. | Untitled | 5:34 |
16. | Untitled | 4:45 |
17. | Untitled | 2:05 |
18. | Untitled | 7:17 |
19. | Untitled (vinyl and cassette versions only) | 10:08 |
20. | Untitled | 5:57 |
21. | Untitled | 4:15 |
22. | Untitled | 7:09 |
23. | Untitled | 7:30 |
24. | Untitled | 11:27 |
25. | Untitled | 5:41 |
Total length: | Total length: all CD versions: 77:00 all vinyl and cassette versions: 87:08 |
Remixes and covers
- Track 2 was later released on the compilation album 26 Mixes for Cash, titled "SAW2 CD1 TRK2 (Original Mix)". The song was originally recorded for Richard's Peel Session in 1995.
- Track 7 was jointly remixed with LFO's song Simon from Sidney by Pram for the compilation Warp 10+3 Remixes. Four Tet also remixed the album's opening track for this collection.
- Cover versions of "Blue Calx" and track 1, played on acoustic instruments by the Western classical new-music ensemble Alarm Will Sound, appeared on their album Acoustica: Alarm Will Sound performs Aphex Twin in 2005.
Charts
Chart (1994) | Peak position |
---|---|
UK Albums Chart | 11[5] |
References
- ^ George-Warren, Holly and Patricia Romanowski, ed. (2005). "Aphex Twin". The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll. New York, New York: Fireside. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-7432-9201-6.
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(help) - ^ a b Toop, David (1994). "Lost in space". The Face. EMAP. Retrieved 2009-11-14.
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ignored (help) - ^ Phobiazero. "The Aphex Twin Community: Selected Ambient Works Volume II". AphexTwin dot NU. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
- ^ "Warp Records: Aphex Twin — Selected Ambient Works Vol II". Warp dot Net. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
- ^ "Chart Stats - The Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works Vol II". ChartStats.com. Retrieved 30 August 2009.