Aphex Twin (band)
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Richard David James (born 18 August 1971), known professionally as Aphex Twin, is a British musician, composer and DJ active in
electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...
since 1988. His idiosyncratic work has drawn on many styles, including
techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...
,
ambient Ambient or ambiance or ambience may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Ambiancé'', an unreleased experimental film * ''Ambient'' (novel), a novel by Jack Womack Music and sound * Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgr ...
,
acid An acid is a molecule or ion capable of either donating a proton (i.e. Hydron, hydrogen cation, H+), known as a Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory, Brønsted–Lowry acid, or forming a covalent bond with an electron pair, known as a Lewis ...
, and
jungle jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past century. Etymology The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅgala'' ...
, and he has been described as a pioneering figure in the
intelligent dance music Intelligent dance music (IDM) is a style of electronic music originating in the early 1990s, defined by idiosyncratic experimentation rather than specific genre constraints.''"…the label 'IDM' (for avant-garde, 'intelligent dance music') see ...
(IDM) genre. Journalists from publications including ''
Mixmag ''Mixmag'' is a British electronic dance and clubbing magazine published in London. Launched in 1983 as a print magazine, it has branched into dance events, including festivals and club nights. History The first issue of ''Mixmag'' was printe ...
'', ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'', ''
Fact A fact is a truth, true data, datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance. Standard reference works are often used to Fact-checking, check facts. Science, Scientific facts are verified by repeatable careful observation or measurement by ...
,'' '' Clash'' and ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' have called James one of the most influential and important artists in contemporary electronic music. James was raised in
Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...
and began
DJing A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at nightclubs or music fes ...
at
free parties A free party is a party "free" from the restrictions of the legal club scene, similar to the Free festival, free festival movement. It typically involves a Sound system (DJ)#Free party, sound system playing electronic dance music from late at ...
and clubs around the
South West Southwest is a compass point. Southwest, south-west, south west, southwestern or south-western or south western may also refer to: * Southwest (direction), an intercardinal direction Geography *South West Queensland, Australia *South West (Weste ...
in the late 1980s. His debut EP ''
Analogue Bubblebath ''Analogue Bubblebath'', also released as ''Aphex Twin ep'', is the first record by the British musician and producer Richard D. James. The EP was released under his alias The Aphex Twin through Mighty Force Records in September 1991. It wa ...
,'' released in 1991 on
Mighty Force Records Mighty Force Records was a record shop and techno label based in Exeter, Devon, South West England. It was founded by ex-punk, free festival activist (having briefly worked with the Stonehenge Free Festival Campaign in 1983) and warehouse party ...
, brought James an early following; he began to perform across the UK and
continental Europe Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous mainland of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by som ...
. James co-founded the independent label
Rephlex Records Rephlex Records was a record label launched in 1991 in Cornwall by Electronic music, electronic musician Richard D. James (aka Aphex Twin) and Grant Wilson-Claridge. The label coined the term ''braindance'' to describe the output of Aphex Twin ...
the same year. His 1992 debut album ''
Selected Ambient Works 85–92 ''Selected Ambient Works 85–92'' is the debut studio album by the British electronic music artist and producer Richard D. James under the alias of Aphex Twin. It was released on 9November 1992 through Apollo Records, a subsidiary of the Bel ...
'', released by Belgian label
Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...
, garnered wider critical and popular acclaim. James signed to
Warp Warp, warped or warping may refer to: Arts and entertainment Books and comics * WaRP Graphics, an alternative comics publisher * ''Warp'' (First Comics), comic book series published by First Comics based on the play ''Warp!'' * Warp (comics), a D ...
in late 1992 and subsequently released charting albums such as '' ...I Care Because You Do'' (1995) and '' Richard D. James Album'' (1996), as well as
Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...
singles such as " Come to Daddy" (1997) and "
Windowlicker "Windowlicker" is a track by the British electronic music artist and producer Aphex Twin. It was released on 22 March 1999 through Warp Records. The artwork for the single was created by Chris Cunningham, with additional work by The Designers ...
" (1999); the latter two were accompanied by
music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
s directed by
Chris Cunningham Chris Cunningham (born 15 October 1970) is an English video artist and music video director who directed music videos for electronic musicians such as Autechre, Squarepusher, and Aphex Twin and Björk. Early in his career he worked as a com ...
and brought James wider international attention. After releasing ''
Drukqs ''Drukqs'' (stylised as ''drukQs'') is the fifth studio album by the British electronic music artist and producer Richard D. James under the alias of Aphex Twin. It was released in October 2001 through Warp Records. It is a double album that ...
'' in 2001 and completing his contract with Warp, James spent several years releasing music on his own Rephlex label, including the 2005 ''
Analord ''Analord'' is a series of eleven 12" vinyl records by the electronic music artist Richard D. James, most of which are released under the alias AFX. The series, released in 2005, marked James's return to primarily analogue equipment followin ...
'' EP series under his AFX alias and a pair of 2007 releases as the Tuss. In 2014 he made available a previously unreleased 1994 LP as Caustic Window. He returned later that year with the Aphex Twin album ''
Syro ''Syro'' () is the sixth studio album by the British electronic music artist and producer Aphex Twin, Richard D. James under the alias of Aphex Twin. It was released on 19September 2014 through Warp Records. It was James's first album under th ...
'' on Warp, winning the
Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album The Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards — a ceremony that was established in 1958 — honor quality dance and electronica albums in any given year. The award was first presented at the 47th A ...
. He has since released charting EPs including ''
Cheetah The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large Felidae, cat and the Fastest animals, fastest land animal. It has a tawny to creamy white or pale buff fur that is marked with evenly spaced, solid black spots. The head is small and rounded, wit ...
'' (2016) and '' Collapse'' (2018). His 2023 single "
Blackbox Life Recorder 21f "Blackbox Life Recorder 21f" is a track by the British electronic music artist and producer Aphex Twin. It was first released as the lead single in promotion of the EP '' Blackbox Life Recorder 21f / In a Room7 F760'', his first new music under t ...
" was nominated for the
Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording The Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording (formerly known as Best Dance Recording) is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists f ...
.


Early life

James was born on 18 August 1971 in
Limerick Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...
, Ireland, to
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, of or about Wales * Welsh language, spoken in Wales * Welsh people, an ethnic group native to Wales Places * Welsh, Arkansas, U.S. * Welsh, Louisiana, U.S. * Welsh, Ohio, U.S. * Welsh Basin, during t ...
parents. He has said that he had a stillborn older brother also named Richard whose name he inherited. In a 1997 interview James stated that this death occurred while his family had moved to Canada in 1968 for his father's mining work; it led his mother to reuse the name because "she didn't want to accept the death of the child." James grew up in
Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...
, where he lived in Lanner while attending Redruth School in
Redruth Redruth ( , ) is a town and civil parishes in Cornwall, civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. According to the 2011 census, the population of Redruth was 14,018 In the same year the population of the Camborne-Redruth urban area, ...
. James said he liked growing up there, "cut off from the city and the rest of the world". He became interested in making sounds before writing music, and as a child he played with the strings inside his family piano and disassembled tape equipment. In a 2001 interview James said that at age 11 he won £50 in a competition for producing sound on a
Sinclair ZX81 The ZX81 is a home computer that was produced by Sinclair Research and manufactured in Dundee, Scotland, by Timex Corporation. It was launched in the United Kingdom in March 1981 as the successor to Sinclair's ZX80 and designed to be a low- ...
, a home computer with no sound hardware: "I played around with
machine code In computer programming, machine code is computer code consisting of machine language instructions, which are used to control a computer's central processing unit (CPU). For conventional binary computers, machine code is the binaryOn nonb ...
and found some codes that retuned the TV signal so that it made this really weird noise when you turned the volume up." However, ''
Fact Magazine ''Fact'' is a music publication that launched in the UK in 2003. It covers UK, US, and international music and youth culture topics, with particular focus on electronic, pop, rap, and experimental artists. Having started as a bi-monthly pri ...
'' reported in 2017 that this contest story is dubious, and likely based on a program published in ''Your Computer Magazine'' 1982, for which the author (G. N. Owen) was paid £6 (). James states that he bought his first synthesizer at age 12 and after taking an interest in
electronics Electronics is a scientific and engineering discipline that studies and applies the principles of physics to design, create, and operate devices that manipulate electrons and other Electric charge, electrically charged particles. It is a subfield ...
would modify analogue synthesisers "and junk" to make noise. James began making music aged 14, partially as a refuge from the "bloody awful"
Jesus and Mary Chain Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the central figure of Christianity, the world's largest religi ...
albums played by his sister. Cornwall had few record shops, but a thriving nightlife in which
acid house Acid house (also simply known as just " acid") is a subgenre of house music developed around the mid-1980s by DJs from Chicago. The style is defined primarily by the squelching sounds and basslines of the Roland TB-303 electronic bass synt ...
was popular. James claimed to have been making music with similarities to
acid An acid is a molecule or ion capable of either donating a proton (i.e. Hydron, hydrogen cation, H+), known as a Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory, Brønsted–Lowry acid, or forming a covalent bond with an electron pair, known as a Lewis ...
and techno for years before hearing the genres, leading him to purchase every record he could find in the styles. In his late teens, James began DJing at clubs and raves, and included his own tracks in his sets. He studied at
Cornwall College Cornwall College may refer to: * The Cornwall College Group, in Cornwall and Devon, England * Cornwall College, Jamaica * Cornwall Collegiate and Vocational School, Cornwall, Ontario, Canada {{Disambiguation ...
from 1988 to 1990 and graduated with a National Diploma in engineering. According to one lecturer, he often wore headphones during practical lessons and had a "kind of mystique about him ... I think some of the other students were a bit in awe of him."


Career


1988–1991: Cornish free parties, Rephlex Records and first releases

In the late 1980s, James became involved in the Cornish
free party A free party is a party "free" from the restrictions of the legal club scene, similar to the Free festival, free festival movement. It typically involves a Sound system (DJ)#Free party, sound system playing electronic dance music from late at ...
scene, putting on raves at "secret coves along the coast and behind sand dunes". The first party he DJed at was in a barn in 1988.Alt URL
/ref> Parties were also known to take place at Gwennap Pit. They mainly attracted local youths and travellers, with entrance donations taken in
cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...
. The community also held events at small clubs in towns around the county, including St. Ives,
Porthtowan Porthtowan (, meaning ''landing place at the sand dunes'') is a small village in Cornwall, England, UK, which is a popular summer tourist destination. Porthtowan is on Cornwall's north Atlantic coast about southwest of St Agnes, north of Red ...
, and
St Austell Saint Austell (, ; ) is a town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, south of Bodmin and west of the border with Devon. At the 2021 Census in the United Kingdom, census it had a population of 20,900. History St Austell was a village centred ...
. James later referred to this scene as the "best he's ever been involved in". James started a regular DJ slot in 1989, playing alternate weeks at the Bowgie nightclub in
Crantock Crantock () is a coastal civil parishes in England, civil parish and village in Cornwall, England, two miles (3 km) southwest of Newquay. In 460, a group of Irish hermits founded an oratory there. The village lies to the south of the Ri ...
. There he met
Tom Middleton Tom Middleton (born 18 August 1971) is a British electronic recording artist, sound designer, composer, music producer, remixer and DJ. His solo albums include '' Lifetracks'' (2007), ''Glasstracks'' (2011) and ''Sleep Better'' (2018). Middleto ...
and Grant Wilson-Claridge. Impressed by James's music, Middleton played a tape James had given him to a free party organiser in
Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...
, Mark Darby, who eventually convinced James to release a record on his fledgling record label
Mighty Force Records Mighty Force Records was a record shop and techno label based in Exeter, Devon, South West England. It was founded by ex-punk, free festival activist (having briefly worked with the Stonehenge Free Festival Campaign in 1983) and warehouse party ...
. James was initially resistant, but while he was
tripping Tripping may refer to: * Psychedelic experience * Tripping (ice hockey), a penalty infraction * Tripping (pipe), the act of running or pulling drill pipe into or out of a wellbore on a drilling rig * Tripping, an action of a protection device in an ...
on
acid An acid is a molecule or ion capable of either donating a proton (i.e. Hydron, hydrogen cation, H+), known as a Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory, Brønsted–Lowry acid, or forming a covalent bond with an electron pair, known as a Lewis ...
backstage at a DJ gig, Darby and Middleton convinced him to release the record. Darby later said: "I think if he had not done that trip that night there may have never been any Aphex Twin." James has given a similar account: "...they made me sign the contract when I was off my face. I was tripping and they're waving this money and a pen at me. It's a bit clichéd but it's the way they got me to sign."Alt URL
/ref> Similarly impressed by James's music, Wilson-Claridge suggested they use some money he inherited to create a
record label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a Music publisher, ...
to release it. He and James founded
Rephlex Records Rephlex Records was a record label launched in 1991 in Cornwall by Electronic music, electronic musician Richard D. James (aka Aphex Twin) and Grant Wilson-Claridge. The label coined the term ''braindance'' to describe the output of Aphex Twin ...
in 1991. James's first release was the 12" EP ''
Analogue Bubblebath ''Analogue Bubblebath'', also released as ''Aphex Twin ep'', is the first record by the British musician and producer Richard D. James. The EP was released under his alias The Aphex Twin through Mighty Force Records in September 1991. It wa ...
'', released on Mighty Force in September 1991. The EP made the playlist of Kiss FM, an influential London radio station, giving it wide exposure in the dance music scene. In 2015 ''The Guardian'' called the release one of the key moments in the history of dance music. The record caught the ear of Renaat Vandepapeliere, the head of
R&S Records R&S Records is an independent record label founded in 1983 in Ghent, Belgium. R&S represents the initials of Renaat Vandepapeliere and Sabine Maes, the couple that created the label. R&S Records has had several subsidiaries, most notably Apollo R ...
, at that time one of the leading European
rave A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mus ...
labels. James visited him in Belgium, bringing a box full of cassettes of his music. From these cassettes they picked out tracks for two records, including James's first
album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
''Selected Ambient Works 85-92''. In 1992, as word of his 12" records spread, James started performing at London techno events like the formative club Knowledge, held at the SW1 nightclub in London's
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
, and the influential night Lost. Through 1991 and 1992 James released three ''
Analogue Bubblebath ''Analogue Bubblebath'', also released as ''Aphex Twin ep'', is the first record by the British musician and producer Richard D. James. The EP was released under his alias The Aphex Twin through Mighty Force Records in September 1991. It wa ...
'' EPs, two EPs as Caustic Window, the ''
Red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...
'' EP as part of the
Universal Indicator A universal indicator is a pH indicator made of a solution of several compounds that exhibit various smooth colour changes over a wide range pH values to indicate the acidity or alkalinity of solutions. A universal indicator can be in paper f ...
collective, along with the ''
Digeridoo The didgeridoo (;()), also spelt didjeridu, among other variants, is a wind instrument, played with vibrating lips to produce a continuous drone while using a special breathing technique called circular breathing. The didgeridoo was develope ...
'' and '' Xylem Tube'' EPs on the R&S label. Although he moved to London to take an
electronics Electronics is a scientific and engineering discipline that studies and applies the principles of physics to design, create, and operate devices that manipulate electrons and other Electric charge, electrically charged particles. It is a subfield ...
course at
Kingston Polytechnic Kingston University London is a public research university located within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, in South West London, England. Its roots go back to the Kingston Technical Institute, founded in 1899. It received university ...
, he admitted to
David Toop David Toop (born 5 May 1949) is an English musician, author, curator, and emeritus professor. From 2013 to 2021 he was professor of audio culture and improvisation at the London College of Communication. He was a regular contributor to British ...
that his electronics studies were slipping away as he pursued a career in electronic music.


1992–1994: ''Selected Ambient Works'' and early success

The first full-length Aphex Twin album, ''Selected Ambient Works 85–92'', comprised material dating back to James's teen years. It was released in November 1992 by Apollo Records, a subsidiary of Belgian label R&S. John Bush of
Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
would later describe the release as a watershed moment in ambient music. In a 2002 ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' record review Pat Blashill noted that Aphex Twin had "expanded way beyond the
ambient music Ambient music is a genre of music that emphasizes Musical tone, tone and atmosphere over traditional Musical form, musical structure or rhythm. Often "peaceful" sounding and lacking Musical composition, composition, beat, and/or structured melod ...
of
Brian Eno Brian Peter George Jean-Baptiste de la Salle Eno (, born 15 May 1948), also mononymously known as Eno, is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, visual artist, and activist. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to ambien ...
by fusing lush soundscapes with oceanic beats and bass lines," demonstrating that "techno could be more than druggy dance music". Writing for ''Pitchfork'' in 2002, David Pecoraro called it "among the most interesting music ever created with a keyboard and a computer". ''
DJ Mag ''DJ Magazine'' (also known as ''DJ Mag'') is a British monthly magazine dedicated to electronic dance music and DJs. Founded in 1991, the magazine is adapted for distribution in the United Kingdom, the United States, Spain, France, Italy, Lati ...
's'' Ben Murphy named it "a seminal record in the IDM, ambient and experimental canon". In 1992 James also released the EPs ''
Digeridoo The didgeridoo (;()), also spelt didjeridu, among other variants, is a wind instrument, played with vibrating lips to produce a continuous drone while using a special breathing technique called circular breathing. The didgeridoo was develope ...
'' and ''
Xylem Tube EP ''Xylem Tube EP'' is an extended play record by the electronic music artist and producer Aphex Twin. It was released in June 1992 through the Belgian label R&S Records. All the songs on this EP can be found on the 1994 compilation of early Aphe ...
'' as Aphex Twin, the ''
Pac-Man ''Pac-Man,'' originally called in Japan, is a 1980 maze video game developed and published by Namco for arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. The pla ...
'' EP (an album of remixes of ''
Pac-Man ''Pac-Man,'' originally called in Japan, is a 1980 maze video game developed and published by Namco for arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. The pla ...
'' music) as Power-Pill, two of his four ''Joyrex'' EPs (''
Joyrex J4 EP ''Joyrex J4 EP'' is an EP by Richard D. James under the alias Caustic Window. The release is a 12 inch vinyl and has been pressed with both yellow and black labels. All tracks except "Pop Corn" were later re-released on the album ''Compil ...
'' and ''
Joyrex J5 EP ''Joyrex J5 EP'' is an EP by Richard D. James under the alias Caustic Window. The release is a 12 inch vinyl. All tracks, except the untitled second track on side B, were later re-released on the album ''Compilation''. Track listing ...
'') as Caustic Window, and '' Analogue Bubblebath 3''. "Digeridoo" reached #55 on the UK Singles Chart, and was later described by ''Rolling Stone'' as foreshadowing
drum and bass Drum and bass (commonly abbreviated as DnB, D&B, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterised by fast Break (music)#Breakbeat (element of music), breakbeats (typically 165–185 Tempo, beats per minute) with heavy Bass (music) ...
. That year, he also appeared as the Dice Man on the Warp Records compilation ''Artificial Intelligence (compilation album), Artificial Intelligence'' with the track "Polygon Window". The compilation helped create the genre later known as "
intelligent dance music Intelligent dance music (IDM) is a style of electronic music originating in the early 1990s, defined by idiosyncratic experimentation rather than specific genre constraints.''"…the label 'IDM' (for avant-garde, 'intelligent dance music') see ...
", and helped launch James's career alongside Autechre and Richie Hawtin. As Polygon Window, in 1993, James released his first records on Warp: ''Surfing on Sine Waves'' (the second in the ''Artificial Intelligence (series), Artificial Intelligence'' series) and the EP ''Quoth (EP), Quoth''. Later that year he released the EP "On (EP), On", which entered the top 40 on the UK charts. Rephlex also released an EP by James under the alias Bradley Strider, ''Bradley's Robot'', and two more Caustic Window records. James was part of several tours in 1993. He supported the Orb on several dates, and joined the "Midi Circus" tour at venues across the UK, co-headlining with Orbital (band), Orbital, the Orb and Drum Club. Later in the year, he was part of the NASA "See the Light" tour with Orbital, Moby, and Vapourspace at venues across the United States. Warp released the second Aphex Twin album, ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II'', in March 1994. It explored a more ambient sound, inspired by Lucid dreaming, lucid dreams and James's experience of synaesthesia. It reached number 11 in the UK charts, but was not particularly well received critically; critic Simon Reynolds later noted that "many in the Aphex cult were thrown for a loop" and that "Aphex aficionados remain divided". Other 1994 releases were a fourth ''Analogue Bubblebath,'' ''GAK (album), GAK'' (derived from early demos sent to Warp), and ''Classics (Aphex Twin album), Classics'', a compilation album.


1995–2000: ''...I Care Because You Do'', ''Richard D. James Album'' and ''Come to Daddy''

For his charting 1995 album '' ...I Care Because You Do,'' composed between 1990 and 1994 in a range of styles, James used a self-portrait of his face for the cover, which became a Motif (visual arts), motif on his later releases. He commissioned Classical music, Western classical-music composer Philip Glass to create an orchestral version of the ''...I Care Because You Do'' track "Icct Hedral", which appeared on the ''Donkey Rhubarb (EP), Donkey Rhubarb'' EP. In the same year, James released his ''Hangable Auto Bulb'' EP under the name AFX, which spearheaded the short-lived drill 'n' bass style. This rapid, computer-based drum programming style would become the dominant approach of James's work through the end of the decade. In 1996, James and Michael Paradinas (μ-Ziq) collaborated for the album ''Expert Knob Twiddlers'' under the one-off side project Mike & Rich, which was released by James' Rephlex label. '' Richard D. James Album'', James's fourth studio album as Aphex Twin, was released on Warp in 1996. It features Softsynth, software synthesisers and unconventional rhythms. Will Hermes of ''Spin (magazine), Spin'' discussed James's use of Old school jungle, jungle elements, writing that "by applying junglist strategies to his own obsessive sound creation - his gorgeous weirdo palette of modernist strings, whirring crib toys, and agitated machines - he remakes drum'n'bass in his own image". In a ''Pitchfork'' list of the best albums of the 1990s, Eric Carr wrote that ''Richard D. James Album'' demonstrated "aggressive combinations of disparate electronic forms", with an "almost-brutal contrast between its elements" that has ensured its relevance. In 2003 ''NME'' named it the 55th greatest album of all time, and in 2009 ''Pitchfork'' named it the 40th greatest album of the 1990s. James garnered attention the following year after the release of his charting ''Come to Daddy (EP), Come to Daddy'' EP. The Come to Daddy (song), title track was conceived as a death metal parody. Accompanied with a successful music video directed by
Chris Cunningham Chris Cunningham (born 15 October 1970) is an English video artist and music video director who directed music videos for electronic musicians such as Autechre, Squarepusher, and Aphex Twin and Björk. Early in his career he worked as a com ...
, James became disenchanted by its success: "This little idea that I had, which was a joke, turned into something huge. It wasn't right at all." It was followed by "
Windowlicker "Windowlicker" is a track by the British electronic music artist and producer Aphex Twin. It was released on 22 March 1999 through Warp Records. The artwork for the single was created by Chris Cunningham, with additional work by The Designers ...
", a charting single promoted with another Cunningham music video, nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Video in 2000.


2001–2009: ''Drukqs'', ''Analord'' and the Tuss

In 2001 Aphex Twin released ''
Drukqs ''Drukqs'' (stylised as ''drukQs'') is the fifth studio album by the British electronic music artist and producer Richard D. James under the alias of Aphex Twin. It was released in October 2001 through Warp Records. It is a double album that ...
'', an experimental double album featuring abrasive, meticulous programming and disklavier, computer-controlled piano influenced by Erik Satie and John Cage. It features the piano composition "Avril 14th", which remains perhaps James' best known work. The album polarised reviewers. James told interviewers he had accidentally left an MP3 player with new tracks on a plane, and had rushed the album release to preempt an music leak, internet leak. In 2001 James also released a short EP, ''2 Remixes By AFX'', with remixes of songs by 808 State and DJ Pierre. It also had an untitled third track, consisting of a Slow-scan television, SSTV image with high-pitched sounds which can be decoded to a viewable image with appropriate software. In 2002 James was nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Male. In 2003 Warp released ''26 Mixes for Cash'', collecting many of James's remixes for other artists. In 2005 James released a series of vinyl EPs under the AFX name, ''
Analord ''Analord'' is a series of eleven 12" vinyl records by the electronic music artist Richard D. James, most of which are released under the alias AFX. The series, released in 2005, marked James's return to primarily analogue equipment followin ...
'', created entirely with analogue equipment. These were followed in 2006 by a compilation album of ''Analord'' tracks, ''Chosen Lords.'' In 2007 James released two records on Rephlex, ''Confederation Trough'' and ''Rushup Edge (album), Rushup Edge'', under the alias the Tuss, Cornish slang for "erection". Media sources speculated about James's involvement, but his identity was not confirmed until 2014. In 2009 Rephlex Records released digital versions (in the FLAC file format) of the 11 Analord EPs. Each of them (except for Analord 10) had bonus tracks, totalling 81 minutes of new music between them all. Richard later disbanded Rephlex Records, removing the website entirely. This same year, James began working with the visual artist Weirdcore for graphics for his live shows, debuting at Bloc Festival in Minehead. Weirdcore has continued to work with James on live graphics and music videos. In 2010 James said he had completed six new albums, including a new version of the unreleased ''Melodies from Mars''. In September 2011 he performed a live tribute to the Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki; he performed his remix of Penderecki's "Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima" and a version of "Polymorphia". The following month, he performed at the Paris Pitchfork Music Festival.


2014–present: ''Caustic Window'', ''Syro'', and return as Aphex Twin

In 2014 a test pressing of a 1994 album recorded under James's pseudonym Caustic Window (album), Caustic Window appeared for sale on Discogs. The album was once intended for sale on James's label Rephlex, but went unreleased. With the consent of James and Rephlex, fans organised a Kickstarter campaign to purchase the record and distribute copies. ''Syro'', the first album released under the Aphex Twin name since ''Drukqs'' in 2001, was released through Warp on 23 September 2014. It was marketed by a teaser campaign including graffiti, a blimp flown over London, and an announcement made via a .onion, .onion address accessible through the darknet browser Tor (anonymity network), Tor. In November 2014 James released a set of 21 tracks, ''Modular Trax'', on the audio platform SoundCloud. The tracks were later removed. Over several months in 2015 James Aphex Twin SoundCloud demos, anonymously uploaded 230 demo tracks, some dating to the 1980s, to SoundCloud. He said he had released the Demo (music), demos to relieve his family of the pressure to release his archives after he dies. He has continued to occasionally release tracks on the account. On 23 January 2015 James released ''Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments pt2'', created with robotic instruments including the Disklavier, a computer-controlled player piano. On 8 July 2016 he released the ''Cheetah EP, Cheetah'' EP, backed by a music video for "CIRKLON3 [Колхозная mix]", the first official music video for an Aphex Twin track in 17 years. On 17 December, James performed in Houston, Texas at the Day for Night festival, his first American appearance in eight years. A 12-inch vinyl was sold exclusively at the festival, containing two 10-minute tracks, entitled ''Houston, TX 12.17.16 [Day For Night]''. On 3 June 2017 James performed at the Field Day festival and released a limited edition EP, ''London 03.06.17''. The performance was livestreamed on NTS Radio's Youtube channel. On 19 June 2017 a Michigan record store sold an exclusive Aphex Twin record comprising two tracks released on SoundCloud in 2015, entitled ''3 Gerald Remix / 24 TSIM 2''. On 27 July, Aphex Twin opened an online store with expanded versions of previous albums and new tracks. On 29 July, at the Fuji Rock Festival, a tape limited to 500 copies was released. Aphex Twin released an EP, ''Collapse (EP), Collapse'', on 14 September 2018. The EP was announced on 5 August in a garbled press release written in broken English and visually distorted with the same Aphex Twin 3D graphic found in London, Turin and Hollywood. A promotional video for the ''Collapse'' EP was to be broadcast on Adult Swim, but was cancelled after failing the Harding test. It was made available online instead, and the video for "T69 Collapse" was uploaded to YouTube. During James' September 2019 tour two 12-inch records were released at performances at Printworks (London), Printworks, London, and The Warehouse Project, Warehouse Project, Manchester, entitled "London" and "Manchester" on James' warp.net site. Official recordings of the sets were released on 15 September and 26 December 2019 on Youtube. Speculations of James's return started after a mysterious website featuring the Aphex Twin logo inside of the word "London" was discovered by fans. Its title alluded to 19 August 2023, the same day that the Field Day (festival), Field Day festival takes place on in London, teasing a possible performance. His return was confirmed on 24 January 2023, when Aphex Twin was announced as a headliner for the festival. Over the next few weeks, several other performances were announced for Europe. At a performance at Sónar on 16 June, an exclusive 12-inch vinyl was released entitled ''Barcelona 16.06.23''. During this festival, large QR code displays with Aphex Twin branding were spotted. This, coupled with posters found in Los Angeles, led to the discovery of an augmented reality app named YXBoZXh0d2lu. It was created to tease James' upcoming EP. On 21 June James announced the EP ''Blackbox Life Recorder 21f / In a Room7 F760'', which was released on 28 July. After the release of the EP, the app was updated again. Using the app to scan the front cover, inner sleeves, trifold insert and vinyl label of ''Blackbox Life Recorder 21f / In a Room7 F760'' reveals a variety of artwork and visuals, such as a 3D version of the cover, and makes the EP's songs playable in the app. On 19 August, James performed at Field Day (festival), Field Day and released another exclusive vinyl EP, London 19.08.2023. NTS Radio released a 360-degree video recording of the set on 27 August. On 2 September, at a performance at Forwards Bristol, a cassette combining the Barcelona and London releases was released, ''Bristol 02.09.23''. On 18 June 2024, James announced an Selected Ambient Works Volume II#Expanded Edition, expanded edition of ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II'' would be released later in the year. The re-issue was confirmed to be releasing on digital, triple CD, 4xLP standard and box set editions and double cassette formats. This re-issue included two bonus tracks, "Th1 (evnslower), th1 [evnslower]" and "Rhubarb Orc. 19.53 Rev", as well as Stone in Focus, the 19th track being released on all formats. The tracks were gradually released onto streaming platforms, with "#19" releasing on the day of the announcement, "th1 [evnslower]" releasing on 4 September 2024 and "Rhubarb Orc. 19.53 Rev" being released on 2 October 2024. ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II (Expanded Edition)'' officially released on 4 October 2024. On 17 December 2024 a compilation album featuring a variety of music exclusively released during James' live performances was surprise release, released without announcement, titled ''Music from the Merch Desk (2016–2023)''.


Musical style and influences

Writing for AllMusic, John Bush describes James as a "pioneer of experimental techno" who has "constantly pushed the limits of what can be accomplished with electronic instrument, electronic equipment, resulting in forward-thinking and emotionally engaging work that ranges from sublime, Pastoral music, pastoral ambience to manic head-rush acid techno". In a 1996 review, ''The Independent''s Angela Lewis called him a "maverick of 1990s in music, 1990s electronica [who] exemplifies the finest traditions of British pop music, British pop mischief". According to ''
Fact A fact is a truth, true data, datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance. Standard reference works are often used to Fact-checking, check facts. Science, Scientific facts are verified by repeatable careful observation or measurement by ...
'' magazine, James has "carved out his own space in the history of
electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...
" across several genres, with his unique melodies being "the reason he's talked about as not just an electronic innovator but as the sphere's definitive artist". In 2014 review in the ''Financial Times'', Ludovic Hunter-Tilney described James as a "musical maverick" noted for "yoking different elements together in unpredictable formulations" and blending "hard beats and uncanny tones; difficult abstraction and populist melodies". Music publications have described James variously as "the Mozart of" both
techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...
and Ambient music, ambient. Writing in ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' in 2001 Paul Lester identified James's lineage as "electronic greats" including Karlheinz Stockhausen, John Cage, Kraftwerk,
Brian Eno Brian Peter George Jean-Baptiste de la Salle Eno (, born 15 May 1948), also mononymously known as Eno, is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, visual artist, and activist. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to ambien ...
, and Derrick May (musician), Derrick May. James had no formal music education, music training and is largely self-taught. Prior to becoming a music production, producer, James spent his teens modifying analogue synthesisers and became "addicted to making noises," only later becoming "interested in listening to other people's stuff". James states that he spent his initial years "ignorant of music, apart from Acid techno, acid and techno, where I bought just about everything". He claimed to have been independently making music similar to acid and techno before encountering the styles, and subsequently became enthusiastic about them. He has cited 808 State's 1988 debut album ''Newbuild (album), Newbuild'' as a major early inspiration. In a 1993 interview, James identified voluntary sleep deprivation as an influence on his productions at that time. He also claimed to have recorded over one thousand unreleased tracks. He later said he experienced synaesthesia and utilised lucid dreaming as a means of developing compositional ideas. Some of James's early work was compared to
Brian Eno Brian Peter George Jean-Baptiste de la Salle Eno (, born 15 May 1948), also mononymously known as Eno, is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, visual artist, and activist. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to ambien ...
's ambient releases, but James claimed not to have heard Eno before he began recording. In a 1993 interview, Simon Reynolds noted that James had only recently explored Avant-garde classical, avant-classical and left-field Rock music, rock artists including Cage, Stockhausen, Eno, Steve Reich, Terry Riley, and Can (band), Can, and had spent a couple of years "catching up" on other genres outside techno and House music, house. In 1997 James described himself as a fan of "old tape music, tape and avant-garde music" such as Stockhausen's "Gesang der Jünglinge, Song for the Youth" and the work of American composer Tod Dockstader. He also named works by Erik Satie, Drexciya, Ween, Serge Gainsbourg, and Les Baxter among his favorite albums. When James began programming faster,
jungle jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past century. Etymology The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅgala'' ...
-inspired breakbeats in the mid-1990s, he named friends and fellow musicians Luke Vibert and Squarepusher, Tom Jenkinson as influences. In a 2014 interview, James said of jungle that "I still think it's the ultimate genre, really, because the people making it weren't musicians," and noted that "for years, I could listen to jungle and nick things from them, but they didn't know I existed." Along with Vibert and Jenkinson, James helped to spearhead the short-lived drill 'n' bass style, which exaggerated elements of
drum and bass Drum and bass (commonly abbreviated as DnB, D&B, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterised by fast Break (music)#Breakbeat (element of music), breakbeats (typically 165–185 Tempo, beats per minute) with heavy Bass (music) ...
, on his ''Hangable Auto Bulb'' EP (1995). Acknowledging another influence, James's Rephlex label released ''Music from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop'', a compilation of music recorded by the pioneers of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. In 2019 he described Kraftwerk as a major influence. Although he said he disliked "rock and roll", he appreciates Led Zeppelin (as a source of "great breakbeats"), and Pink Floyd (for their psychedelic music). Asked in 2011 about an artist he would like to work with, James named Kate Bush. Rephlex Records, which James co-owned with Grant Wilson-Claridge, coined the word "braindance" to describe Aphex Twin's music. According to the label: "Braindance is the genre that encompasses the best elements of all genres, e.g. traditional, Classical music, classical, electronic music, popular, modern, industrial music, industrial, ambient, Hip hop music, hip-hop, Electro (music), electro, house, techno, breakbeat, Hardcore (electronic dance music genre), hardcore, ragga, garage house, garage, drum and bass, etc." According to ''Pitchfork's'' Paul Cooper braindance "escaped the mind/body binary opposition of electronic music" while retaining its club roots. James has been characterised as a figurehead of intelligent dance music, intelligent dance music (IDM). IDM is mentioned on the home page of the Intelligent Dance Music (IDM) mailing list at Hyperreal.org about the music of Aphex Twin and the Artificial Intelligence (series), Artificial Intelligence Series released by Warp Records. The series features James's recordings as Polygon Window and early productions from artists including Autechre, Black Dog, Richie Hawtin's FUSE project and Speedy J. The term spread to the United States and internet Internet forum, message boards. James responded to the IDM term in a 1997 interview:


Image and pseudonyms

James's face, grinning or distorted, is a theme of his album covers, music videos and songs. James said it began as a response to techno producers who concealed their identities: The cover of '' ...I Care Because You Do'' features a self-portrait painted by James, and that of '' Richard D. James Album'' has a close-up photograph. His face is superimposed on the bodies of other people in the music videos for " Come to Daddy" and "
Windowlicker "Windowlicker" is a track by the British electronic music artist and producer Aphex Twin. It was released on 22 March 1999 through Warp Records. The artwork for the single was created by Chris Cunningham, with additional work by The Designers ...
". Near the end of the second track of the "Windowlicker" single (known as "Formula"), a photo of James's face is a Steganography, steganogram which is revealed as a spectrogram. Another image of James and collaborator Squarepusher, Tom Jenkinson is embedded (in Slow-scan television, SSTV format) with text in the third track of ''2 Remixes by AFX'', "Bonus High Frequency Sounds". James has recorded as AFX, Blue Calx, Bradley Strider, the Universal Indicator, Caustic Window, Smojphace , GAK (EP), GAK, PBoD (Phonic Boy on Dope), Polygon Window, Power-Pill, Q-Chastic, Dice Man, the Tuss, Soit-P.P and user18081971. In a 1997 interview, he said: "There's really no big theory. It's just things that I feel right in doing at the time and I really don't know why. I select songs for certain [names] and I just do it. I don't know what it means." In 2001 he commented on the speculation connected to many anonymous electronic artists: "A lot of people think everything electronic is mine. I get credited for so many things, it's incredible. I'm practically everyone, I reckon—everyone and nobody."


Influence and legacy

Writing in ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' in 2001 journalist Paul Lester described James as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music". ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' described James as a "hugely influential electronic musician whose ambient washes of sound and freakishly twisted beats have gone on to inform artists of all genres." AllMusic's John Bush wrote that "unlike most artists who emerged from the '90s techno scene, James established himself as a genuine personality, known for his cheeky grin and nightmare-inducing music videos as much as his groundbreaking albums and EPs," which helped to "expand his audience from ravers and critics to rock fans, with numerous non-electronic musicians citing him as an inspiration". In 2001 Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk cited Aphex Twin (particularly "
Windowlicker "Windowlicker" is a track by the British electronic music artist and producer Aphex Twin. It was released on 22 March 1999 through Warp Records. The artwork for the single was created by Chris Cunningham, with additional work by The Designers ...
") as an influence on their 2001 album ''Discovery (Daft Punk album), Discovery''. Bangalter said he liked it because "it wasn't a big club beat, but it also wasn't a laid back, quiet one". Other artists to have expressed admiration or cited Aphex Twin as an influence include Steve Reich, Wes Borland of Limp Bizkit, Skrillex, Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park, Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante, Matty Healy of the 1975, Kevin Parker (musician), Kevin Parker of Tame Impala, C418, Zammuto (band), Nick Zammuto of the Books, Grimes and Charli XCX. James influenced Radiohead's transition to electronic music for their 2000 album ''Kid A''. In 2013, the Radiohead singer, Thom Yorke, said Aphex Twin was his biggest influence: "He burns a heavy shadow ... Aphex opened up another world that didn't involve my fucking electric guitar ... I hated the Britpop thing and what was happening in America, but Aphex was totally beautiful, and he's kind of my age too." In 2002, asked if he would tour with Radiohead, James said "I wouldn't play with them since I don't like them". However, he said in 2011 that his dislike of Radiohead had been exaggerated by the press and that he had contacted Yorke to explain this. In 2005 Alarm Will Sound released ''Acoustica (Alarm Will Sound album), Acoustica: Alarm Will Sound Performs Aphex Twin'', featuring acoustic arrangements of James's electronic tracks. The London Sinfonietta performed arrangements of Aphex Twin songs in 2006. The animator David Firth (animator), David Firth sampled Aphex Twin in his animated series ''Salad Fingers''. In 2012 ''
Fact A fact is a truth, true data, datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance. Standard reference works are often used to Fact-checking, check facts. Science, Scientific facts are verified by repeatable careful observation or measurement by ...
'' named ''Selected Ambient Works 85–92'' the best album of the 1990s.


Personal life

James has made "wild and essentially unverifiable claims" about his personal life in interviews, including the claim that he had lived in the abandoned Bank vault, vault of a bank with several fellow musicians. He has described himself as "just some irritating, lying, ginger kid from Cornwall who should have been locked up in some youth detention centre. I just managed to escape and blag it into music." In a 1993 interview, he claimed to only sleep two to three hours per night. In the mid-1990s, James bought a disused bank in the Elephant & Castle area of London, where he claimed to live in a converted bank vault. He falsely claimed in a 2001 interview to have bought the steel structure in the centre of the Elephant Square roundabout, though this is in fact the Michael Faraday Memorial which houses an electricity substation for the London Underground. In the 1990s, James bought a 1950s Armored car (military), armoured car, complete with a working machine gun, which he claimed to drive around Cornwall in lieu of a car. In a 2010 interview with ''
Fact A fact is a truth, true data, datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance. Standard reference works are often used to Fact-checking, check facts. Science, Scientific facts are verified by repeatable careful observation or measurement by ...
'', James said he is living in Scotland after relocating from London. , he lives in a village near Glasgow in Scotland with his two sons from his first marriage and his second wife, Anastasia, a Russian art student. His sister Julie James (politician), Julie James is a Welsh Labour politician who was appointed the Welsh Welsh Government, Minister for Climate Change in 2021. In a 2014 interview, James mentioned that he finds it challenging to live in a small village: "You have to speak to everybody, and everybody knows your business. For someone like me, who's a little bit autistic or something, it can be quite intense." He also mentioned he does not own a smartphone.


Awards

{, class=wikitable , - ! Year !! Awards !! Category !! Work !! Result , - , rowspan="4", 1998 , 1998 MTV Video Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards , MTV Video Music Award for Best Visual Effects, Best Special Effects , rowspan="4", " Come to Daddy" , , - , rowspan="2", Design and Art Direction, D&AD Awards , Pop Promo Video with a budget over £40,000 , , - , Direction , , - , rowspan="2", MTV Europe Music Awards , rowspan="2", MTV Europe Music Award for Best Video, Best Video , , - , rowspan="3", 1999 , "
Windowlicker "Windowlicker" is a track by the British electronic music artist and producer Aphex Twin. It was released on 22 March 1999 through Warp Records. The artwork for the single was created by Chris Cunningham, with additional work by The Designers ...
" , , - , Prix Ars Electronica , Digital Music , rowspan="2", Himself , , - , Online Music Awards , Best Electronic Fansite , , - , rowspan="5", 2000 , 2000 Brit Awards, Brit Awards , Brit Award for British Video, Best British Video , rowspan="4", "
Windowlicker "Windowlicker" is a track by the British electronic music artist and producer Aphex Twin. It was released on 22 March 1999 through Warp Records. The artwork for the single was created by Chris Cunningham, with additional work by The Designers ...
" , , - , rowspan="2", Design and Art Direction, D&AD Awards , Direction , , - , Editing , , - , rowspan="3", NME Awards , Single of the Year , , - , rowspan="2", Best Dance Act , rowspan="3", Himself , , - , rowspan="3", 2002 , , - , 2002 Brit Awards, Brit Awards , Brit Award for British Male Solo Artist, British Male Solo Artist , , - , Shortlist Music Prize , Album of the Year , ''
Drukqs ''Drukqs'' (stylised as ''drukQs'') is the fifth studio album by the British electronic music artist and producer Richard D. James under the alias of Aphex Twin. It was released in October 2001 through Warp Records. It is a double album that ...
'' , , - , 2005 , Antville Music Video Awards , Best Video , "Rubber Johnny" , , - , rowspan="3", 2014 , rowspan="3", Rober Awards Music Poll , Best Male Artist , rowspan="3", Himself , , - , Comeback of the Year , , - , Best Electronica , , - , rowspan="7", 2015 , 2015 Grammy Awards, Grammy Awards , Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronica Album, Best Dance/Electronica Album , rowspan="6", ''
Syro ''Syro'' () is the sixth studio album by the British electronic music artist and producer Aphex Twin, Richard D. James under the alias of Aphex Twin. It was released on 19September 2014 through Warp Records. It was James's first album under th ...
'' , , - , International Dance Music Awards , Best Full Length Studio Recording , , - , Independent Music Companies Association, IMPALA Awards , Album of the Year , , - , Mercury Prize , rowspan="2", Album of the Year , , - , rowspan="3", Libera Awards , , - , Creative Packaging Award , , - , Marketing Genius , ''Syro'' album release campaign , , - , 2016 , 2016 Brit Awards, Brit Awards , Brit Award for British Male Solo Artist, British Male Solo Artist , Himself , , - , rowspan="5", 2018 , Rober Awards Music Poll , Best EP , rowspan="2", ''Collapse (EP), Collapse'' , , - , Best Art Vinyl , Best Art Vinyl , , - , rowspan="3", UK Video Music Awards , Best Dance Video , rowspan="4", "T69 Collapse" , , - , Best Visual Effects in a Video , , - , Best Animation in a Video , , - , rowspan="4", 2019 , Classic Pop (magazine), Classic Pop Reader Awards , Video of the Year , , - , 2019 Brit Awards, Brit Awards , Brit Award for British Male Solo Artist, British Male Solo Artist , Himself , , - , rowspan="2", Libera Awards , Marketing Genius , ''Collapse (EP), Collapse'' , , - , Video of the Year , "T69 Collapse" , , - , rowspan=2, 2024 , 2024 Grammy Awards, Grammy Awards , Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording, Best Dance/Electronic Recording , "
Blackbox Life Recorder 21f "Blackbox Life Recorder 21f" is a track by the British electronic music artist and producer Aphex Twin. It was first released as the lead single in promotion of the EP '' Blackbox Life Recorder 21f / In a Room7 F760'', his first new music under t ...
" , , - , AIM Independent Music Awards , Best Creative Campaign , Himself ,


Discography

Studio albums as Aphex Twin * ''
Selected Ambient Works 85–92 ''Selected Ambient Works 85–92'' is the debut studio album by the British electronic music artist and producer Richard D. James under the alias of Aphex Twin. It was released on 9November 1992 through Apollo Records, a subsidiary of the Bel ...
'' (1992) * ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II'' (1994) * '' ...I Care Because You Do'' (1995) * '' Richard D. James Album'' (1996) * ''
Drukqs ''Drukqs'' (stylised as ''drukQs'') is the fifth studio album by the British electronic music artist and producer Richard D. James under the alias of Aphex Twin. It was released in October 2001 through Warp Records. It is a double album that ...
'' (2001) * ''
Syro ''Syro'' () is the sixth studio album by the British electronic music artist and producer Aphex Twin, Richard D. James under the alias of Aphex Twin. It was released on 19September 2014 through Warp Records. It was James's first album under th ...
'' (2014)


See also

* List of ambient music artists


Notes


References


External links


Aphex Twin
at Warp Records * * SoundCloud page
Aphex Twin
{{Authority control Aphex Twin, 1971 births Living people British ambient musicians Braindance musicians British techno musicians Intelligent dance musicians British experimental musicians British electronic dance music DJs People from Lanner, Cornwall Rhythm King artists Sire Records artists Warp Records artists Chiptune and tracker musicians TVT Records artists People educated at Cornwall College Grammy Award winners for dance and electronic music Alumni of Kingston University Irish emigrants to the United Kingdom Musicians from Cornwall Irish people of Welsh descent