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I Care Because You Do

Posted by Scott

Aphex_Twin_-_I_Care_Because_You_Do_-_front
Aphex Twin is one of my favorite composers and his 1995 album "I Care Because You Do" will always hold a special place in my collection. I have to admit I really don’t care for some of his work; the more harsh experimental stuff is not really my style. But when he gets all melodic and ambient there is none better. This track here is one of my all-time favorites.

Aphex Twin – Alberto Balsalm

[audio:alberto.mp3]

28 Comments Leave A Comment

3

Joaquim Marquès Nielsen says:

March 5, 2008 at 3:40 am

Just off the topic here:

I was just listening to “In The End” – the bonus track on “The Science of Patterns” and it struck me: Did you have a little collaboration with Bonobo on that one? Haha, nah just kidding. It’s just that “In The End” shares a lot of elements with Bonobo’s track “Silver” on the album “Animal Magic”. At least that’s my opinion…

You know Bonobo, right? If not, I think you’d really like his style too.

– J

4

LAB says:

March 5, 2008 at 3:59 am

I absolutley adore that album. Every track is gold and its just unbelievably well done. Alberto Balsam is actually my favourite track aswell, mainly because its a good mix of very ambient works with a cool hip hop beat making this reallly cool texture to it.

Richard D James is god lol

Oh and i reccomend his side project The Tuss, although it may be a bit too heavy handed if you only prefer his ambient works.

5

Scott says:

March 5, 2008 at 4:11 am

Joaquim-
just went and listened to “Silver”…pretty nice. “In The End” was all about DJ Shadow though, back then his work was my big influence..Didn’t hear Bonobo until a few years ago through Dusty Brown.

6

drew kora says:

March 5, 2008 at 5:16 am

I have regarded Alberto Balsam as one of the most beautiful songs ever made. Gorgeous work.

Further, I love Aphex Twin. I love his twisted sense of humor, too.

7

Alex / HeadUp says:

March 5, 2008 at 5:42 am

What technique did he use for that cover art? Almost looks like he had someone try to paint over a photograph or something.

Aphex Twin is pretty cool, agreed on selected Ambient Works, there are a lot of really spacey tracks on it. His videos are incredible too:

Windowlicker (hilarious):
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1P3Wc-37pC4

Rubby Johnny (mindf**k):
http://youtube.com/watch?v=l48HTZUHfeQ

Come to Daddy (creepy):
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5Az_7U0-cK0

10

Greg Formager says:

March 5, 2008 at 8:08 am

Yay Aphex. I agree on not totally liking everything by him, but then again I sort of do like everything in a curious kind of masochistic way… But for really pretty and eclectic stuff I am listening to The Flashbulb these days. Benn Jordan amazes me.

14

Karl Peterson says:

March 5, 2008 at 12:59 pm

That was the first Aphex Twin song I ever heard all the way back when I was 14. It completely changed my expectations of what music can be. The percussion always reminds me of moving furniture on a hardwood floor.

Great post. Made my day.

15

Alex / HeadUp says:

March 5, 2008 at 12:59 pm

Mike Milosh has some good songs, but I don’t know if Aphex is what comes to mind when I think of his music…interesting how different things can sound to different ears, huh?

I like the idea behind his albums too– the first one was about his love for his girlfriend, the second one, which is the one I own, Meme is about the breakup…although it’s a bit too moody for my tastes right now, songs like Falling Away were very fitting when I was jilted last yr.

16

Shud says:

March 5, 2008 at 4:45 pm

acrid avid jam shred owns that whole album in my opinion.

i got into aphex off the ventolin ep when it came out, and then shortly after got the full length. pretty much obsessed over this for years, along with his subsequent output. listening back on it now, it’s still very good, but the repetitive nature of some tracks, like alberto balsam, is a bit hard for me to take if i’m not busy with something else. i’ve heard these tunes so much there’s nothing new in a straight listening experience and the tunes tend to drag on for me.

i didn’t mind some of the analord stuff…but….for me, aphex kind of milked his own cult of personality almost to the point of making himself irrelevent. whereas autechre have carved out something truly unique, albeit utterly cold, austere, and these days, inhospitable. autechre may not feel as good to listen to, but from a critical & historical perspective i think they will hold a more pretigious position in the pantheon of great experimental electronic composers.

17

Chris says:

March 5, 2008 at 10:06 pm

I’ve always loved Aphex Twin. Ever since Windowlicker. That and Squarepusher. Something about seeing Chris Cunningham’s videos…made me feel like I was on drugs even when I wasn’t! Thanks for the post Scott.

18

Marcus Evans says:

March 6, 2008 at 2:12 am

I can almost get into his other stuff… But then I think… Well I’d still rather listen to something else so I don’t hehe. The older stuff is my favourite… I imagine that in ten year’s I’ll be listening to the stuff that, right now, is new… And again, I’ll not like the real new stuff again. If you get what I mean. He’s kinda too far ahead of everything else for you to be used to it and like it. Heh.

19

Luis Serrano says:

March 6, 2008 at 7:37 am

Aphex twin as been one of my main influencies. I just love his work with chris cunningham, It’s just so good. I know sometimes it might be a bit scary… but for me it is just perfect.

22

Vagn says:

March 6, 2008 at 7:33 pm

I love the song ‘Come On YOU Slags’ off that album.. creeps me out.. great feeling to it… a creepy feeling.. good though… RDJ is king

26

kir mokum says:

March 13, 2008 at 10:54 pm

first off, i just want to say your designs are tight as fuck. secondly, your music is amazing. and thirdly (which is also what prompted me to leave a reply in the first place) alberto balsam is the reason why i listen to electronic music. there was about 20 sec. of it at the end of a mix tape i was given and i was obsessed with it because i only got to hear half of the melody and i NEEDED to hear the rest. and now i’m realizing how inane that story is.

in summary: you have good taste because it’s analogous to mine.