Surfing on Sine Waves

Infobox Album |
Name = Surfing on Sine Waves
Type = Studio album
Artist = Polygon Window


Released = start date|1993|01|11
Recorded = Llannerlog Studios, Cornwall
Genre = Techno
Length = 56:58
Label = Warp Records
WARP 7 (UK)
Wax Trax!/TVT Records
TVT-7204 (US)
SME Records
SRCS 7523 (Japan)
Zomba Records
RTD 126.3842.2 (Germany)
Producer = Richard D. James
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:9gqpg44btv2z link]
* Pitchfork Media (8.1/10.0) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/20966/Polygon_Window_Surfing_on_Sine_Waves link]
Chronology = Aphex Twin
Last album = "Xylem Tube EP"
(1992)
This album = "Surfing on Sine Waves"
(1993)
Next album = "On (EP)" (1993)
Misc = Extra chronology 2
Artist = "Artificial Intelligence" series
Type = Studio album
Last album = "Artificial Intelligence" (1992)
This album = "Surfing on Sine Waves" (1993)
Next album = "Bytes" (1993)

"Surfing on Sine Waves" is a techno album by Polygon Window, a pseudonym for recording artist Richard D. James, better known by his other alias of Aphex Twin. The album was released January 11, 1993, on Warp Records, and is the second in its Artificial Intelligence series. Warp also released an accompanying single taken from "Quoth".

Recording details

After hearing James's early material as Aphex Twin on Belgium's R&S Records, Warp contacted James and offered him a recording contract and a chance to show off his collection of homemade and modified synthesizers. He would later continue to release material on Warp, but under his other alias of Aphex Twin. Richard D. James is listed as the creator of the music; however, his name is printed over the brown cliff on the back of the album, so it is not easily seen without careful scrutiny. The full text reads, "Writing, programming, arranging, engineering, producing + location recording by Richard D. James at Llannerlog Studios, Cornwall." An image of him running down a flight of stairs can also be found inside the liner notes.

The album is a collection of largely instrumental electronic music (a few vocal samples are included in places, including one from the Broadway musical "The Sound of Music"). It might have been recorded by James onto cassettes in his bedroom studio, using a limited range of cheaply available drum machines, synthesizers, sequencers and samplers, some of which he may have modified himself. The equipment included staples such as the Roland TB-303 bass synth/sequencer and Roland TR-606 drum machine on an untitled track, a Roland R8 digital drum machine, and low-budget synths such as the Yamaha DX100. Digital piano sample sounds are also used. Most of the tracks feature insistent drum machine patterns (the ambient "Quino-phec" being an exception) and James' characteristic angular and modal melodies. James makes liberal use of lengthy digital reverberation, giving a spacious feel to the tracks.

The album was re-released in 2000 by Warp to celebrate the opening of its American division (albums by Warp had been distributed in the United States through licensing deals with many labels—this one was originally released on Wax Trax!/TVT Records there). The re-release features two previously unreleased tracks that were recorded during the same time this album was created.

An alternative version of Polygon Window, credited to James as the Dice Man, was featured on the first album in the "Artificial Intelligence" series, the compilation "Artificial Intelligence". Remixes of "Polygon Window" and "Quoth" also appear on V/VM's "Helpaphextwin" album.

Track listing

1993 release

#"Polygon Window" - 5:24
#"Audax Powder" 4:36
#"Quoth" - 5:34 (Audio|PolygonWindowQuoth.ogg|sample)
#"If It Really Is Me" - 7:01
#"Supremacy II" - 4:04
#"UT1-dot" - 5:17
#" [untitled] " - 6:24
#"Quixote" - 6:00
#"Quino-phec" - 4:42

2001 US re-release

#"Polygon Window" - 5:24
#"Audax Powder" - 4:36
#"Quoth" - 5:34
#"If It Really Is Me" - 7:01
#"Supremacy II" - 4:04
#"UT1 - dot" - 5:17
#" [Untitled] " - 6:24
#"Quixote" - 6:00
#"Portreath Harbour" - 4:44
#"Redruth School" - 2:43
#"Quino-phec" - 4:42

External links

* [http://xltronic.com/discography/release/180/surfing-on-sine-waves-warpcd7 More info, artwork and samples]
* [http://xltronic.com/disco/alias/5/polygon-window Complete Polygon Window discography]
* [http://www.warprecords.com/ography/release.php?cat=WARP7 "Surfing on Sine Waves"] at the Warp Records discography (features audio clips).