Aphex Twin’s Iconic ‘Digeridoo’ Gets Expanded Re-Issue with Rare Tracks
2024.06.14
In a world where crafting a standard dance track seems all too simple, Aphex Twin, aka Richard D James, stands out for his relentless pursuit of innovation. Reflecting on his mindset from back in 1992, he remarked, “You’ve got to put a bit of thought into it to get something a bit different.”
Released on the Belgian label R&S Records in 1992, ‘Digeridoo’ initially peaked at #55 on the UK singles chart in May of that year. Over the past 32 years, the track has solidified its status as an essential piece in Aphex Twin’s vast and influential catalogue.
In an interview with Select magazine in the 90s, James revealed the track’s origins: “I wanted to have some tracks to play to finish the raves I used to play in Cornwall, to really kill everybody off so they couldn’t dance. ‘Digeridoo’ came out of that.”
The original EP featured four tracks, including early Aphex Twin classics like the industrial, acidic ‘Flap Head’ and the hyperbolic futurism of ‘Isopropanol’. This release marked the beginning of a fruitful relationship with R&S Records, which also saw the release of the ‘Xylem Tube’ EP and the landmark album ‘Selected Ambient Works 85-92’ later that same year. R&S owner and A&R, Renaat Vandepapeliere, reminisced, “When I first heard Aphex Twin’s music I said, ‘This is it!’, and everybody else said, ‘You’re crazy!’ A lot of the hardcore R&S fans dropped us. To them it wasn’t music.”
For the first time, ‘Digeridoo’ is being re-issued as an Expanded Edition, featuring additional material. Delving into his DAT archive, allegedly stored in an airtight military ammo box, James revisited these recordings. He encoded them through a Nakamichi CR7e cassette deck, using a customized vari-speed deck to achieve the speeds that "felt right at the time." Alongside these CR7e versions, the original mixes have been remastered by Beau Thomas at Ten Eight Seven Mastering, providing a fresh perspective on one of electronic music’s most enduring releases.
‘Digeridoo’ (Expanded Edition) by Aphex Twin will be available on R&S Records from May 31, 2024. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the expanded universe of a track that continues to amaze and inspire generations of electronic music fans.
Released on the Belgian label R&S Records in 1992, ‘Digeridoo’ initially peaked at #55 on the UK singles chart in May of that year. Over the past 32 years, the track has solidified its status as an essential piece in Aphex Twin’s vast and influential catalogue.
In an interview with Select magazine in the 90s, James revealed the track’s origins: “I wanted to have some tracks to play to finish the raves I used to play in Cornwall, to really kill everybody off so they couldn’t dance. ‘Digeridoo’ came out of that.”
The original EP featured four tracks, including early Aphex Twin classics like the industrial, acidic ‘Flap Head’ and the hyperbolic futurism of ‘Isopropanol’. This release marked the beginning of a fruitful relationship with R&S Records, which also saw the release of the ‘Xylem Tube’ EP and the landmark album ‘Selected Ambient Works 85-92’ later that same year. R&S owner and A&R, Renaat Vandepapeliere, reminisced, “When I first heard Aphex Twin’s music I said, ‘This is it!’, and everybody else said, ‘You’re crazy!’ A lot of the hardcore R&S fans dropped us. To them it wasn’t music.”
For the first time, ‘Digeridoo’ is being re-issued as an Expanded Edition, featuring additional material. Delving into his DAT archive, allegedly stored in an airtight military ammo box, James revisited these recordings. He encoded them through a Nakamichi CR7e cassette deck, using a customized vari-speed deck to achieve the speeds that "felt right at the time." Alongside these CR7e versions, the original mixes have been remastered by Beau Thomas at Ten Eight Seven Mastering, providing a fresh perspective on one of electronic music’s most enduring releases.
‘Digeridoo’ (Expanded Edition) by Aphex Twin will be available on R&S Records from May 31, 2024. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the expanded universe of a track that continues to amaze and inspire generations of electronic music fans.
