Review Summary: Start As You Mean to Go On
It’s kind of hard to put into words just how revolutionary Aphex Twin is. Sure, some of his work can sound pretty commonplace now, but back then, you’d be hard pressed to find an electronic artist who was crafting the sounds and beats he was. His first two albums (The aptly named ‘Selected Ambient Works Vol. 1’ and 2 retrospectively) were game changers. Two lush albums full of restrained mellow beats and beautiful and sometimes frightening soundscapes. It’s easy to say you’d be hard pressed on finding an electronics fan who doesn’t love them, or at least appreciates what they did for the genre. But then there’s ‘...I Care Because You Do’, the sore thumb of Richard D James’ catalogue. While it acts as a more transitional record, bridging his relaxed and spacey first two records with the chaotic but melodically lush ‘Richard D James Album’, its odd mix of ambience and ear shattering beats puts it in a weird place. It feels like the predecessor to the similarly divisive ‘DrukQs’ in many places and it still draws a mixed reaction from fans. Still, does it stand up today?
The record blends two distinct styles. Twitchy Trip-Hop With Ambient flourishes and Pummelling IDM which dabbles into noise and avant garde. Opener ‘Acrid Avid Jam Shred’ (all the tracks bar three are anagrams derived from many of Richard’s aliases, in this case however it’s his actual name) is a shuddering gem using a lovely synth line and shambling drums to create a near 8 minute trip hop opus. ‘Alberto Balsalm’ feels like a ‘Selected Ambient Works’ outtake with a gentle melody working over a steady drum backing, acting as one of the album’s quieter and prettier moments, along with fan favourite ‘Mookid’ and the triumphant closer ‘Next Heap With’. These tracks act almost like respites from the bulk of the record that is. Aggressive, booming Techno.
‘Start As You Mean to Go On’ uses a screeching percussion part which sounds more like an electrical station melting down than a drum track and the squelchy booming bass line only adds to the glitchy madness. ‘Wax The Nip’ finds a ground between the two sounds of the record, with soft ambient tones and chord progressions over the top of a muffled frantic drum n bass beat. Then there’s ‘Ventolin’, arguably Richard’s most aggressive and brutal pieces. Mixing ear piercing harsh tones and crunching industrial beats, the track feels more like an apocalyptic rave at an out of control factory. It’s absolutely brutal and one of the most difficult parts of the record to swallow, but also one of the most rewarding songs Richard ever released, if you can stomach the full thing. It’s mixing songs like this along with the gentler and more abrasive ones that really makes ‘...I Care’ unique and one of the more standout releases in the Aphex Twin library. While ‘DrukQs’ would similarly blend frenzied IDM with electroacoustic and 20th century classical pieces, that album was, Intentionally, much more scattershot and messy. On ‘...I Care’, it feels so much more honed in and concise.
‘...I Care Because You Do’ isn’t for everyone. Like, at all. It’s pretty understandable why it’s rather divisive in the Aphex Twin fanbase. You’d be rather hard pressed to find someone who considers it their favourite Richard album. But, it’s an extremely important one. Without it, we wouldn’t have later classics like ‘Windowlicker’ or ‘Richard D James Album’. It’s importance cannot be overlooked. What ‘Selected Ambient Works Vol 1 & 2’ did for IDM and Ambient music as a whole, ‘...I Care Because You Do’ did for the future of Richard’s music as a whole. After all, he cared. Do you?
Standout tracks:
Acrid Avid Jam Shred
Wax The Nip
Ventolin
Come On, You Slags!
Start As You Mean to Go On
Mookid
Alberto Balsalm
Next Heap With
