Hangable Auto Bulb
| Hangable Auto Bulb | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 CD release cover | ||||
| EP by AFX | ||||
| Released |
EP1: October 16, 1995 EP2: December 11, 1995 | |||
| Recorded | August–October 1995 | |||
| Genre |
Acid techno Glitch Drill n' Bass IDM | |||
| Length |
EP1: 25:05 EP2: 9:04 CD: 34:47 | |||
| Label | Warp | |||
| Producer | Richard D. James | |||
| AFX chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Original covers | ||||
 EP1 |
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 EP2 |
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| Hangable Auto Bulb EP | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   link |
| Hangable Auto Bulb EP.2 | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |  link |
| CD release | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| The Guardian | 28 Oct 2005 |
| Pitchfork Media | (8.9/10) 3 Nov 2005 |
| PopMatters | link |
Hangable Auto Bulb is a 1995 electronic music EP by Richard D. James, under his alias AFX. It was re-released on CD on October 31, 2005.
Overview
Split across two 12″ EPs, the second released eight weeks after the first and each limited to 1000 pressings, the records marked a significant change in sound from previous AFX and Aphex Twin releases. Moving away from the analogue sounds of the previous releases, Donkey Rhubarb and …I Care Because You Do, the tracks show James experimenting with computer-arranged Breakbeat programming and timestretched samples, and this can be seen as a precursor to Richard D. James Album. This would become the dominant sound in his work up until the Analord releases of 2005.
The records are influenced by the early EPs of fellow Cornish producer Plug (Luke Vibert), as well as other Drum and bass movements of the day.
Track listing
12″ EPs
Hangable Auto Bulb EP (1995)
- "Children Talking" – 5:19
- "Hangable Auto Bulb" – 6:48
- "Laughable Butane Bob" – 2:58
- "Bit" – 0:06
- "Custodian Discount" – 4:25
- "Wabby Legs" – 5:29
Hangable Auto Bulb EP.2 (1995)
- "Every Day" – 3:44
- "Arched Maid Via RDJ" – 5:20
CD
- "Children Talking" – 5:22
- "Hangable Auto Bulb" – 6:52
- "Laughable Butane Bob" – 3:02
- "Bit" – 0:11
- "Custodian Discount" – 4:30
- "Wabby Legs" – 5:35
- "Every Day" – 3:50
- "Arched Maid Via RDJ" – 5:25
The CD lengths are slightly different from the original EPs. On some pressings, tracks 7 and 8 are erroneously reversed.
Samples
The tracks "Children Talking" and "Everyday" feature samples from the 1961 BBC Radio series titled "Children Talking". Harold Williamson traveled the United Kingdom asking children questions about aspects of their lives.
Anagrams
The album's title is an anagram of "Analogue Bublbath", a reference to James' previous AFX release series, Analogue Bubblebath.
Also, as on James' previous album …I Care Because You Do, a number of the track titles are anagrams:
- of Analogue Bubblebath: "Laughable Butane Bob"
- of Analogue Bublbath [sic]: "Hangable Auto Bulb"
- of Richard David Jame [sic]: "Arched Maid Via RDJ"
- of Caussttic Ouinnddo [sic] (correctly spelled "Caustic Window"): "Custodian Discount"
External links
- More info on Hangable Auto Bulb EP
- More info on Hangable Auto Bulb EP.2
- Complete AFX discography
- Hangable Auto Bulb at MusicBrainz (list of releases)
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