Expert Knob Twiddlers

Mike & Rich
Studio album by Mike & Rich
Released	June 24, 1996
Recorded	1993-95
Genre	Ambient, Techno
Length	57:51
Label	Rephlex Records (CAT 027)
Producer	Michael Paradinas Richard James

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Allmusic	[1]

Mike & Rich is an ambient-techno album by Mike Paradinas and Richard D. James. It was released in 1996 on Rephlex Records. The album is also known as Expert Knob Twiddlers.^[2]

The album is an amalgam of the music stylings of Aphex Twin and µ-ziq, complete with peculiar samples of jazz and of the human anatomy; "Upright Kangaroo" features a prominent sample of a belch as part of the beat. Familiar elements of both artists' works appear throughout; for example, "Winner Takes All" features a beat quite similar to that of "cow cud is a twin" from Aphex Twin's album ...I Care Because You Do, at a much faster tempo. According to Paradinas, the collaboration was partially inspired by James' unreleased Melodies from Mars project.^[3]

The album cover features Mike and Rich playing the game Downfall by Milton Bradley Company: the cover is designed as a parody of the original game's box art.^[4]

The caption on the cover similarly is written in the style of that on the MB game, and reads: "Cleverly manoeuvre your records onto the platters and then listen to the tracks in the right order to win! But watch out-the tracks are different on each side you could be helping your opponent instead of helping yourself!"

An unused track from the Mike & Rich sessions, "Brivert & Muons", was posted on the Planet Mu website around the time of the album's release, but is no longer available.

Track listing

1. "Mr. Frosty" – 6:51
2. "Jelly Fish" – 6:30
3. "Eggy Toast" – 4:07
4. "Reg" – 5:57
5. "Vodka" – 4:12
6. "Winner Takes All" – 5:44
7. "Giant Deflating Football" – 6:22
8. "Upright Kangaroo" – 3:31
9. "The Sound of Beady Eyes" – 7:46
10. "Bu Bu Bu Ba" – 6:51

References