The History Behind Aphex Twin’s Timeless Logo
“With there being many incorrect versions of this lettering floating about, I thought it was about time to release the definite construction”
The original Aphex Twin logo was drawn by hand, and he has used the same logo since 1992, when Selected Ambient Works 85-92 was released with the iconic symbol prominently displayed on the cover.
I think it is the letter ‘A’, but viewed with detail, it’s not really, but rather a mysterious symbol, an otherworldly and organic space thing. It is simple, yet nuanced, clear yet confusing, it’s a multi-faceted mark perfectly symbolic of Aphex’s soundscape.
Some sources stated that Paul Nicholson originally drew the symbol for another client of his “Anarchic Adjustment”, a skatewear label based in San Francisco, their ‘thing’ at the time was an early Nineties ‘alien’ vibe logo.
We are talking about 1991. Paul pitched them some ‘alien’ vibe ‘A’ concepts, which were rejected. At the time He and Richard D. James (a.k.a Aphex Twin) both studied at Kingston University and Richard, having seen the work in progress, liked where he was going with the amorphic shape and he made a few more sketches for James.
According to James, it was a collaborative effort: “He designed it all but I was guiding, like “nah more like this, yeah more like that” etc. “It was my idea to put the circle around it. there were quite a few iterations before I was happy. I was also astute enough to buy the rights off him, with my last £’s, I was still a student, as I knew it would be very important to me and I also didn’t want any arguments down the road”.
The mysterious abstract symbol was drawn by hand using circle templates and rulers, making its first appearance in and out of Aphex’s sleeve artwork. It was the primary focus on the covers of ‘Selected Ambient Works 85-92’ and ‘Ambient Works Vol. II’. Richard’s music remains current and challenging, retaining a strange parallel relevance to the symbol itself. More recently, James has typically used his Aphex Twin logo to hint at an upcoming activity.
There’s no denying that the music on Selected Ambient Works 85-92 was the defining statement of Warp’s early years, and the foundation for the careers of bands like Boards of Canada and Plaid.
His work here serves as a model for what would come to be known as traditional IDM. A simpler version of the style we’ve grown accustomed to, certainly, but IDM nonetheless.
Listening to Selected Ambient Works 85-92, one can’t help but imagine the seeds being planted in the imaginations of the lucky few who were there when it all began. Nestled in these simple, undeniably danceable tracks are the roots of contemporary IDM.
The dichotomy of Ruido.
A moment in the present.
Indulge in the music of culture.
A moment in the present.
Indulge in the music of culture.