Windowlicker

aphex twin – windowlicker
warp records | 1999

overall score: 85
overall stars: 4 out of 5 stars
overall grade: B

jeez, that cover art is something else... richard d. james really woke up one day and said, ‘yeah, let’s slap my cursed face onto a woman’s body and call it a day

windowlicker is one of the weirdest, funniest, and most impressive electronic releases ever. aphex twin takes his signature insanity and somehow makes it… sexy? well, as sexy as a track with his horrifying grin plastered all over it can be. the whole thing feels like a fever dream—one where you’re trapped in a neon-lit dystopian club run by a madman who only speaks in glitches and alien noises. and yet, it’s absolutely incredible

favorite tracks breakdown

windowlicker – absolute classic. starts off smooth, hypnotic, almost seductive—then aphex twin starts throwing in those signature twisted, chopped-up vocals and brain-melting synths. it’s like r&b from an alternate reality where everything is slightly wrong, but in the best way possible. that beat switch halfway through? legendary

nannou – a total curveball. after the madness of windowlicker, aphex twin decides to hit us with something delicate, almost lullaby-like. the music-box-like sounds make it feel strangely nostalgic, like childhood memories of something you can’t quite remember. simple but beautiful

least favorite track

ΔMi-1=-αΣDi[n][ΣFji[n-1]+Fexti[n-1]] – listen, the track itself isn’t bad, but the title alone makes me feel like i need a phd in theoretical physics just to understand what’s happening. it’s a chaotic, distorted explosion of sound, but compared to the other two tracks, it feels less essential. still, it wouldn’t be aphex twin without something completely unhinged

final thoughts

richard d. james is an absolute madman, and windowlicker is proof of that. it’s bizarre, it’s hilarious, it’s unsettling, but it’s also genius. this ep shows that aphex twin can make something both absurdly weird and undeniably great. even if the cover art will haunt my dreams forever