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Aphex Twin, The* - Analogue Bubblebath
Label:
Catalog#:
MIGHTY 001
Format:
Vinyl, 12", 33 ⅓ RPM
Country:
UK
Released:
Sep 1991
Genre:
Electronic
Style:
Techno,
Hardcore,
IDM
Tracklist
| A1 | Analogue Bubblebath | |||
| A2 | Isopropophlex | |||
| B1 | En Trance To Exit | |||
| Co-producer - Schizophrenia (2) | ||||
| B2 | AFX 2 | |||
Notes
First release from Aphex Twin. Remastered and re-released under the artist name AFX with the catalogue number MF201 in late 1993. On this pressing Tom Middleton is misleadingly credited on "AFX 2" when he was only involved on "En Trance To Exit". Most copies have a stamp on the white label side. Also some promo copies exist.
Recommendations
-
Aphex Twin - Xylem Tube E.P. (12", EP)
-
Aphex Twin - Analog Bubblebath Vol 2 (12", Ltd)
-
-
-
AFX* - Analord 01 (12")
▸ show all 2 reviews
Reviews & Discussion
Originally released in 1991 as the "APHEX TWIN ep" with catalogue number: 'MIGHTY 001'
The original pressing had a label with the track listing on one side and a blank white label with "Mighty Force Records APHEX TWIN ep" stamped on the other side, identical to the Rabbit City issue of "Analogue Bubblebath 2" (It is the same stamp - both records have the same imperfection on the top of the "T" in the word 'TWIN' on their labels - a bit of the rubber was worn off.)
Only 200 copies of 'MIGHTY 001' were pressed, as a tester, sales were expected to be light, 30 of these were 'promos'.
The only difference to the promo was a small sticker on the stamped 'blank' side of the label, 2cm by 6cm with the following, printed, all in capitals:
"MIGHTY FORCE DANCE MUSIC SPECIALIST
26 BARTHOLOMEW CENTRE
FORE STREET EXETER EX4 3AN
TEL: 0392 433844"
The stickers were the 'sale' stickers used in the Mighty Force record shop with the info printed with a B&W
'AppleWriter' laser copier in their office.
This record sold so well that it surprised Richard and Tom, so they did another run, this time of a 1000.
The catalogue number on this issue was "MIGHTY 201"
I do not know if there were any subsequent re-issues with ascending catalogue numbers after this, as these were the only copies I have managed to get, until the picture sleeve repress of '93 was released. I suspect not.
Because of a lack of money, one of the promos of 'Mighty 001' sent out was the Glass Master used for the initial press.
(The glass master, in terms of record pressing, is the first vinyl record cut from the two metal acetates (one for each side) used in the direct cutting process utilised for small record runs in small pressing plants using scully lathes, which Porky's Prime Cut was at this time.
This record is then checked for defects such as wether the lead in and tail trails (groove) line up, the trail is not pinched or off axis, there are no trail burrs, etc, etc.
A test cut that has any flaws will be marked with arrows pointing to the problem area and used as a visual guide to make another test, hopefully minus the flaw. This is repeated as often as necessary until a flawless cut is achieved. Normally all dud test cuts are destroyed, so that they won't get mixed up with the final Glass Master, which is used as a visual guide by the Session Engineer on duty to see if the current run was successful, or a bunch of useless frisbees.
At large plants (such as SST in Germany or Disco Press in Holland) there are a lot of different Engineers on duty at different times throughout a given release's run and they have to make sure that they do not accidentally refer to a dud test and discard a good run because the trail does not match the supposed 'Glass Master' (it has happened...)
When a test cut finally passes inspection, it is marked as such in some way: the usual way this is signified at most plants (such as National Sound, Disco Press, SST, The Exchange etc ) is with a "1" inside a circle marked with a felt -tip pen.
This signifies that it is the first record to come off the lathe (or press, at larger plants or runs) in a playable condition.
This is the Glass Master, of which by necessity, there is only one.
This record is then put in a bright, garish cover so that it can be easily found when needed for an inspection.
In the case of Porky's, the covers used are a bright blue.)
Where is this record now? By chance it found it's way to Australia and made it's way to Adelaide, where instead of being given out to someone in the industry, as it was meant to be, it was sold over the counter to an unsuspecting grommet (me) at a local record store in 1991. It was a few years and a lot of obsessive record hunting later, that all this info came together.
I will see about uploading a digi-pic. of this record if anybody is at all interested in such trivialities.
The original pressing had a label with the track listing on one side and a blank white label with "Mighty Force Records APHEX TWIN ep" stamped on the other side, identical to the Rabbit City issue of "Analogue Bubblebath 2" (It is the same stamp - both records have the same imperfection on the top of the "T" in the word 'TWIN' on their labels - a bit of the rubber was worn off.)
Only 200 copies of 'MIGHTY 001' were pressed, as a tester, sales were expected to be light, 30 of these were 'promos'.
The only difference to the promo was a small sticker on the stamped 'blank' side of the label, 2cm by 6cm with the following, printed, all in capitals:
"MIGHTY FORCE DANCE MUSIC SPECIALIST
26 BARTHOLOMEW CENTRE
FORE STREET EXETER EX4 3AN
TEL: 0392 433844"
The stickers were the 'sale' stickers used in the Mighty Force record shop with the info printed with a B&W
'AppleWriter' laser copier in their office.
This record sold so well that it surprised Richard and Tom, so they did another run, this time of a 1000.
The catalogue number on this issue was "MIGHTY 201"
I do not know if there were any subsequent re-issues with ascending catalogue numbers after this, as these were the only copies I have managed to get, until the picture sleeve repress of '93 was released. I suspect not.
Because of a lack of money, one of the promos of 'Mighty 001' sent out was the Glass Master used for the initial press.
(The glass master, in terms of record pressing, is the first vinyl record cut from the two metal acetates (one for each side) used in the direct cutting process utilised for small record runs in small pressing plants using scully lathes, which Porky's Prime Cut was at this time.
This record is then checked for defects such as wether the lead in and tail trails (groove) line up, the trail is not pinched or off axis, there are no trail burrs, etc, etc.
A test cut that has any flaws will be marked with arrows pointing to the problem area and used as a visual guide to make another test, hopefully minus the flaw. This is repeated as often as necessary until a flawless cut is achieved. Normally all dud test cuts are destroyed, so that they won't get mixed up with the final Glass Master, which is used as a visual guide by the Session Engineer on duty to see if the current run was successful, or a bunch of useless frisbees.
At large plants (such as SST in Germany or Disco Press in Holland) there are a lot of different Engineers on duty at different times throughout a given release's run and they have to make sure that they do not accidentally refer to a dud test and discard a good run because the trail does not match the supposed 'Glass Master' (it has happened...)
When a test cut finally passes inspection, it is marked as such in some way: the usual way this is signified at most plants (such as National Sound, Disco Press, SST, The Exchange etc ) is with a "1" inside a circle marked with a felt -tip pen.
This signifies that it is the first record to come off the lathe (or press, at larger plants or runs) in a playable condition.
This is the Glass Master, of which by necessity, there is only one.
This record is then put in a bright, garish cover so that it can be easily found when needed for an inspection.
In the case of Porky's, the covers used are a bright blue.)
Where is this record now? By chance it found it's way to Australia and made it's way to Adelaide, where instead of being given out to someone in the industry, as it was meant to be, it was sold over the counter to an unsuspecting grommet (me) at a local record store in 1991. It was a few years and a lot of obsessive record hunting later, that all this info came together.
I will see about uploading a digi-pic. of this record if anybody is at all interested in such trivialities.
It Is the white label with the stamped "Aphex Twin E.P." and printed Mighty Force sticker,But the flip side looks like it used to have a white label on,but was later removed (or came off at the initial pressing stage.)
Although Mark also gave me a copy of MF-201 as well(which was the copy that got hammered--that test is TOO precious!!!),This has too be one of my most treasured possesions and a true moment in time in the advancements of industrial techno.
Watch out world.Aphex is coming.........