The WindowLicker EP by Aphex Twin has turned 25, and still sounds FANTASTIC! Released on 22nd March 1999 through Warp Records, it not only sounded incredible at the time, the lead single was accompanied by one of the most harrowingly brilliant music videos ever made - directed, of course by Chris Cunningham. Prepare for some of the most freaky scenes ever to infiltrate your visual cortex!
**parental advisory advised**
Here's a nice article on the EPs artwork showing the original model for the EPs cover image.
The EP features a track (known as Formula) showing a face when viewed using a spectogram as reported by Wired: "The sinister face is revealed when the song is played on a computer through special software that visualizes sound waves. Just like the backward messages on vinyl LPs, the face is secretly encoded in the actual sound waves of the music. It isn't a separate file on the CD. The image is the aural equivalent of steganography: the practice of hiding secret messages and watermarks in images."
The face can be seen below if you skip to 5:28:
Here's the title track on it's own:
More from Aphex Twin here https://warp.net/artists/91436-aphex-twin
Superb stuff, what are your favourite Windowlicker memories?
About the author [midierror]: midierror makes nifty Max For Live devices, innovative music hardware, award winning sample packs and hosts a podcast speaking to people in the music world.
Older Music Machines & the People Who Still Use Them