Hangable Auto Bulb

Hangable Auto Bulb
CD release cover
EP by AFX
Released	EP1: October 16, 1995 EP2: December 11, 1995
Recorded	August–October 1995
Genre	Acid techno Glitch Drill 'n' bass IDM
Length	EP1: 25:05 EP2: 9:04 CD: 34:47
Label	Warp
Producer	Richard D. James
AFX chronology
Analogue Bubblebath 5 (1993) Hangable Auto Bulb (1995) Melodies From Mars (1995)
Original covers
EP1
EP2

Hangable Auto Bulb EP
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link

Hangable Auto Bulb EP.2
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link

CD release
Review scores
Source	Rating
The Guardian	28 Oct 2005
Pitchfork Media	(8.9/10) 3 Nov 2005
PopMatters	link

Hangable Auto Bulb is a 1995 electronic music EP by Richard D. James, under his alias AFX. It was re-released on CD on October 31, 2005.

Overview

Split across two 12″ EPs, the second released eight weeks after the first and each limited to 1000 pressings, the records marked a significant change in sound from previous AFX and Aphex Twin releases. Moving away from the analogue sounds of the previous releases, Donkey Rhubarb and …I Care Because You Do, the tracks show James experimenting with computer-arranged Breakbeat programming and timestretched samples, and this can be seen as a precursor to Richard D. James Album. This would become the dominant sound in his work up until the Analord releases of 2005.

The records are influenced by the early EPs of fellow Cornish producer Plug (Luke Vibert), as well as other Drum and bass movements of the day.

Track listing

12″ EPs

Hangable Auto Bulb EP (1995)

1. "Children Talking" – 5:19
2. "Hangable Auto Bulb" – 6:48
3. "Laughable Butane Bob" – 2:58
4. "Bit" – 0:06
5. "Custodian Discount" – 4:25
6. "Wabby Legs" – 5:29

Hangable Auto Bulb EP.2 (1995)

1. "Every Day" – 3:44
2. "Arched Maid Via RDJ" – 5:20

CD

1. "Children Talking" – 5:22
2. "Hangable Auto Bulb" – 6:52
3. "Laughable Butane Bob" – 3:02
4. "Bit" – 0:11
5. "Custodian Discount" – 4:30
6. "Wabby Legs" – 5:35
7. "Every Day" – 3:50
8. "Arched Maid Via RDJ" – 5:25

The CD lengths are slightly different from the original EPs. On some pressings, tracks 7 and 8 are erroneously reversed.

Samples

The tracks "Children Talking" and "Every Day" feature samples from the 1961 BBC Radio series titled "Children Talking". Harold Williamson traveled the United Kingdom asking children questions about aspects of their lives.

Anagrams

The album's title is an anagram of "Analogue Bublbath", a reference to James' previous AFX release series, Analogue Bubblebath.

Also, as on James' previous album …I Care Because You Do, a number of the track titles are anagrams:

• of Analogue Bubblebath: "Laughable Butane Bob"
• of Analogue Bublbath [sic]: "Hangable Auto Bulb"
• of Richard David Jame [sic]: "Arched Maid Via RDJ"
• of Caussttic Ouinnddo [sic] (correctly spelled "Caustic Window"): "Custodian Discount"

External links

• More info on Hangable Auto Bulb EP
• More info on Hangable Auto Bulb EP.2
• Complete AFX discography
• Hangable Auto Bulb at MusicBrainz (list of releases)