On was one of the first tastes of
Richard D. James' bizarre, icy electronic music for many listeners. It's a great place to start. The title song is pretty and fragile, yet with a dark, throbbing heart. Plunger sound effects threaten to overtake a high-pitched Pray for Rain sound-alike melody, amid other random ambience. Foreshadowing later releases,
Aphex Twin lays out many of his trademark sound effects, from squishy, dying electronics, to twitching noise boxes. "73-yips" shares more in common with
James' releases under his Caustic Window moniker. It's a defining moment in the genre of drill'n'bass, with an aggressive box-springs-on-fire feel. "Xepha" marries the styles of the previous two songs, but concentrates more on mood than melody. The song would fit perfectly on the soundtrack to one of
David Lynch's darker films. On the final track, Reload reworks "On" into what sounds like a score for a somber sci-fi film; it's not as emotional as the original, but it's still quite accomplished. On is an excellent, EP and a fine sampler of
Aphex Twin's many talents. ~ Tim DiGravina