“Selected Ambient Works Volume II” (Aphex Twin) – Songs Ranked

“Selected Ambient Works Volume II” came as a suggestion from a fan of my blog. It’s not the kind of album I’d usually listen to, but it was ultimately an interesting and rewarding experience.

I’m going to rank all twenty-five songs based on my personal preference. These are all ambient works, so my descriptions will veer more towards my feelings while listening to the track (rather than specific critiques of the music itself). Oh, and I’ll also make a note of each song’s “unofficial title”, as the majority of them are labelled as numbers.

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

“Paranoid” – Songs Ranked

“Low” Songs Ranked

Beatles “Love” – Songs Ranked

“Getting Killed” (Geese) – Every Song Ranked

Bad

25 – #23 (tassels)

By far my least favourite song on the album was the 23rd track, “tassels”.

It sounds a bit like an alien warp / teleport sound … and then it continues for seven more minutes. I think the term “noise pollution” seems apt.

Meh

24 – #24 (white blur 2)

I almost put “white blur 2” at the bottom of the list, because it’s just as annoying an even longer than “tassels”. Some of those high notes sound really crackly and maddening.

That being said, I have to admit there’s a strange allure here. It feels like I’m on a haunted submarine.

23 – #16 (grey stripe)

The most forgettable track on the whole thing. “grey stripe” sounds like four minutes of night-time background noise, but with a few oddities thrown in here and there.

22 – #2 (radiator)

Like “white blur 2”, the production on this gave me a headache.

I was a little disappointed that this was the second track on the whole thing, but luckily the third track won me over again.

21 – #22 (spots)

Another one of those windy background noise sort of tracks. It’s hella spooky, I’ll give it that.

20 – #12 (white blur 1)

“white blur 1” was better than “white blur 2” … but not by much.

The chimes are very off-putting, and there’s once again a big, booming background ambience. The subtle vocals are what made this rank higher than some others – and the fact it’s less than three minutes.

Okay

19 – #4 (hankie)

We’re now entering a run of ambient tracks which I didn’t particularly have any strong feeling about.

“hankie” sounds like your average “Silent Hill” background music.

18 – #10 (tree)

Coming in at a daunting ten minutes, “tree” is perhaps too drawn out for its own good.

If Aphex Twin was trying to unsettle me, he succeeded.

17 – #11 (domino)

A lighter, more whimsical track. I get some serious “Factorio” soundtrack vibes from “domino”, if that comparison makes sense.

16 – #18 (windowsill)

Definitely one of the more out-there songs on the album.

There’s a tropical feel to this eighteenth track … so I have no idea why the unofficial title is “windowsill”, one of the least exotic things imaginable. Maybe the irony is the point.

Good

15 – #5 (grass)

For as weird as this album was, I came away from most of the tracks with a positive feeling. That was more than I expected on the outset.

“grass” has the same creepy soundscape as some others, but with a hefty, plodding beat which serves as a backbone / anchor.

14 – #7 (curtains)

Is that a steel pan percussion? Either way, I liked how ethereal “curtains” was. It sounds like a strange wizard trying to convince me to go to their magical realm.

13 – #25 (matchsticks)

The final track on the album (if you don’t count the Extended Edition), and it’s come at the exact halfway point of my ranking.

“matchsticks” has some of the most intriguing production on the album, but the musical ideas didn’t necessarily wow me.

12 – #14 (parallel stripes)

I liked the background fuzz more than I expected to – it serves as its own character in the song.

Hear me out … “parallel stripes” sounds like if a desert level in a Mario game got corrupted.

11 – #8 (blur)

“blur” has a much more prominent drum beat than most other songs on the album, which is probably why it stuck out to me.

I’m imagining a cult chanting along to this beat, preparing for a satanic sacrifice.

10 – #15 (shiny metal rods)

One of the most Industrial songs on the album for sure. I don’t think any of the unofficial titles fit the respective song more than “shiny metal rods”.

9 – #6 (mould)

The distorted vocals really caught me off-guard on my first listen. The way those vocals then blend into the ambience is really impressive.

Weirdly, this is one of the few songs I wish was longer. It never quite feels as if “mould” finds its footing.

Great

8 – #20 (hexagon)

This song has a strong beat and some pleasant marimbas. That immediately made it better than a handful of other songs.

I quite like the melody here – this is one of the least “ambient” tracks on the album (i.e. some real vocals wouldn’t have been out of place).

7 – #9 (weathered stone)

Not only does “weathered stone” have a great beat – something I’m now realising I’m naturally drawn towards – but it’s also quite groovy.

It sounds like a quirky adventure, or a spy crew preparing for an infiltration.

6 – #17 (z twig)

It’s only two minutes long, but “z twig” is one of the most gorgeous songs on the album. It’s oddly romantic.

5 – #13 “Blue Calx”

“Blue Calx” seems to be the only official title for any of these songs. Why Aphex Twin chose to name one song and one alone is beyond me.

I just want to float away while listening to this track.

4 – #1 (cliffs)

The first song on the album was a really engrossing one.

The background chords in “cliffs” are enticing, and the disjointed vocals set the tone for what would be an unsettling album.

Amazing

3 – #19 (stone in focus)

For whatever reason, the nineteenth track “stone in focus” isn’t on the Spotify version. It was only when double-checking the YouTube version of the album that I realised this song even existed.

Even though it’s only a series of three drawn-out chords, I found “stone in focus” really affecting. There’s something so powerful about the way this song pulls and pushes you.

2 – #21 (lichen)

“lichen” is one of the most triumphant songs on the album, so it’s fitting how it comes near the end. It’s the warm bed at the end of a long day.

It’s a very reflective track – I could see this playing in the final scene of a movie, where the protagonist walks off into the sunset.

1 – #3 (rhubarb)

The third song on the album, “rhubarb”, is the most popular song … and it’s not hard to see why.

It’s a stunning, melancholic piece which ebbs and flows. If you don’t listen to any other song from the album, listen to this one. Close your eyes and be transported to another world.

Aaaand that’s my list! If you liked this post and want to support me, please consider giving me a one-time donation. Even a few pence (or whatever currency you use) is fantastic! I’ve never monetized this blog before, but it would be great if I could do this comfortably and not have to worry about the yearly website domain costs. Thank you so much!