4 out of 5

Label: Warp Records

Produced by: Richard D. James

Original review here.

So: is this worth it? If you’re an Aphex fan, and you already own the original 25 song vinyl, or maybe the 24-track UK release over the 23-track US version, or maybe you got that 2017 digital edition with the extra Soundcloud Th1 song… well, yes? Assuming you’re into physical formats, and into downsizing the burden on your music shelves, this rerelease makes sure all of the “official” tracks are in place – i.e. 25 tunes – and buffs things out with two Soundcloud tunes, meaning nothing new, but on a legit LP / CD / cassette. The music is also remastered, though I’ve not much been able to appreciate how that affects modern-ish electronic music, and to my ears, this sounds pretty similar to the original (though to be fair, I’ve never been a huge fan of SAW II, so haven’t scrutinized its music enough to maybe fully appreciate a remaster. I also don’t own the original vinyl, but apparently it wasn’t a great pressing, so having this modern copy would definitely be a trade up. Combined with a polished representation of the artwork and quality packsging, plus some minimal (but personal) RDJ liner notes on the new Rhubarb track, yes, this seems worth it as a “definitive” edition.

But let’s criticize anyway!

Firstly, I didn’t see this as being marketed as a remaster really, which, to me, adds credence to there not being much discernible difference… at least for CD listeners. Very possibly we got some masters certainly better optimized for LP, and maybe for cassette, but either way – it’s odd this effort was made but little context provided.

I’d add the same note to the extra tracks. While SAW II carries an inherent sense of elusiveness via its lack of track names, knowing something about these songs would be great, or at least acknowledging that they’re not new (again, sourced to the Soundcloud dump, with Th1 [Evnslower] already released “officially” and Rhubarb Orc. 19.53 Rev with a really intriguing background). This is important to contextualize them: Rhubarb is a very unique tune, but arguably doesn’t fit into the SAW experience. (Th1 does, and its slower-as-it-goes evolution is a cool addition to SAW’s dreamscapes, but still, even letting us know it was composed separately and isn’t an outtake can help a non-Aphex obsessive better know its place.)

As a last – and side – note, having only ever owned CDs of this, I’d actually never heard the previously vinyl-only track, #19. I’m sure if I’d grown up with it I’d have a different take, but I think I understand the decision to cut it over other tracks for space. While it maybe just came down to runtime, the track’s minimalist hovering synths feel out of place amidst the 2nd disc’s tracks, which are a bit more nervvy and beat-based. And even in comparison to the 1st disc’s material, I don’t feel it offers anything very different or substantial. No impact on the rating, just saying – I’m “glad” this wasn’t some lost treasure I’d missed due to being a CD buyer.