Hangable Auto Bulb


Hangable Auto Bulb is a series of two 1995 EPs by electronic musician Richard D. James, under his alias AFX. The two were re-released by Warp Records as a single album 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 thus 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, as well as other drum and bass movements of the day. The CD compilation cover is by The Designers Republic.

Track listing

12" EPs

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

    CD

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

    Download bonus tracks

  12. "get a baby" – 2:27
  14. "choirDrilll" – 4:12
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", in which 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: