OMMA Catalogue Number

OMMA-0078

Artist

Aphex Twin

Title

Analogue Bubblebath

Release Details

Published by Mighty Force in 1991 as a 12-inch EP (catalogue number 001). Pressed in the United Kingdom and issued as a commercial retail release.

Edition & Variant Identification

First press commercial edition. The present copy corresponds to the original first pressing, notable for the unprinted, unstamped white label on the B-side and the miscrediting of the track “AFX” to “Schizophrenia,” a documented early anomaly associated with this release.

Matrix & Pressing Data

Side A runout is inscribed: MIGHTY 001 A1 – A Porky Prime Cut.
Side B runout is inscribed: MIGHTY 001 B1.

Physical Description

12-inch EP on black vinyl, housed in a plain generic sleeve. The A-side bears a printed Mighty Force label, while the B-side features an unprinted white label consistent with early production practices. No inserts are present.

Factory-Origin Characteristics

No factory-origin anomalies are observed on the present copy.

Condition Report

The vinyl is graded VG+ to Excellent, exhibiting light superficial anomalies consistent with careful handling and no evidence of significant playwear. Labels are graded VG+, with minor visible spindle wear and a minor scuff on the B-side white label; print remains clean, with no writing or applied markings.

Provenance

The present copy formed part of the long-standing personal collection of the Aruba-born, Amsterdam-based electronic music artist, producer, curator, and DJ Bertram. According to his wife, Dina Maria Farag, Bertram first encountered the work of Aphex Twin after relocating to Amsterdam approximately seventeen to eighteen years prior, during a period of intensive engagement with early electronic and techno influences including Aphex Twin, Jeff Mills, and Richie Hawtin. In recognition of the significance of this music to his artistic development, Dina presented the record as a personal gift following a meaningful period of travel and music-based exploration. The record remained in Bertram’s collection until it was acquired from the couple by the Origins of Modern Music in December, 2025.

Bertram’s professional career includes releases on Pinkman Records and Dead Channel Records, notably the album Lights Out (Pinkman) and the debut EP Kibra Cadena (Dead Channel Records), distributed across the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. His work has also appeared on compilations such as Body Musick (Filmmaker), Anatomy Vol. 2, and Entertainment for Sons of Traders (Mutant Radio). At the time of accession, Bertram was in the process of launching Lanta Radio from Amsterdam, a platform on Intergalactic FM dedicated to electronic, beat-driven music, with plans to launch a related record label.

OMMA’s copy of this record provides a canonical debut status and a documented link to a contemporary underground artist-curator, and firmly situating it as a primary keystone for the Archive’s electronic wing.

Photomatching & Verification

Photographic documentation of labels, sleeve, runout inscriptions, and vinyl surface is preserved in the OMMA archive, with image records maintained at the URLs provided in the accession file, confirming correspondence with known first-press characteristics of Analogue Bubblebath.

Market Context & Historical Notes

Analogue Bubblebath is widely regarded as the earliest commercially issued recording under the Aphex Twin name and occupies a foundational position in the development of early 1990s UK electronic music. Released through Mighty Force, a label closely associated with London’s emergent hardcore and techno scenes, the EP introduced Richard D. James’s distinctive approach to rhythm and texture at a formative moment for the genre later identified as IDM. The sparse presentation, white-label elements, and crediting irregularities reflect the informal production and distribution environment of early UK electronic releases, situating the record at the intersection of underground club culture and experimental studio practice.

Canonical Status in OMMA

This release is recognized by the Origins of Modern Music Archive as the canonical debut of the artist.

Bibliography / References

Discogs, “Aphex Twin – Analogue Bubblebath,” https://www.discogs.com/release/13860-The-Aphex-Twin-Analogue-Bubblebath

Reynolds, Simon, Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture, Picador, 1998.

Dina Maria Farag, Private Correspondence, December 2025