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Caustic Window (album)

2014 studio album by Caustic Window

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Caustic Window (also known as Caustic Window LP) is a studio album by Richard D. James under the alias Caustic Window. It was planned for release in 1996 but only a few test pressings were produced. After one copy surfaced for sale on Discogs in 2014, it was bought and digitally distributed through a Kickstarter campaign. It was eventually sold on eBay for $46,300.

01Release

Although the tracks "Phlaps" and "Cunt" appeared on compilations in the 1990s, the album release was canceled. At least five copies were pressed in 1994. At least one was sold through the Record & Tape Exchange in Camden in the late 1990s. One of the copies surfaced on Discogs in 2014 priced at $13,500. In response, We Are the Music Makers, an electronic music forum, negotiated with Rephlex Records and initiated a Kickstarter project in which backers received a digital copy of the album. More than $47,000 was raised.

After the Kickstarter campaign, the copy was sold on an eBay auction. Money raised from the sale was split evenly between the Kickstarter contributors, Richard D. James and Doctors Without Borders. The copy was bought by Markus "Notch" Persson, the creator of Minecraft, for $46,300.

02Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Consequence of SoundC+
Pitchfork8.1/10
Resident Advisor4/5
The Rolling Stone Album Guide

Mark Richardson of Pitchfork named Caustic Window the week's "best new reissue", and wrote: "Caustic Window LP probably wouldn’t have left a significant mark, and would have been heard as second-tier James. Twenty years later, though, we’re hearing it with that aura, that extra bit of longing that comes from how scarce music from James has become. And in that light, second tier is still very good indeed." Derek Staples of Consequence of Sound wrote that "the greatest gems within this collection highlight James’ foresight into electronic dance music", with "early examples of now trending tech-house ... This release might not have lived up to the lofty standards of the label, yet it remains relevant in a community of constant transition."

03Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Flutey"8:20
2."Stomper 101mod Detunekik"7:26
3."Mumbly"5:31
4."Popeye"1:19
5."Fingertrips"4:17
6."Revpok"3:43
7."AFX Tribal Kik"1:06
8."Airflow"5:06
9."Squidge in the Fridge"4:09
10."Fingry"4:51
11."Jazzphase"4:23
12."101 Rainbows Ambient Mix"8:52
13."Phlaps"3:50
14."Cunt"4:16
15."Phone Pranks"2:16
Watch videos about Caustic Window (album)Explainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article Caustic Window (album), written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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