Welcome to the 66th insertion of DEMUR®, an analytical series highlighting the intricacies of the artistic world and the minutiae lying within. In this episode we meet Paul Nicolson, the creator and mastermind behind Aphex Twin’s most iconic emblems.
Formally known as Richard James, Aphex Twin is a new wave, unclassified artist that pioneered a foreign sound throughout the 90’s. A prominent face in the underground rave scene, he would garner a cult-like following after his first release ‘Analogue Bubblebath’ in 1991, growing to pioneer a unique attitude in techno/ambient culture.
It wouldn’t be until the release of his debut album, ‘Selected Ambient Works 85-92’, that the relationship between Paul Nicolson and Richard James would begin to flourish. At the time Nicolson was a graphic designer in university, fully immersed in “the finest electronic hardcore, noise and experimentation”. He had just begun dating a Cornish girl, and after mentioning his melodic interests she referred Nicoloson to Richard James, whom he was previously aware of.
Paul Nicoloson was enlisted to create an otherworldly emblem that characterized the sound of Aphex Twin in 1991. At the time he was working under direction of alien streetwear label ‘Anarachic Adjustment’, meaning he had a plethora of designs surrounding the letter A. Before submitting his work to the label, Nicolson briefed James with the motifs and was met with instant lure. From here, he reworked the logo on a sheet of A4 paper, being the first and final iteration.
Completed in the early months of 1992, Aphex Twin’s symbol would first mark the cover of ‘Xylem Tube EP’, and more prevalently the focal point of ‘Selected Ambient Works 85-92’, as well as its predecessor. Additionally, within ‘Selected Ambient Works, Volume II’, Nicoloson would masterfully design the gatesleeve that would hold the record. Visually, the artwork is a flowchart composed of 24 images and pie graphs, but is actually a calculated depiction of the album using time signatures to dictate image size.
Prior to infamy, many fans also knew Nicholson as the “stage dancer” at Aphex Twin shows.
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