Synopsis

Set on the shoreline of Hilbre Island, the video turns Aphex Twin’s restless instrumental into a strange stop-motion beach ritual. A procession of improvised objects comes to life: an old-fashioned diving suit moves across the sand, waves and puddles churn in rhythm, and a cardboard likeness of Richard D. James is unwrapped, carried, and manipulated like a mysterious artifact. The deliberately handmade images create a playful, surreal counterpoint to the track’s intricate electronic patterns, with water droplets and abrupt movements locked tightly to the music.

Factoids & Trivia

The video was directed by Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker and filmmaker Martin Wallace, making it an unusual meeting point between Britpop and Warp’s emerging electronic-music culture.

Richard D. James had little involvement in the production beyond specifying that he did not want computer graphics. The video’s tactile look instead comes from stop-motion, practical props, cardboard, water, and location photography.

Filming took place on Hilbre Island, off West Kirby on England’s Wirral Peninsula. The island’s exposed shoreline gives the clip its stark mixture of mudflats, sea, industrial-looking structures, and empty space.

The greyscale cutout of James is reportedly encased in bubble wrap before being opened with an oversized pair of scissors—an intentionally absurd piece of “Aphex Twin” iconography.

James initially gave the finished video the understated assessment that it “does the job,” but later described it more warmly and said he liked it.

“On” appeared on Aphex Twin’s third EP, released by Warp on November 15, 1993. The video was later included on the label compilations Come to Viddy and WarpVision: The Videos 1989–2004.