Today’s video of the day is the Aphex Twin – "Come To Daddy" released in 1997.
Richard D. James, better known as Aphex Twin, shocked electronic music fans with “Come To Daddy” in 1997. The British producer built his reputation through experimental techno, ambient music, and unpredictable electronic sound. His earlier albums, including Selected Ambient Works 85–92 and …I Care Because You Do, showcased his diverse approach to electronic music. However, “Come To Daddy” took his sound in a far more aggressive direction. Released through Warp Records, the track appeared on the Come To Daddy EP. James initially conceived it as a joke, describing the idea as a crude death metal jingle. Nevertheless, its distorted bass, frantic breakbeats, and demonic vocals became a defining moment in his career.
Director Chris Cunningham transformed the track into one of electronic music’s most disturbing videos. Filmed on a London housing estate previously used in Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, the clip creates an atmosphere of urban decay. Meanwhile, children wearing grotesque masks of James’s face terrorize the streets. Their unsettling grins and chaotic behavior intensify the track’s nightmarish energy. Cunningham also plays the screaming creature that emerges from a discarded television. As the monster leads the children through the estate, the video blends horror, dark humor, and surreal imagery. Practical latex masks and digital alterations helped create its unforgettable faces. As a result, the clip became a landmark in experimental music-video direction.
Although “Come To Daddy” became one of Aphex Twin’s best-known tracks, it represents only one side of James’s musical identity. His catalog ranges from the delicate ambient textures of Selected Ambient Works Volume II to the intricate rhythms of Richard D. James Album. In contrast, this release pushes distortion, breakbeats, and unsettling vocal effects to the forefront. Its abrasive style also satirized the increasingly commercial dance music scene of the late 1990s. However, the track’s lasting influence extends beyond its original joke. Cunningham’s disturbing imagery helped turn “Come To Daddy” into a cultural phenomenon. Today, the video remains essential viewing for fans of experimental electronic music and boundary-pushing visual art.
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