Aphex Twin - Ventolin

What this video is

Released in January 1995 on Warp Records, 'Ventolin' emerged at a pivotal moment when UK electronic music was fracturing from its rave origins into more challenging, artist-driven forms. The track has been cited as 'one of the harshest singles ever recorded,' incorporating a high-pitched tinnitus-mimicking tone derived from the real side effect of the asthma drug salbutamol. The EP entered the UK Dance Singles…

Why it matters

A landmark artefact of mid-90s IDM, 'Ventolin' and its video represent Aphex Twin's most confrontational mainstream gesture: a deliberately anti-commercial single released as a chart entry. The video's rejectionist aesthetic—no performance, no spectacle, no artist presence—challenged the…

The director

Steven Doughton is a UK-based director and writer who has directed music videos for Aphex Twin and Stephen Malkmus, and shot videos for Iggy Pop, Pavement, and Alan Vega. He has also written and directed two feature films: Buoy (2012) and Earthlings (2023).…