In 1992, Aphex Twin released "Didgeridoo." It was a strange name for an electronica-driven track designed, according to its creator, to be too frenetic for dancing.
The didgeridoo, the traditional instrument of the Australian aborigines, is, after all, one of the world's oldest instruments. It is also one of the simplest. Traditionally, didgeridoos -- eucalyptus branches hollowed out by termites -- were found rather than created. The sleek column of wood, sometimes polished or carved, appears to be the antithesis of the messy collection of electronic gear behind most club music.
But they are not so different to the discerning ear. Like an analog synthesizer, the didgeridoo creates harmonically rich sounds. Buzzing around the drone of its fundamental or key note are overtones, allowing the instrument to sound almost if it were playing more than one note at the same time.