| Warp Records | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 1989; 36 years ago (1989) |
| Founder | Steve Beckett Rob Mitchell Robert Gordon |
| Distributor | FUGA |
| Genre | |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Location | Sheffield (1989–2000) London (2000–present) |
| Official website | warp |
Warp Records is a Britishindependent record label founded inSheffield in 1989 by Steve Beckett, Robert Mitchell and Robert Gordon. Initially specialising inelectronic music, it has since moved beyond this scope to include artists in diverse genres. It has released records by acts includingAphex Twin,Autechre,Boards of Canada,Squarepusher,Brian Eno,Broadcast,Flying Lotus,!!!,Battles,Grizzly Bear,Oneohtrix Point Never, andNala Sinephro.
Warp began as a record shop in 1987, and released its first record, "Track With No Name" by Gordon's bandForgemasters, in 1989. In the early 1990s, Warp became associated with the UK'sbleep techno scene, releasing music by acts such asLFO,Sweet Exorcist andNightmares on Wax. Rather than releasing dance singles by short-lived acts, Warp prioritised albums and artist longevity. In 1992, it releasedArtificial Intelligence, a compilation of tracks by various artists that helped establishintelligent dance music (IDM), a genre of electronic music intended for home listening rather than dancing.
Gordon left in 1991 and Mitchell died in 2001, leaving Beckett as the head. Warp moved to London in 2000. Over the following decade, it expanded its roster to include rock, hip-hop, film soundtracks,neoclassical music andambient music. In 2001, Warp established a film production company,Warp Films, initially to release films byChris Cunningham andChris Morris. In 2004, Warp launchedBleep, one of the firstdownload stores.
Warp is associated with the experimental electronic music of acts such as Aphex Twin, Autechre and Boards of Canada, but has influenced artists of other genres. Publications such asThe Independent,The Guardian andResident Advisor described it as one of the most influential and respected independent labels. In 2017, Beckett received the Pioneer Award at theAIM Independent Music Awards.
In the mid-1980s, Steve Beckett and Rob Mitchell, then in their early twenties, were active in the music scene ofSheffield, England.[1] Beckett described 1980s Sheffield, once a major industrial town, as "run-down and industrial".[2] Sheffield'ssteel manufacturing was in decline, and abandoned warehouses were being used for illegalraves as part of the growing subculture ofclub music andacid house.[1][3] Sheffield had produced electronic bands includingthe Human League,Heaven 17 andCabaret Voltaire.[3]
Beckett and Mitchell worked at FON, a record store onDivision Street that was a focal point of Sheffield's music scene.[4][1][2] According to Beckett, the shop mainly soldindie andalternative records before expanding to imports from electronicChicago house records.[5] Beckett had a background in indie rock, and discoveredelectronic music while working in FON.[6] FON also operated a recording studio used by artists such asDavid Bowie,Yazz andChakk.[1]
In 1987,[5] Beckett and Mitchell partnered with the Sheffield musician and producer Robert Gordon to refit the FON shop as Warp Records, funded by selling tickets for events at theUniversity of Sheffield.[1] They originally named the store Warped Records, but this was difficult to hear over a telephone.[7] The shop specialised in imports released by American dance labels such asTransmat,Metroplex,Trax Records andUnderground Resistance, which sold out quickly.[1]
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Mitchell and Beckett felt there was a market for dance music created by Sheffield musicians, which they felt "sounded fresher" than music being created in the US at the time.[8] In 1989, Warp released its first single, "Track With No Name" by Gordon's bandForgemasters.[1] Financed through a grant from the government'sEnterprise Allowance Scheme, they pressed 500white label copies and distributed them to shops around the UK by car, selling out in a week.[4][1][8]
Beckett conceived Warp as a northern independent label similar toFactory Records, sharing 50% of their profits with artists.[6] The Sheffield companyDesigners Republic created Warp's logo and distinctive purple record packaging.[6][9] According toResident Advisor, the packaging became "instantly recognisable in an age when dance music was becoming increasingly disposable",[9] andDMY described it as "at one moment garish and brutal, the next pristine and beautiful".[10] Beckett said they did not necessarily think they were creating a record label and instead wanted to see if they could "have an effect".[1] However, they discovered the market was larger than they expected.[1]
In 1990, Warp released successful dance singles by acts includingNightmares on Wax,LFO,Sweet Exorcist andTricky Disco.[1][6][9][11] The singles received attention from the influentialBBC DJJohn Peel.[1] Warp became associated withbleep, a "minimal, funky" subgenre of techno emerging in Sheffield.[6]Resident Advisor described bleep as a "distinctly British mutation of techno that married the weighty sub-bass of 'steppers' reggae with the rush of rave culture and futuristic vision ofDetroit techno".[9] Beckett connected bleep to the advent of music technology such assamplers and software such asLogic,[5] and said its sound evoked the Sheffield steelworks: "You'd almost see sparks and hear anvils clanging."[6] The journalist Richard King described bleep as "an evocation of the nocturnal energy of an industrial city in decline, whose empty, industrial spaces were being turned into illegal and autonomous party zones".[1]
Jarvis Cocker, a member of the Sheffield bandPulp, created music videos for Warp acts between 1990 and 1993.[12] Warp created animprint, Gift Records, to release acts by pop and rock records including Pulp.[5][13][14] After releasing some early Pulp singles, Gift closed after Pulp signed toIsland Records.[5]
Warp signed a deal with the London labelRhythm King to distribute records. Beckett and Mitchell regretted the deal, as it did not grant them royalties.[1] Coming close to bankruptcy, Warp signed a new distribution deal withPinnacle Entertainment.[8] Warp resolved to remain independent and focus on building artists and longevity withalbums rather than releasing singles by short-lived acts.[1] Mitchell said many dance acts struggled with the album format: "There's a big difference between a compilation album and an album you put on and don't take off until the final track's played, which is what we're after doing."[8] They also elected not to release rave music, which was popular at the time, a decision Beckett said bolstered Warp's reputation for ignoring convention.[8]
In 1991, Warp released its first album,CCCD bySweet Exorcist.[15] It was followed byFrequencies by LFO, cited by Beckett as a turning point for Warp.[1] As of 1993,Frequencies had sold 80,000 copies, half in the US.[8] The success saved Warp from bankruptcy.[3] Warp used marketing techniques from rock, arranging mentions in the indie music magazineNME and encouraging their acts to tour.[6] In 1991, Gordon left Warp following disagreements with Beckett and Mitchell.[1][10]
In 1992, Warp releasedArtificial Intelligence, a compilation of tracks by artists such asAphex Twin (under the name Dice Man),Autechre,B12 (Musicology),Plaid,the Black Dog (AO) andRichie Hawtin (Fuse).[4] Unlike other electronic music of the time, the music was intended to be listened to at home rather than in clubs.[4][8]The Guardian wrote that it "announced techno as music for the mind as well as the feet".[16]
Though Warp proposed the term "electronic listening music",Artificial Intelligence popularised a genre that instead became known as electronica orintelligent dance music (IDM).[9][16][17] Though the IDM term was criticised as denigrating other forms of dance music, it endured.[18][16]Artificial Intelligence is credited for introducing electronic music to rock listeners, particularly in the US,[6] and helped launch the careers of Aphex Twin, Autechre and Hawtin.[16]
Warp continued to prioritise albums, with releases by acts including Aphex Twin,Richard H. Kirk,Squarepusher,Seefeel, the Black Dog, Autechre, Sabres of Paradise and B12.[9][19] In 1994, Warp releasedArtificial Intelligence II, accompanied by an hour-long music video onVHS andLaserDisc,Warp Motion, created by the Sheffield artist Phil Wolstenholme.Resident Advisor described the video as "a pioneering attempt to mix music and cutting-edge 3D computer animation".[9]
The Independent described Aphex Twin as Warp's most important artist, creating its "creative commercial core", asthe Smiths had done forRough Trade andArctic Monkeys later did forDomino.[3] Though Aphex Twin also released work throughRephlex Records, Warp released his most successful releases,Richard D. James Album (1996) and the singles "Come to Daddy" (1997) and "Windowlicker" (1999).[3]
In 1996, Chantal Passamonte, who also worked as Warp's press officer, became the first female Warp artist with her debut EP,Ilanga, released under the nameMira Calix.[9] Passamonte was critical of the gender imbalance, but said it came from "a lack of women putting themselves forward and a lack of opportunity" rather than hostility at Warp.[18] In 1998, Warp signed the electronic duoBoards of Canada, whose debut album,Music Has the Rightto Children, released that year, became a defining album in British music.[4]
Warp was an early adopter ofinternet for commerce.[9] In 1996, Warp launched the online store Warpmart to sell physical products.[20][9] The Warp Records shop closed in 1997 and was sold to the retailerFopp.[4][10] In 1999, Warp's tenth anniversary, it released the compilation albumInfluences, Classics & Remixes.[10] In January 2000, Warp relocated to London to facilitate better access to the wider music industry.[9] That year, Warp signed an album deal with the filmmakerVincent Gallo.[21] It also released a compilation of sketches from the surreal comedy radio seriesBlue Jam byChris Morris, whichVice described as Warp's "boldest act of diversification".[22]
In 2003,Billboard reported that Warp had annual revenues at US$10 million, with Warpmart contributing 10%.[20] In 2004,[20] Warp launchedBleep, one of the firstdownload stores,[9] and made its entire catalogue available to purchase.[23] Its prices were slightly higher than competing online stores such asiTunes, and itsMP3s were available at avariable bitrate of 205 kbit/s, higher than the more common 160 kbit/s of the period.[23] Unlike other labels at the time, Bleep sold files free ofdigital rights management restrictions.[23]The Register wrote that this was a "positive statement" demonstrating faith in its catalogue and customers.[23]
Beckett estimated that Warpmart and Bleep generated 25% of Warp'sturnover as of 2007.[24] In January 2009, Warp merged Warpmart into Bleep, selling records from more than 300 independent labels, includingBeggars Banquet,Domino and!K7. That year, Warp reported that Bleep had sold more than 1.8 million downloads.[25]
Mitchell died from cancer on 8 October 2001, at the age of 38, leaving Beckett as the head of Warp.[6][9] Beckett likened him to a brother and said his death made him realise how important it was to "put love and creativity out into the world".[24] Passamonte said: "Between them Rob and Steve were responsible for signing and managing the label's artists. Without being emotional about it, when Rob died that changed. Ultimately, the sound of Warp up until Rob's death was the sound of two people's music taste."[9]
In 2001, Warp established a film production company,Warp Films. It initially produced and released short films byChris Cunningham, who had created music videos for Warp artists such as Aphex Twin, and Chris Morris.[9] According to Beckett, Warp found that some music video directors they were working with, such as Cunningham, had similar personalities to the musicians, "pushing the boundaries" of their medium. Additionally, new technology was making it cheaper to create films.[24] The first Warp Films release, Morris'sMy Wrongs 8245–8249 & 117, won the 2003Bafta for best short film.[3][26]
In 2004, Warp released its first feature film,Dead Man's Shoes, directed byShane Meadows, which was nominated for a Bafta. Meadows's next film,This Is England (2007), won the Bafta for Best British Film.[6] In 2022,The Independent describedThis Is England as Warp Films' "crowning glory to date: as visceral as any early Warp record, but with the bleeding humanity its best artists have found in their maturity".[3] In 2009,The Independent wrote that Warp Films had "quickly become the UK's most consistent and challenging indie production company".[3] In 2006, Warp launchedWarp X to seek new talent in film, with funding by theUK Film Council andFilmFour.[10]
In the 2000s, interest in electronic music declined following the resurgence of guitar bands.[6] In response, Warp signed acts rock bands such asMaxïmo Park,!!!,Battles andGrizzly Bear;[4][2][6] acts creating different kinds of electronic music, suchthe Sabres of Paradise andBroadcast;[6] andexperimental hip-hop acts such asPrefuse 73,Antipop Consortium andFlying Lotus.[9]
The diversification drew criticism from some fans.[6] Beckett said the acts' experimental nature and influences fit the ethos of Warp and their roster,[24] and noted that the Sheffield Warp shop had stocked indie music.[2] The !!! memberNic Offer said guitar bands were providing "new and cutting edge" music at the time and were true to Warp's "experimental ethos".[9] In 2009,Pitchfork said Warp had "wisely invited pop-structured acts that carried the spirit and sensibility of electronic music into its fold".[27]The Independent wrote that the Maxïmo Park singer, Paul Smith, "fitted the label snugly, even if the guitars did not", while the American band Grizzly Bear, "with their careful sculpting of sound and veiled emotions [...] could be a warmer, softer Autechre".[3]
In 2001, Warp funded an imprint created by the Warp employee Tom Brown,Lex Records. It focused on hip-hop, releasing records bySage Francis,Boom Bip andDanger Mouse.[9][10] Warp specified that Lex could not release albums, sign long-term deals, or release music by acts Warp was considering signing.[9] Through Lex, Warp funded the unsuccessful campaign to releaseThe Grey Album (2004) by Danger Mouse, amashup ofthe Beatles'White Album andJay-Z'sThe Black Album that was blocked due to copyright problems.[28] When Warp decided to close Lex Records, Brown bought it in 2004.[9][28]
In April 2003, Warp's 10th anniversary, the comedianAdam Buxton hosted a retrospective show at theBFI Southbank cinema in London.[12] From the mid-2000s, Warp expanded its roster to include more experimental work, includingavant-garde film soundtracks,neoclassical music and more "academic"ambient music.[9]Brian Eno, a pioneer of ambient music, signed to Warp in 2010.[29] In 2009, for its 20th anniversary, Warp held a party in an old steelworks in Sheffield, along with events in Paris, New York City and Tokyo.[2] It also released theWarp20 box set, comprising tracks chosen by listeners and Beckett, cover versions, remixes, unreleased tracks andlocked grooves.[27] According to Beckett, as of 2017, Warp employed 60 people in six offices around the world.[30] That year, Beckett received the Pioneer Award at theAIM Independent Music Awards.[30] In 2019, its 30th anniversary, Warp releasedWXAXRXP Sessions, a 41-track box set compiling radio sessions by Warp artists recorded from 1990 to 2019.[31]
Pitchfork said music released by Warp typically emphasises "shifts and melodies and complex rhythm structures over the more subtle builds and crescendos of repetitive dance", using "syncopated rhythms, wit and whimsy, and the blending [of] the abstract and the melodic".[27] Warp is associated with the "cerebral" electronic music of acts such as Aphex Twin, Autechre and Boards of Canada.[2] However,Resident Advisor wrote that it had shifted to encompass "all manner of experimental, progressive and left-of-centre sounds from across the musical spectrum".[9] In 2009,Pitchfork wrote that Warp was a trusted brand that had succeeded by breaking with conventions of electronic music, "embracing artists with wit and charisma over the sometimes monochromatic communalism favoured by techno's more faceless producers".[27]Vice wrote in 2013 that "while not all its artists have enjoyed commercial success, there are precious few follies or embarrassments in its legacy".[22]
DMY wrote that the fact that Warp had thrived while remaining independent, even when many major labels had disappeared, made them a role model for independent labels.[10] Beckett said that, unlike other labels, Warp saw itself "at the service of the artist".[24] In 2002, Mark Blacklock ofThe Telegraph wrote that Warp was "a truly progressive organisation ... where other labels claim to be artist-orientated, Warp really is." He wrote that Warp allowing in-demand acts such as Aphex Twin and Squarepusher to avoid publicity boosted their underground credibility and attracted unusual artists such as the satirist Chris Morris.[32]
In 2007,The Independent described Warp as one of the most pioneering independent labels in history,[4] and in 2009The Guardian described it as one of the UK's greatest independent labels.[6]Resident Advisor wrote in 2019 that Warp was "one of the most influential and respected institutions in electronic music" and had "championed some of the most groundbreaking artists of its generation".[9] It wrote that its "outsider ethos" was rooted in Beckett and Mitchell's roots inpunk, theEnglish north-south divide, and the radical politics of 1980s Sheffield.[9] The journalist Richard King described Warp as "the most creatively successful independent label" of the 1990s, ahead of the "perky ordinariness" ofBritpop.[1]
Warp Records found audiences beyond listeners of dance music, and influenced pop and rock music.[27] Artists such as Aphex Twin and Autechre influencedRadiohead's move into electronic music with their 2000 albumKid A.[33][34] The singer,Thom Yorke, purchased copies of the entire Warp back catalogue.[35]
Warp launched a film company,Warp Films (which also shares staff withWarp X) and digital download storeBleep in 2004. Bleep carries music from a number of smaller labels as well as Warp. In 2009, Warpmart was incorporated into Bleep, which now sells downloads, physical releases and merchandise from hundreds of record labels. Bleep also operates a record imprint of Warp.
A number of music sub labels have also been set up by Warp, namelyLex Records (now operates independently from Warp),Gift Records andArcola.
Warp assists in the distribution of certain records released byLuckyMe andNight Slugs/Fade To Mind; the aforementioned labels are partner labels (not imprints) of Warp.
The following is a list of artist who have been signed to label.[36]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
