Warp Records and the (Artificial Intelligence) album series

A video about the groundbreaking series of albums released between 1992 and 1994, from the likes of Apex Twin, The Black Dog, B12, Richie Hawtin, Speedy J and Autechre. I talk about how I discovered the artists and the releases that followed in their discography.
For an interview with Warp co-founder Steve Becket, go check this great interview from the Red Bull Music Academy.
• Steve Beckett of Warp ...

[@the-vinyl-dreamscape5084]

Black Dog, Autechre and B12 were some of the most important releases that have come around in my lifetime. I really wonder how i would have discovered avant-garde electronic music without them. Before these releases, electronic music meant the techno and house sounds that i heard from Detroit, Chicago and London. Warp helped me get...warped. Lol. It was difficult back then for me - i had very few friends that shared my passion for electronic music. Connecting the dots from suburban detroit forced me to find those "brave new waves" that were happening around the globe. Great video. Thanks for sharing your path to the music. Cheers! Shawn

[@spectrum_archives]

Thanks for the feedback, Shawn!

[@djclass005]

kinda jealous of your copy of Polygon Window! That album really needs an re-release indeed, that would be a good one for records storeday! :)

[@chris.e-t]

Hello, nice selection, great collection ! Warp is so important to me...I also discovered Autechre with "Tri Repetae ", I only have the Polygon Window on CD, a quite forgotten album I think...I didn't know about the Artificial Intelligence 2 ! Thanks for the memories 😉

[@spectrum_archives]

Happy re-discovery!

[@donello430]

What a magical series of albums, they still hold up just as good. Still some of my all-time favorite music. Interestingly, in the US at the time, the albums 'Virtual State' by Richard H Kirk (RIP) and 'Azimuth' by Kenny Larkin were marketed as part of the A.I. series. If you like the A.I. series, I highly recommend checking them out.

[@spectrum_archives]

As a dedicated collector, I have those albums actually. Had I known they were marketed as part of the A.I. series in the US, I would have mentioned them. I think the albums were released through Sire Records in the US, right?

[@donello430]

@@spectrum_archives No, Wax Trax/TVT. I'm just basing this on a flyer included in the CD that advertised the A.I. series, it included them. And I think the hype sticker on the Kenny Larkin album, IIRC. Maybe Warp intended to include them in the series, but then decided to make them their own thing, but Wax Trax kept to the original marketing? Who knows

[@Russell.S]

hey Fred. I was really late to the party, but catching up. Fortunately Warp is keeping many titles in print. In addition to the electronic artists you mentioned, I also appreciate Warp reissuing the Boards of Canada, Stereolab and Broadcast catalogs. This video has given me lots to add to the wantlist. I’d love to see a video on Too Pure titles if you’re so inclined. Thanks!

[@spectrum_archives]

Hey @Russel.S the three bands you mentioned are definitely among the best! Too Pure is a label I know of but I don’t have any of their releases. I do have the albums by Seefeel but only their stuff on Warp - another great band in the label’s catalog by the way.

[@calvinwazoo]

I think I saw a copy of Polygon Window in a store, used copy, but I had no idea what it was, so I passed on it. It wasn't that expensive, either. I have Black Dog Productions "Bytes", picked it up recently because I already had "Spanners" by The Black Dog. I have Plaid as well. Get rid the that plastic sleeve! It will off-gas and ruin the vinyl. These were all recent acquisitions, within the last 6 months. I started listening to electronic in the 70s with Tangerine Dream, but I missed a lot of the acid house that developed in the late 80s and early 90s - though I've been recently adding it. Just a couple weeks ago I picked up that Fuse release. I'll have to seek out Plastic Man (is that what you said?).

[@spectrum_archives]

Yes, I saw that you picked up FUSE and Black Dog in your videos. Now go back to that store and pick up Polygon Window!! :-) And yes, Richie Hawtin is probably best known as Plastikman. The album I have is 'Musik' from 1995.

[@djvinylvertigo]

Great information on this label and these artists!!

[@spectrum_archives]

Thanks, Scottie! Plan to do more like these, focussing on artists or labels… instead of the usual “look-how-much-money-I-spent” bragging 😅😎

[@jeanroblin7024]

Love polygon window and the others pseudonymes : afx, gak....

[@TheDrglas]

Great walk through! As a Swede I was also always "a little late to the party" back then. Information about these releases (and similiar) was not always easy accessable. Nowadays I listen way more to the AI 2 compilation then the first one. Do you also have the video that was released at the same time? I love its 90's 3d graphics which complements the music perfectly. DId you say that there is a reissue of AI 2 coming? Can't find any information about it.

[@spectrum_archives]

Thanks for the reaction! No, there's no reissue of AI2 or Polygon Window announced... only albums in the series haven't had a reissue yet.