1.
Album
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Album, is a collection of audio recordings issued as a single item on CD, record, audio tape, or another medium. Albums of recorded music were developed in the early 20th century, first as books of individual 78rpm records, vinyl LPs are still issued, though in the 21st century album sales have mostly focused on compact disc and MP3 formats. The audio cassette was a format used from the late 1970s through to the 1990s alongside vinyl, an album may be recorded in a recording studio, in a concert venue, at home, in the field, or a mix of places. Recording may take a few hours to years to complete, usually in several takes with different parts recorded separately. Recordings that are done in one take without overdubbing are termed live, the majority of studio recordings contain an abundance of editing, sound effects, voice adjustments, etc. With modern recording technology, musicians can be recorded in separate rooms or at times while listening to the other parts using headphones. Album covers and liner notes are used, and sometimes additional information is provided, such as analysis of the recording, historically, the term album was applied to a collection of various items housed in a book format. In musical usage the word was used for collections of pieces of printed music from the early nineteenth century. Later, collections of related 78rpm records were bundled in book-like albums, the LP record, or 33 1⁄3 rpm microgroove vinyl record, is a gramophone record format introduced by Columbia Records in 1948. It was adopted by the industry as a standard format for the album. Apart from relatively minor refinements and the important later addition of stereophonic sound capability, the term album had been carried forward from the early nineteenth century when it had been used for collections of short pieces of music. Later, collections of related 78rpm records were bundled in book-like albums, as part of a trend of shifting sales in the music industry, some commenters have declared that the early 21st century experienced the death of the album. Sometimes shorter albums are referred to as mini-albums or EPs, Albums such as Tubular Bells, Amarok, Hergest Ridge by Mike Oldfield, and Yess Close to the Edge, include fewer than four tracks. There are no rules against artists such as Pinhead Gunpowder referring to their own releases under thirty minutes as albums. These are known as box sets, material is stored on an album in sections termed tracks, normally 11 or 12 tracks. A music track is a song or instrumental recording. The term is associated with popular music where separate tracks are known as album tracks. When vinyl records were the medium for audio recordings a track could be identified visually from the grooves
2.
Aphex Twin
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Richard David James, known by his stage name Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born English electronic musician and composer. He is known for his influential and idiosyncratic work in music styles such as IDM and acid techno in the 1990s. He is also the co-founder of Rephlex Records with Grant Wilson-Claridge and he rose to mainstream popularity with his 1997 EP Come to Daddy and his 1999 single Windowlicker. James was born in Limerick, Ireland, and grew up in Lanner, Cornwall, UK and he enjoyed living there, feeling apart from nearby cities and the rest of the world. You couldnt make sound on a ZX81, but I played around with machine code, according to musician Benjamin Middleton, James began producing music the following year. As a teenager he was a jockey at the Shire Horse Inn in St Ives, with Tom Middleton at the Bowgie Inn in Crantock. James studied at Cornwall College from 1988 to 1990 for a National Diploma in engineering, about his studies, he said music and electronics went hand in hand. James graduated from college, according to a lecturer he often wore headphones during practical lessons. In 1989, James befriended Grant Wilson-Claridge when they were working alternate weeks as a DJ at the Bowgie pub near Newquay, Wilson-Claridge was intrigued by his sets, and when he discovered that James was playing tapes of his own music he suggested that they make records. James first release as Aphex Twin, later changed to AFX, was the 1991 12-inch EP Analogue Bubblebath on Mighty Force Records, the track En Trance to Exit was recorded with Tom Middleton, also known as Schizophrenia. The EP made the playlist of Kiss FM, an influential London radio station, from 1991 to 1993 James released two Analogue Bubblebath EPs and an EP, Bradleys Beat, as Bradley Strider. Although he allegedly lived on the roundabout in Elephant and Castle, South London, during his years in the city. The first full-length Aphex Twin album, Selected Ambient Works 85–92, was released in 1992 on R&S Records to critical acclaim, John Bush of Allmusic described it as a watershed of ambient music. In 2002 Rolling Stone said about the album, Aphex Twin expanded way beyond the ambient music of Brian Eno by fusing lush soundscapes with oceanic beats, Pitchfork Media called it among the most interesting music ever created with a keyboard and a computer. However, critics noted that the songs were recorded on cassette, in 1992 James also released the Xylem Tube EP and Digeridoo as Aphex Twin, the Pac-Man EP as Power-Pill, and two of his four Joyrex EPs as Caustic Window. Digeridoo reached #55 on the UK Singles Chart, and was described by Rolling Stone as foreshadowing drum. He wrote Digeridoo to clear up his audience after a rave and these early releases were on Rephlex Records, Mighty Force of Exeter and R&S Records of Belgium. Warp Records released Selected Ambient Works Volume II in 1994, with a less beat-, the track names were described with pie chart symbols, each of which was meant to be paired with a corresponding image in the album jacket
3.
Intelligent dance music
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Intelligent dance music is a genre of electronic music that emerged in the early 1990s. Its creation was influenced by developments in dance music such as Detroit techno. Stylistically, IDM tended to rely upon individualistic experimentation rather than adhering to musical characteristics associated with specific genres of dance music, the range of post-techno styles that emerged in the early 1990s were described variously as art techno, ambient techno, intelligent techno, and electronica. In the United States, the latter is used as a catchall term to describe not only downtempo or downbeat/non-dance electronic music. In 2014, music critic Sasha Frere-Jones observed that the term is widely reviled and he regards UK acts Aphex Twin and Autechre as central to the evolution of the genre. In 1992, Warp released Artificial Intelligence, the first album in the Artificial Intelligence series. Subtitled electronic listening music from Warp, the record was a collection of tracks from such as Autechre, B12, The Black Dog, Aphex Twin and The Orb. Steve Beckett, co-owner of Warp, has said the music that the label was releasing then was targeting a post-club. At the same time, the UK market was saturated with increasingly frenetic breakbeat, in 1993, a number of new intelligent techno/electronica record labels emerged, including New Electronica, Mille Plateaux, 100% Pure, and Ferox Records. In November 1991, the phrase intelligent techno appeared on Usenet in reference to Coils The Snow EP. Off the Internet, the phrase appeared in both the U. S. & UK music press in late 1992, in reference to Jam & Spoons Tales from a Danceographic Ocean. Another instance of the phrase appeared on Usenet in April 1993 in reference to The Black Dogs album Bytes, the first message, sent on 1 August 1993, was entitled Can Dumb People Enjoy IDM, Too. Kirk and The Future Sound of London, and even artists like System 7, William Orbit, Sabres of Paradise, Orbital, Plastikman and Björk. By the end of 1996, Boards of Canada and the Schematic Records label were among the topics of discussion, alongside perennial favorites like Aphex Twin. As of 2015, the mailing list is still active, warps second Artificial Intelligence compilation was released in 1994. The album featured fragments of posts from the IDM mailing list incorporated into typographic artwork by The Designers Republic, sleeve notes by David Toop acknowledged the genres multitude of musical and cultural influences and suggested none should be considered more important than any other. Lesser-known artists on the Likemind label and Kirk Degiorgios A. R. T, in the mid-1990s, North American audiences welcomed IDM, and many IDM record labels were founded, including Drop Beat, Isophlux, Suction, Schematic and Cytrax. In Miami, Florida, labels like Schematic, Merck Records, Nophi Recordings and The Beta Bodega Coalition released material by such as Phoenecia, Dino Felipe, Machinedrum
4.
Techno
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Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan, in the United States during the mid-to-late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno in reference to a genre of music was in 1988. Many styles of techno now exist, but Detroit techno is seen as the foundation upon which a number of subgenres have been built. Added to this is the influence of futuristic and fictional themes relevant to life in American late capitalist society, pioneering producer Juan Atkins cites Tofflers phrase techno rebels as inspiring him to use the word techno to describe the musical style he helped to create. This unique blend of influences aligns techno with the referred to as afrofuturism. To producers such as Derrick May, the transference of spirit from the body to the machine is often a central preoccupation, in this manner, techno dance music defeats what Adorno saw as the alienating effect of mechanisation on the modern consciousness. Stylistically, techno is generally repetitive instrumental music, oftentimes produced for use in a continuous DJ set, the tempo tends to vary between approximately 120 to 150 beats per minute, depending on the style of techno. The creative use of production technology, such as drum machines, synthesizers. Many producers use retro electronic musical devices to create what they consider to be an authentic techno sound, drum machines from the 1980s such as Rolands TR-808 and TR-909 are highly prized, and software emulations of such retro technology are popular among techno producers. The Electrifying Mojo was the first radio DJ to play music by the Detroit techno producers Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Mojo refused to follow pre-established radio formats or playlists, and he promoted social and cultural awareness of the African American community. In exploring technos origins writer Kodwo Eshun maintains that Kraftwerk are to Techno what Muddy Waters is to the Rolling Stones, the authentic, the origin, the real. Juan Atkins has acknowledged that he had an enthusiasm for Kraftwerk and Giorgio Moroder, particularly Moroders work with Donna Summer. Atkins also mentions that around 1980 I had a tape of nothing but Kraftwerk, Telex, Devo, Giorgio Moroder and Gary Numan, and Id ride around in my car playing it. Regarding his initial impression of Kraftwerk, Atkins notes that they were clean, Derrick May identified the influence of Kraftwerk and other European synthesizer music in commenting that it was just classy and clean, and to us it was beautiful, like outer space. Living around Detroit, there was so little beauty, everything is an ugly mess in Detroit, and so we were attracted to this music. May has commented that he considered his music a direct continuation of the European synthesizer tradition and he also identified Japanese synthpop act Yellow Magic Orchestra, particularly member Ryuichi Sakamoto, and British band Ultravox, as influences, along with Kraftwerk. In 1980 or 1981 they met with Mojo and proposed that they provide mixes for his show, which they did end up doing the following year. These young promoters developed and nurtured the local music scene by both catering to the tastes of the local audience of young people and by marketing parties with new DJs
5.
Warp (record label)
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Warp is an English independent record label, founded in Sheffield in 1989 by record store workers Steve Beckett, Rob Mitchell and record producer Robert Gordon. It is currently based in London, current artists on the label roster include Flying Lotus, Rustie, Oneohtrix Point Never, Danny Brown, Grizzly Bear, Brian Eno, TNGHT, and Kelela. Warp was founded by Steve Beckett and the late Rob Mitchell, the name was chosen because the original name, Warped Records, was difficult to distinguish over the telephone. The first release was by Forgemasters, whose 500 copy pressing of Track with no Name was financed by an Enterprise Allowance grant and it set a trend for the early releases both in terms of sound, and the use of purple sleeves. The follow-up was Nightmares on Waxs Dextrous, which sold around 30,000 copies, the first album released was Sweet Exorcists C. C. E. P. in 1991. In the same year Robert Gordon left Warp acrimoniously, initially all the album releases used gatefold sleeves and coloured vinyl, often designed by The Designers Republic or Phil Wolstenholme. A VHS compilation of digitally animated music videos called Motion was released in conjunction with the second Artificial Intelligence compilation, in 1996 Warp started the Blech club night in Sheffield, also in London between 1997 and 1999, and released an accompanying compilation CD under the same name. The artwork, created by the Designers Republic, had a distinctive Japanese manga influence, the collection celebrated the labels tenth anniversary. In 2000, the label moved its operations to London along with its physical music, co-founder Rob Mitchell was diagnosed with cancer in early 2001. Warpmart has now been absorbed into Bleep. com, today Bleep sells a carefully curated selection of music from a diverse range of labels. The site has released its own limited edition LPs The Green Series. On 27 September 2004, Warp released its music video compilation, named WarpVision. 2005 saw the release of Warp, the first book in the Labels Unlimited series, written by Rob Young, the book gave an illustrated history of the label, as well as offering a complete discography. The Warp website said the book was “A very beautiful thing and like our very own This Is Your Life, the label continued to expand its roster, signing acts including. Battles, Born Ruffians, Maxïmo Park, Gravenhurst and Grizzly Bear, for the labels 20th anniversary in 2009, several Warp20 concerts took place in Paris, New York City, Sheffield, Tokyo, Berlin and London. Warp also celebrated by releasing the Warp20 box set, composed of six parts, Warp20 The Complete Catalogue, Warp20, a CD album featuring an hour-long piece by Osymyso, made from sections, samples and fragments of Warp music from the previous twenty years. Warp20, a double 10” vinyl of loops from Warp tracks, Warp continues to release albums, from artists such as Hudson Mohawke, Flying Lotus, Mark Pritchard, Bibio, Jamie Lidell, Lonelady, Leila, and Gonjasufi. Recent signings include Brian Eno, Oneohtrix Point Never, Mount Kimbie, darkstar, Death Grips, patten and Jeremiah Jae
6.
Ventolin (EP)
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Ventolin is a piece of electronic music composed by the Cornish musician Richard D James. It is noted for its harsh, abrasive sound, James recorded numerous versions of the piece under his Aphex Twin alias. The piece is named after a name for the drug Salbutamol. A reported side effect of drug is tinnitus, a high pitched ringing in the ears. James utilized this effect in Ventolin, incorporating a piercing high-pitched ringing sound throughout the track, the music also incorporates heavily distorted techno beats. The resulting effect has been cited as one of the harshest singles ever recorded, the song is sampled by the Vancouver industrial band Front Line Assembly in the song Retribution on their 1999 album Implode. The first recording of Ventolin appeared on a video produced to accompany the track. The video consists of a woman being trapped in an elevator with other industrial images interspersed, the video version of the track was released a month later on the 1995 Aphex Twin album. I Care Because You Do. The Salbutamol Mix on this EP is a version of the video version. In 1995, Warp Records released Ventolin as a single in the United Kingdom, on 12 vinyl, between them, these EPs have a further 12 versions of Ventolin. The singles artwork, by Dan Parkes, has Renaissance-style anatomical drawings of a head and upper torso, together with an asthma inhaler. The Wheeze mix is the remix that utilizes the high-pitched ringing. In typical James fashion, several of the mixes are labelled with obscure or bizarre titles, several of the apparently bizarre remix names are actually Cornish place names, Praze-An-Beeble, Marazanvose, Carharrack and Probus are all Cornish villages. There is a Coppice Inn in the village of Lanner, near Redruth, Plain-An-Gwarry is an area within Redruth and also the generic name for a Cornish medieval amphitheatre used for the performance of mystery plays and sports. Other mix names refer to the medicinal Ventolin, asthma beats, wheeze, the Praze-An-Beeble mix ends with manipulated samples of James mother Lorna laughing, whilst the Marazanvose mix ends with a child counting in Afrikaans mixed with manipulated animal sounds. The ending of Marazanvose mix is similar to the end of The Beauty of Being Numb. They were recorded at around the same time, crowsmengegus mix closes with a speech synthesizer intoning an MCs toast to a list of names, almost all of whom were collaborators with James. This was later issued as a track on 51/13 Aphex Singles Collection
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