It’s Their Birthday And You Are All Invited!

It’s Their Birthday And You Are All Invited! - hei

Posted by hei

Iconic record label Warp is turning 20 and is inviting you to put together the ultimate compilation album. Few labels have had a more profound impact on the face of electronic music or a continuous output of such momentous quality. Summing it all up is an impossible task and probably why they need your help. The upcoming compilation will include the fan favorite tracks as well as the comments left on the website. Warp will also stage a few anniversary events to celebrate. Looks like I need to plan one more holiday trip this year!

Some of Warp’s most important artists include: Aphex Twin, Autechre, Squarepusher, LFO, Freeform, Boards of Canada, Tortoise, Battles, Clark, Plaid, Nightmares on Wax, The Black Dog, Prefuse 73, Two Lone Swordsmen and !!! (Chk Chk Chk).

By the time I got to really know Warp they had already been around for 8 years. I still remember standing in the record shop, picking up Autechre’s Chiastic Slide just because the record cover was so different from anything else. After hearing the opening track my brain was permanently altered. The glitchy sounds were unlike anything I had previously heard, the beats slowly transforming like two tracks mixed together out of sync, but still in some kind of divinely beautiful harmony. That single track broadened my musical taste by miles. I devoured every Warp album I could find and soon found myself head over heels in love with the label. Like most intense love affairs it eventually cooled off, but the label will always have a special place in my heart.

For me Warp was never only about the music. Their record covers are some of the period’s most influential, the music videos even more so. I even credit The Designer’s Republic (Warp’s long-standing sleeve designers) for me ending up pursuing a career as a graphic designer.

Beneath you can hear and see some of my favorite tunes and videos: