Artificial Intelligence (series)
Encyclopedia
Artificial Intelligence is a series of album
s by Warp Records
released from 1992–1994 to exhibit the capabilities and sounds of electronic music
. Warp described the new (post-rave
electronic) music as "electronic listening music" to clarify that it was meant more for the mind than the body. The sleevenote on the 1992 compilation said "Are you sitting comfortably? Artificial Intelligence is for long journeys, quiet nights and club drowsy dawns. Listen with an open mind." The series is remarkable for its inclusion of groups and individuals who would later become leaders in modern electronic music, techno, and ambient
, such as Alex Paterson
, Plaid
, Richard D James
, Richie Hawtin
, and Autechre
. Every album in the series, aside from Dimension Intrusion
, has its name enclosed in parenthesis on its cover.
The original AI series consisted of the following albums, listed in order of release:
Each of the albums was released on vinyl, cassette
and CD
; each of the artist albums was also released on limited edition coloured or transparent vinyl. A video release, entitled (Motion), was also released for the series. Finally, each release except Ginger was distributed in the United States by TVT
/Wax Trax!
Records.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s by Warp Records
Warp Records
Warp, commonly referred to as Warp Records, is a pioneering independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 1989, notable for discovering some of the more enduring artists in electronic music....
released from 1992–1994 to exhibit the capabilities and sounds of electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
. Warp described the new (post-rave
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
electronic) music as "electronic listening music" to clarify that it was meant more for the mind than the body. The sleevenote on the 1992 compilation said "Are you sitting comfortably? Artificial Intelligence is for long journeys, quiet nights and club drowsy dawns. Listen with an open mind." The series is remarkable for its inclusion of groups and individuals who would later become leaders in modern electronic music, techno, and ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
, such as Alex Paterson
The Orb
Throughout 1989, the Orb, along with Martin Glover, developed the musical genre of ambient house through the use of a diverse array of samples and recordings. The culmination of its musical work came toward the end of the year when the group recorded a session for John Peel on BBC Radio 1...
, Plaid
Plaid (band)
Plaid is a London-based British electronic music duo comprising Andy Turner and Ed Handley. They are former members of The Black Dog and used many other names, such as Atypic and Balil , before settling on Plaid...
, Richard D James
Aphex Twin
Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
, Richie Hawtin
Richie Hawtin
Richard Hawtin is an English-Canadian electronic musician and DJ who was an influential part of Detroit techno's second wave of artists in the early 1990s and a leading exponent of Minimal techno since the mid 1990s...
, and Autechre
Autechre
Autechre are an English electronic music duo consisting of Rob Brown and Sean Booth, both natives of Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1987, they are one of the most prominent acts signed to Warp Records, a label known for its pioneering electronic music and through which all Autechre albums...
. Every album in the series, aside from Dimension Intrusion
Dimension Intrusion
Dimension Intrusion is an album released by F.U.S.E., aka Richie Hawtin, as the fifth release on Warp's Artificial Intelligence series, in 1993.-Track listing:All tracks by Richie Hawtin#"A New Day" – 3:53#"F.U." – 7:45#"Slac" – 3:17...
, has its name enclosed in parenthesis on its cover.
The original AI series consisted of the following albums, listed in order of release:
- Artificial Intelligence - Various Artists
- Surfing on Sine WavesSurfing on Sine WavesSurfing on Sine Waves is an electronic music album by Polygon Window, a pseudonym for recording artist Richard D. James, better known by his other alias of Aphex Twin. The album was released on 11 January 1993 on Warp Records, and is the second in its Artificial Intelligence series...
- Polygon Window - BytesBytes (album)Bytes is an album by Ed Handley, Andy Turner and Ken Downie, under the name Black Dog Productions.-Background:The album was released in 1993 and later re-released in 2005. Today, both Ed Handley and Andy Turner form part of Plaid while Ken Downie continues to produce music under Black Dog. All...
- Black Dog ProductionsBlack Dog ProductionsThe Black Dog was founded by Ken Downie along with Ed Handley and Andy Turner. Widely regarded as legends, the group are pioneers who, along with acts like Autechre, Aphex Twin, µ-ziq and LFO, came to define the techno movement known as intelligent dance music in the early 1990s.-Early career:In... - Electro-SomaElectro-SomaElectro-Soma is an album released by B12 in 1993. It was originally part of Warp's Artificial Intelligence series. The album features some tracks which had previously been released under different aliases, including Musicology, Redcell, and Cmetric...
- B12B12 (band)B12 are a British electronic music duo consisting of Mike Golding and Steve Rutter. First appearing in the early 1990s under a variety of monikers, including Musicology, Redcell and Cmetric, the duo were often mistaken as hailing from Detroit, their sound being comparable to the so-called second... - Dimension IntrusionDimension IntrusionDimension Intrusion is an album released by F.U.S.E., aka Richie Hawtin, as the fifth release on Warp's Artificial Intelligence series, in 1993.-Track listing:All tracks by Richie Hawtin#"A New Day" – 3:53#"F.U." – 7:45#"Slac" – 3:17...
- F.U.S.E.Richie HawtinRichard Hawtin is an English-Canadian electronic musician and DJ who was an influential part of Detroit techno's second wave of artists in the early 1990s and a leading exponent of Minimal techno since the mid 1990s... - GingerGinger (album)Ginger is an album released by Speedy J in 1993, as part of Warp's Artificial Intelligence series. It is the sixth release in the series. "De-Orbit" also appears on the Artificial Intelligence compilation.- Track listing :#"Ginger" – 7:20...
- Speedy JSpeedy JSpeedy J , is a Dutch electronic music producer based in the city of Rotterdam. His breakthrough came with the release in 1992 of the minimal techno track Pullover... - IncunabulaIncunabula (album)Incunabula is the debut album by electronic music group Autechre. It was released in 1993 and is the seventh album in the Artificial Intelligence series. The album's title has also been typeset as , as all Artificial Intelligence releases were...
- AutechreAutechreAutechre are an English electronic music duo consisting of Rob Brown and Sean Booth, both natives of Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1987, they are one of the most prominent acts signed to Warp Records, a label known for its pioneering electronic music and through which all Autechre albums... - Artificial Intelligence IIArtificial Intelligence IIArtificial Intelligence II was a compilation album released on Warp Records on 30 May 1994. The album is the eighth and final release in Warp's Artificial Intelligence series.-2xLP and cassette version:2xLP and cassette...
- Various Artists
Each of the albums was released on vinyl, cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
and CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
; each of the artist albums was also released on limited edition coloured or transparent vinyl. A video release, entitled (Motion), was also released for the series. Finally, each release except Ginger was distributed in the United States by TVT
TVT Records
TVT Records was an independent US record label founded by Steve Gottlieb. Over the course of its 25 year history the label released some 25 Gold, Platinum and Multi-platinum releases. Its roster included Nine Inch Nails, Ja Rule, Lil Jon, Underworld, The KLF, Sevendust, Brian Jonestown Massacre and...
/Wax Trax!
Wax Trax! Records
Wax Trax! Records was an independent record label in the United States. Wax Trax! began as a record shop in Denver, Colorado opened by Jim Nash and Dannie Flesher. They sold the store in 1978 and, in November of that year, opened a new one under the same name at 2449 North Lincoln Avenue in...
Records.