Warp Records

Warp Records grew out of a Sheffield record shop and entered the label world in 1989 with “Track With No Name,” a record by Forgemasters, the band of co-founder Robert Gordon. Founded by Gordon, Steve Beckett and Robert Mitchell, Warp arrived during the rise of UK bleep, issuing records by LFO, Sweet Exorcist and Nightmares on Wax. Its early approach set it apart from the quick turnover of dance singles: Warp placed value on albums and long-term relationships with artists.

In 1992, the compilation Artificial Intelligence helped define intelligent dance music, presenting electronic music intended as much for home listening as the dancefloor. Warp became closely identified with artists including Aphex Twin, Autechre, Boards of Canada and Squarepusher, whose work placed intricate programming, abstraction and unusual sound design at the centre of the label’s public identity. Broadcast, Flying Lotus and Battles also form part of a catalogue that has connected electronic music with pop, rock and experimental practice.

Gordon left Warp in 1991, and Mitchell died in 2001. Beckett remained at the head of the company. The label relocated from Sheffield to London in 2000, then broadened its activities and roster during the following decade. Alongside electronic releases, Warp worked with indie rock, hip-hop, ambient, neoclassical music and film soundtracks. Later artists including Oneohtrix Point Never, Kelela, Mount Kimbie, Danny Brown, Bibio, Kassa Overall and Squid reflect that wider remit, while retaining an interest in distinctive, individual approaches to production and songwriting.

Warp also moved into film in 2001 with the creation of Warp Films, initially formed to release work by Chris Cunningham and Chris Morris. In 2004 it launched Bleep, an early digital download store. The label’s impact has been recognised by publications including The Independent, The Guardian and Resident Advisor, while Beckett received the Pioneer Award at the AIM Independent Music Awards in 2017. Based in London, Warp remains a British independent label whose history runs from Sheffield bleep to a broad body of electronic and left-field music.