Tale of 2 labels: WARP and XL.

blissblogger

Well-known member
got nothing intelligent to say on this topic (never heard of Jimmy Edgar and know instantly i'd be in the anti camp) but by weird synchrony there is an ILM thread tangentially intersecting with this one, on the anti-IDM consensus

http://ilx.p3r.net/thread.php?msgid=5223116

the most interesting comments are by drew daniel yes him outta matmos, and although he intends to defend idm from its detractors (he likes jimmy edgar) when acknowledging the formulaic-ness of the genre he makes rather a devastating critique especially as its informed by technical knowledge, ie he knows precisely how easy it is to make this music

planning a cull of my record collectition and one of the areas where there'll be the most carnage, i suspect, is the IDM (post97ish, not the first wave Anglo idm before it was IDM stuff)/glitchcore/clickyglitchy type stuff. and i'm not anticipating being able to sell it for much.
 

mms

sometimes
i don't know how all music isn't amazing right now but it never is. but the possibilities are there.
cliques and genres will ruin everything.
 

mms

sometimes
seahorsegenius said:
If you own a label, and you start signing friend's bands....chances are your label is going to go down fast. :confused:

i don't think thats what any of these labels have done. and also that's not necessarily true, alot of labels are set up precisely to sign friends bands, alot of smaller labels work from a kind of community as well, for example before warp were warp they signed a nascent pulp..
 

jed_

Well-known member
I think part of the problem is to do with identity. Warp had a very fixed identity in the 90's but that seems less and less relevant now for various reasons. There was a WARP sound then but there isnt really one now, is there? WARP don't know what it is themselves - i mean whats the point of that Lex sub label for hip hop when you are putting out the Beans record on WARP proper? make your mind up guys - either put everything out on WARP or try to decide what lex and warp respectively really are.

i agree with the point above that signing !!! was a somewhat desperate attempt to get some hipster cachet. Ironically though, i can imagine if something like "last Exit" had come out on warp it would have slipped under that radar despite Warp's high profile.
 

mms

sometimes
jed, last exit is out in the states on domino, dunno how it's doing tho,
i'm the wrong person to ask but i'm interested to know....
 

xero

was minusone
there's no comparison really between Warp & XL - I mean Warp has held a strong identity for almost all of its existence until recently when, yes it does seem like they're desperate to evade the unfashionable-ness of electronica. XL started off as a hardcore label but quickly widened the net to include any vaguely alternative act that was likely to attain commercial success

Admittedly Warp & its slavish followers can get right up your nose, I've met people who seem to listen exclusively to warp or warp-related acts - how sad is that

But Warp win hands down in the artwork stakes - XL covers have always been shite (...waits for hail of exceptions) - as well as in the video department
 

Woebot

Well-known member
minusone said:
But Warp win hands down in the artwork stakes - XL covers have always been shite (...waits for hail of exceptions) - as well as in the video department

the thing is XL's background as a rave label, though for quite a long time seemed pretty debased (how much kudos did those early releases lend them in spite of the re-appraisal of ardkore, not much!) with the passing of the years that pedigree has seemed increasing relevant. i mean, theyre a heterogeneous label by definition aren't they, and they seems to suit them carrying a wider remit of acts (basement jaxx, dizzy, banhart etc)

as for the artwork, well excuse me if i disagree. if i see another designers republic sleeve with itsy bitsy teeny weeny fonts skewed perpendicularly in some oddball location then i'll burst into sobs. the jimmy edgar sleeve was just another one of these. at least with the broadcast sleeve they did something a bit bold. as for the XL sleeves, well i just adored the previous basement jaxx one, and the leila one (that sunk without a trace that record) and the dizzy ones well theyre a bit shite admittedly.

i guess with the boombip things WARP really did push the boat out. i mean, you'd have to be a cold heart not to appreciate that. but, stone me, the music didnt really seem to hold up.

(scratches head) i must say though, i have been struck by the quantity of "lesser" stuff out on these labels which people say is worth hearing. stuff im oblivious too. however maybe thats the problem (obv being a bit contrary here), people are willing to actually pay attention to everything WARP puts out to the detriment of taking a broader view of things.
 

xero

was minusone
WOEBOT said:
as for the artwork, well excuse me if i disagree. if i see another designers republic sleeve with itsy bitsy teeny weeny fonts skewed perpendicularly in some oddball location then i'll burst into sobs.

can't say fairer than that - but 10 or twelve years ago it was a different story - like 4AD, warp always had a strong visual style that helped give the whole package a sense of purpose, I just don't think the same can be said of XL despite the odd successful sleeve
 

Woebot

Well-known member
minusone said:
can't say fairer than that - but 10 or twelve years ago it was a different story - like 4AD, warp always had a strong visual style that helped give the whole package a sense of purpose, I just don't think the same can be said of XL despite the odd successful sleeve

i'd agree! it MUST be too early in the morning for a magic moment :D
 

xero

was minusone
but it's reminded me - must start a sleeve art thread when I get a few moments, miss those WOEBOT specials...
 

matt b

Indexing all opinion
WOEBOT said:
the thing is XL's background as a rave label, though for quite a long time seemed pretty debased (how much kudos did those early releases lend them in spite of the re-appraisal of ardkore, not much!) .

well, their contribution was mainly licensed euro rave comps which apart from the odd gem don't sound too special now imo, and the prodigy-who given their mainstream appeal have lost their credibility despite being ace for a time ('everybody in the place' is one of the finest tunes of that era)
 
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bassnation

the abyss
matt b said:
warp have been failing for years.

i don't know about that - dj maxximus & something j ragga electro tune "Mercedes Bentley Vs. Versace Armani" was absolutely wicked plus the arcola offshoot is also doing it for me.

i'm talking dancefloor though, the avant garde output leaves me cold but thats just my taste.
 

Diggedy Derek

Stray Dog
i thought i was never gonna forgive them after the broadcast album came out

I thought I'd hate Broadcast, given that they sound a bit like Stereolab, but Ha Ha Sound was so lush and melancholy, so packed with ideas and musical memories I was totally seduced. Roll on the next album!

Otherwise, though, the Warp label means very little to me these days.
 
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