''It's a Beat Wave'' is the debut

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...

by American electro group

Warp 9 Warp 9, an American sci-fi themed electro-funk, hip hop group is best known for its ground breaking, influential singles including " Nunk," "Light Years Away," and " Beat Wave," which ranked among the most iconic groups of the electro hip hop ...

. Released in 1983, the album's producers,

Lotti Golden Lotti Golden (born November 27, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, poet and artist. Golden is best known for her 1969 debut album '' Motor-Cycle'', on Atlantic Records. Winner of the ASCAP Pop Award for songwriting and RI ...

and Richard Scher, "worked real emotion and intelligence into the world of experimental hip-hop and electro." Warp 9 was the moniker under which Golden and Scher created their brand of electro-futurism. The group's first single, " Nunk,"(1982), secured Warp 9's album deal with New York independent label

Prism Records Prism Records was an American record label formed in 1978 by Len Fichtelberg (d. November 4, 2010). It was originally an independent label, focusing on the New York City R&B and disco scene of the day with groups like Erotic Drum Band and disco ...

. The LP was released in 1983 in conjunction with the group's 3rd single, "Beat Wave." Warp 9's large following in the New York metropolitan area came to the attention of Island Records chief Chris Blackwell who signed Warp 9 to a world wide deal on Island Records (Prism Records/Island Records in the U.S.).Cashbox Magazine, East Coastings. August 1984. p12. Richard Scher is credited with the arrangements, drum programming and keyboards, The group's members Chuck Wansley and Boe Brown, provide additional drums and percussion, joined by Steve Thornton from the Miles Davis Septet. Lead and backing vocals are by Warp 9's Ada Dyer, Chuck Wansley, and Boe Brown. Additional vocals were provided by Catherine Russell,

and Tina Fabrik. The album's mix was produced in collaboration with

John "Jellybean" Benitez John Benitez (born November 7, 1957), also known as Jellybean, is an American musician, songwriter, DJ, remixer, and music producer. He has produced and remixed artists such as Madonna, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and the Pointer Sisters ...

(who also co-produced "Nunk" and "Light Years Away") except for "No Man Is an Island" and "Master of the Mix" which were mixed and produced by Golden & Scher. The album's topics range from music production ( the mixing itself) and alien visition to creation of ad-hoc music styles (one of them becoming the music genre, electro) and is unified in its electronic experimentation, hip hop language and afro-futurist message.

CD version

In 1992, the album was remastered and re-released on CD by Canadian company Unidisc, featuring remixes that were previously omitted from the original LP release.

Track listing

References

1983 debut albums Warp 9 albums East Coast hip hop albums Concept albums {{1980s-album-stub