''Frequencies'' is the debut studio album by British

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroa ...

duo LFO, released on 22 July 1991 by

Warp Warp, warped or warping may refer to: Arts and entertainment Books and comics * WaRP Graphics, an alternative comics publisher * ''Warp'' (First Comics), comic book series published by First Comics based on the play ''Warp!'' * Warp (comics), a ...

. It peaked at No. 42 on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...

and was released to universal acclaim.

Background

originally signed LFO in 1990 after DJ Martin played their tracks at Leeds Warehouse. The duo were both 19 years old when they recorded their debut LP. According to Mark Bell, most of the album was made by him alone because Varley felt "trapped by the confines of Warp" and wanted to make more direct dance music; the credits were nonetheless split 50/50.

Release

''Frequencies'' was originally released by Warp in the United Kingdom, while it was later released by Tommy Boy Records in the United States. The US edition of the album alters the track listing slightly, inserting "Track 14", which concludes the UK edition, in between "We Are Back" and "Tan Ta Ra"; the rest of the tracks then proceed in the same order as the UK edition. "LFO", "We Are Back", and "What Is House? (LFO Remix)" (an expanded version of "Intro") were released as singles.

Critical reception

In 2006, ''Frequencies'' was named by ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...

'' as one of the "50 albums that changed music". In 2012, '' Fact'' placed ''Frequencies'' at number 47 on its list of the "100 Best Albums of the 1990s". In a 2013 article for ''Fact'', critic Simon Reynolds named it as "one of electronic dance music’s All Time Top 5 Albums". In 2015, ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' placed it at number 47 on its list of "100 Lost Albums You Need to Know". ''

Mixmag ''Mixmag'' is a British electronic dance and clubbing magazine published in London. Launched in 1983 as a print magazine, it has branched into dance events, including festivals and club nights. History The first issue of ''Mixmag'' was prin ...

'' included the album in its 2018 list of the 50 most influential dance music albums of all time.

Legacy and influence

In 2009, the ''

Warp20 (Recreated) ''Warp20 (Recreated)'' is a compilation album released by Warp Records in 2009. It contains covers of Warp artists, such as Aphex Twin, LFO, Boards of Canada and Grizzly Bear, by other Warp artists, such as Plaid, Autechre and Mira Calix. ''Warp ...

'' compilation featured covers of "LFO" and "What Is House? (LFO Remix)" by

Luke Vibert Luke Vibert (born 26 January 1973) is a British electronic musician and producer, also known for his work under several aliases such as Plug and Wagon Christ. Raised in Cornwall, Vibert began releasing projects in the 1990s across varied genre ...

and

Autechre Autechre () is an English electronic music duo consisting of Rob Brown and Sean Booth, both from Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1987, they are among the best known acts signed to UK electronic label Warp Records, through which all of Au ...

, respectively. In 2021,

Squarepusher Tom Jenkinson (born 17 January 1975), known professionally as Squarepusher, is an English electronic musician, record producer, bassist, multi-instrumentalist and DJ. His music spans several genres including drum and bass, IDM, acid house, ac ...

said hearing the track ''LFO'' was instrumental in him becoming more interested in electronic music, he was struck by the track's futurist sound and use of bass.

Track listing

Charts

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1991 debut albums Acid house albums Techno albums by English artists LFO (British band) albums Tommy Boy Records albums Warp (record label) albums Albums with cover art by The Designers Republic