LFO is an English techno group on the Warp Records label. LFO was one of the pioneers of the harsh techno of the early 1990s. Originally comprising Gez Varley and Mark Bell, they met while studying at Leeds and gave their first track, the eponymous "LFO", to Nightmares On Wax. The demo's popularity in clubs lead to the track being released by the Sheffield-based Warp in 1990 (see 1990 in music), where it made it into the Top Twenty. Techno is a form of electronic dance music that became prominent in Detroit, Michigan during the mid-1980s with influences from electro, New Wave, Funk and futuristic fiction themes that were prevalent and relative to modern culture during the end of the Cold War in industrial America at that time. ... Warp Records is a pioneering independent UK record label, founded in Sheffield in 1989, notable for discovering some of the most enduring artists in electronic music. ... Mark Bell is a musician and producer of electronic house music who, as well as being a member of the pioneering intelligent dance music group LFO on Warp Records, has collaborated with a wide range of artists such as Björk and Depeche Mode. ... Leeds is the urban core of the metropolitan borough and city the City of Leeds in West Yorkshire in the north of England. ... DJ EASE Nightmares on Wax is DJ and musician George Evelyn, also known as DJ EASE (Experimental Sample Expert), from Leeds, UK. The musical style is a combination of electronica sounds and hip hop beats, often regarded as Chill Out. Nightmares On Waxs music is released on Warp Records. ... This article is about the year. ... See also: 1989 in music, 1990 in British music, other events of 1990, 1991 in music, 1990s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 21 - MTVs Unplugged premieres on cable television with musical guest, Squeeze February 6 - Billy Idol is involved in a serious motorcycle...

The track LFO is one of the first pieces of music to heavily feature sub-bass and similar pure tones as primary musical instruments. This has now become commonplace in many modern electronic music genres. 21st Century UK-Garage and Grime styles are, as were Jungle and Drum & Bass, undeniably influenced by LFO. A Speak-and-Spell device from the early 1980's (as also seen in the motion picture 'ET') was heard throughout, announcing the name of the track, and adding a light-hearted element.

The follow-up single was called 'We are back", released in the summer of 1991. This time a somewhat staggered Commodore Amiga voice proclaimed the phrase, "There are many imitators, but we are the true creators. We're back ..... Low Frequency Oscillation". This was generally accepted by most as being a valid statement.

Although it did not do as well as LFO in terms of chart figures, "We are back" was certainly a successful single within the rave community, its target audience.

Later signed to Tommy Boy in the US, the duo did remix work on Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" and LFO went on to work with Björk, Radiohead, Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk, Laurent Garnier, and Andrew Weatherall (The Sabres Of Paradise). Varley left in 1997 to form Feedback with Simon Hartley (aka Wildplanet). Mark Bell helped produce Homogenic with Björk and Exciter with Depeche Mode. Tommy Boy is a 1995 comedy movie starring Chris Farley and David Spade. ... Afrika Bambaataa (born Kevin Donovan April 17, 1957[1]) is a DJ and community leader from the South Bronx, who was instrumental in the early development of hip hop throughout the 1970s. ... Björk Guðmundsdóttir IPA: , (born November 21, 1965 in Reykjavík, Iceland) is an Icelandic singer/songwriter and composer (formerly the lead singer of post-punk band The Sugarcubes), with a great expressive range and an interest in many kinds of music including pop, trip hop, alternative rock... This article or section needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ... Depeche Mode is an electronic music band from the town of Basildon, England, originally founded in 1980. ... Album cover of Trans-Europe Express (1977). ... Laurent Garnier (born February 1, 1966) is a French techno music producer and DJ. As a DJ at the Hacienda club in Manchester he was a significant player in the Madchester scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ... Andrew Weatherall (b. ... Homogenic, released in September of 1997 on the One Little Indian label, is an album by icelandic singer/songwriter/musician Björk. ... Exciter is Depeche Modes tenth full-length album, which was released on May 15, 2001. ...

LFO's name comes from the term low frequency oscillation, a synthesis technique widely used in electronic music. Low frequency oscillation, often abbreviated to LFO, is a term that predominantly refers to an audio technique specifically used in the production of electronic music. ... Electronic music is a term for music created using electronic devices. ...

Partial discography

• LFO (1990)
• Frequencies (1991)
• Tied Up (1994)
• Advance (1996)
• Sheath (2003)

External links

• Warp: LFO
• Sheath Microsite
• Interview
• Complete discography