Bytes (album)

Last updated

Bytes
Blackdog bytes cover.jpg
Studio album by
Released8 March 1993 (1993-03-08)
Genre Electronic, IDM
Length67:35
Label Warp
Producer Black Dog Productions
The Black Dog chronology
Bytes
(1993)
Temple of Transparent Balls
(1993)
Artificial Intelligence series chronology
Surfing on Sine Waves
(1993)
Bytes
(1993)
Electro-Soma
(1993)

Bytes is the debut studio album by the English electronic music group the Black Dog, credited under the name Black Dog Productions. It was released on Warp on 8 March 1993.

Contents

The record entered the Dance Albums Chart at No. 1 on 27 March 1993. [1] The music is produced by the members of the group – Ed Handley, Andy Turner, and Ken Downie – under various aliases, including Plaid, Close Up Over, Xeper, Atypic, I.A.O., Discordian Popes and Balil. Black Dog Productions is also the name of their own record label.

Release

Bytes was released on the Sheffield techno label Warp on 8 March 1993. The members of the Black Dog collaborated on the album in various combinations with pseudonyms. An early version of "Clan (Mongol Hordes)" appears on Artificial Intelligence as "The Clan".

The record entered the Dance Albums Chart at No. 1 on 27 March 1993. [1]


Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [2]
NME 8/10 [3]
Record Collector Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Select 5/5 [5]
Slant Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Uncut 8/10 [7]
Vox 8/10 [8]

In 2002, Slant Magazine placed Bytes at number 23 on its list of "The 25 Greatest Electronic Albums of the 20th Century". [9] Bytes has been cited as a landmark album of intelligent dance music. [2] [9]

Track listing

No.TitleArtistLength
1."Object Orient" Plaid 5:44
2."Caz"Close Up Over6:15
3."Carceres Ex Novum"Xeper6:43
4."Focus Mel"Atypic7:13
5."Olivine"Close Up Over4:45
6."Clan (Mongol Hordes)"I.A.O.6:24
7."Yamemm"Plaid6:15
8."Fight the Hits"Discordian Popes6:20
9."Merck"Balil4:34
10."Jauqq"Close Up Over5:47
11."3/4 Heart"Balil7:33

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References

  1. 1 2 Redmond, Steve, ed. (27 March 1993). "Top 10 Dance Albums" (PDF). Music Week . London: Spotlight Publications. p. 28.
  2. 1 2 Cooper, Sean. "Bytes – The Black Dog / Black Dog Productions". AllMusic . Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  3. Needs, Kris (3 April 1993). "Black Dog Productions: Bytes". NME . p. 27.
  4. Bowler, Paul (November 2023). "Black Dog Productions: Bytes / The Black Dog: Spanners". Record Collector . No. 550. p. 87.
  5. Howe, Rupert (April 1993). "Black Dog: Bytes". Select . No. 34. p. 74.
  6. Cinquemani, Sal (2 November 2002). "Review: Black Dog Productions, Bytes". Slant Magazine . Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  7. Martin, Piers (2023). "Black Dog Productions/The Black Dog: Bytes/Spanners". Uncut . No. 320, Review of the Year 2023. pp. 39–40.
  8. Chong, Davydd (May 1993). "Black Dog Productions: Bytes". Vox . No. 32. p. 74.
  9. 1 2 Cinquemani, Sal (30 June 2002). "25/20: The 25 Greatest Electronic Albums of the 20th Century". Slant Magazine . Retrieved 9 March 2017.