LFO (British band)

LFO

Mark Bell (LFO) on stage in Arma 17, Moscow, on 30 March 2013.
Background information
Origin Leeds, England, United Kingdom
Genres Electronica, techno, IDM, acid house, industrial dance
Years active 1988–1996
2003–2014
Labels Tommy Boy/Warner Bros. (U.S.)
Warp
Website LFO at Warp
Past members Gez Varley (1988–1996)
Mark Bell (1988–2014)

LFO were a British electronic music act on the Warp label. Considered to be pioneers of the bass-heavy techno, LFO released Frequencies (1991), Advance (1996), and Sheath (2003).[1] Originally, the group was composed of Gez Varley (born 1971) and Mark Bell (1971–2014).[2] After Varley left in 1996, LFO was Bell alone. Bell died in October 2014.

The group's name is derived from the abbreviation for the term low-frequency oscillator, a synthesizer function widely used in electronic music.

History

Varley and Bell met while studying at Leeds and gave their first track, the eponymous "LFO", to Nightmares on Wax. The popularity of the demo in clubs led to the track being released by the Sheffield-based Warp label in 1990, and it was a Top 20 hit in the U.K., reaching number 12 in the singles charts in July.

In 1991, LFO released the debut album, Frequencies.[3]

DJ Martin (Martin Williams) is credited as a cowriter and coproducer of the track "LFO" but was not a member of the group.[4] Mark Bell explains:

"We gave a tape of our recordings to DJ Martin who helped loads with arranging our tracks so it'd work on the dancefloor. We'd just been messing around with drum machines since we were like thirteen, tapping away at them like they were arcade games, making tapes to play our mates at school. Anyway, DJ Martin would play our cassettes in his sets and people would go mental - in a good way - cos they were totally raw."[5]

Later signed to Tommy Boy Records in the U.S., the duo remixed Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock", as well as songs from Björk, Radiohead, Depeche Mode, Laurent Garnier, and The Sabres of Paradise.

In 1996, LFO released the second album, Advance.[6] Varley left the group in 1996 and formed Feedback with Simon Hartley (a.k.a. Wild Planet). Mark Bell produced Homogenic with Björk and Exciter with Depeche Mode. Bell performed with Björk on her 1997 Homogenic tour and 2007/2008 Volta tour.

In 2003, LFO released the third album, Sheath.[7]

In 2009 the Warp20 (Recreated) compilation featured covers of two early LFO songs, "LFO" by Luke Vibert and "What is House? (LFO Remix)" by Autechre. The original version of "LFO", albeit in the Leeds Warehouse Mix, featured on Warp's 10th anniversary album Warp 10+2: Classics 89–92.

Discography

Albums

EPs

Singles

References

  1. ↑ "Warp Records confirm the death of LFO’s Mark Bell". NME. 13 October 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  2. ↑ LFO's TV interview in the 1990
  3. ↑ "Mark Bell of LFO, RIP". BrooklynVegan. 13 October 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  4. ↑ Frequencies credits
  5. ↑ Unpublished interview with LFO
  6. ↑ "Leeds' Musical Heritage: 1990s". BBC. 21 October 2008. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  7. ↑ "LFO's Mark Bell: 10 essential tracks". The Guardian. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  8. 1 2 3 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 309. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
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