Bytes (album)

Bytes
Studio album by Black Dog Productions
Released	8 March 1993 (1993-03-08)
Genre	Electronic, IDM
Length	67:35
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.

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
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
NME	8/10[3]
Record Collector	[4]
Select	[5]
Slant Magazine	[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.	Title	Artist	Length
1.	"Object Orient"	Plaid	5:44
2.	"Caz"	Close Up Over	6:15
3.	"Carceres Ex Novum"	Xeper	6:43
4.	"Focus Mel"	Atypic	7:13
5.	"Olivine"	Close Up Over	4:45
6.	"Clan (Mongol Hordes)"	I.A.O.	6:24
7.	"Yamemm"	Plaid	6:15
8.	"Fight the Hits"	Discordian Popes	6:20
9.	"Merck"	Balil	4:34
10.	"Jauqq"	Close Up Over	5:47
11.	"3/4 Heart"	Balil	7:33

References

1. Redmond, Steve, ed. (27 March 1993). "Top 10 Dance Albums" (PDF). Music Week. London: Spotlight Publications. p. 28.
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: 74. Archived from the original on 31 July 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
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. Cinquemani, Sal (30 June 2002). "25/20: The 25 Greatest Electronic Albums of the 20th Century". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 9 March 2017.

External links

• Bytes at Discogs (list of releases)
• Bytes at Warp