Entire books can be - and in fact have been - written on the history of Warp Records, arguably the defining label of the electronic music era. Warp was founded by Steve Beckett and Rob Mitchell out of a Sheffield record store in 1989, alongside Robert Gordon, who also contributed the first release to the label - Forgemasters' 'Track With No Name'. Warp's innovative sound - cold bleepy techno with earth-shattering subbass frequencies - fell on fertile ground at the height of the acid house boom. So much so that its fifth release, LFO's classic track 'LFO', reached the UK's top 20, selling 130.000 copies - a quantity yet unheard of for an independent electronic music label. In 1991 Robert Gordon left Warp for creative differences and Mitchell and Beckett went on to broaden the label's musical focus. Warp began releasing a series of singles and albums under the 'Artificial Intelligence' heading, containing more experimental listening music by artists such as Aphex Twin, Autechre, B12, The Black Dog, Richie Hawtin and Alex Paterson (of The Orb). 'Artificial Intelligence' can be credited for laying the groundwork for the 90s electronica boom and establishing Warp as the world's leading label for the style. Further expanding its stylistic profile, Warp continued to sign influential acts on the boundaries of electronica, hip hop and alternative music, such as Anti Pop Consortium, Boards of Canada, Prefuse 73 and even rock groups like Maximo Park or !!!. Today Warp Records are based in London and run by Steve Beckett alone, since his partner Rob Mitchell sadly passed away in 2001.