LFO (British band)
| Company type | Music duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Founder | Mark Bell, Gez Varley |
| Defunct | 2014 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Electronic music |
LFO was an electronic music duo from the United Kingdom, established in 1988 by Mark Bell and Gez Varley. Their first full-length album, Frequencies (1991), was issued through the Sheffield-based label Warp. Following Varley's departure in 1996, Bell continued the project independently, releasing Advance (1996) and Sheath (2003). The group concluded with Bell's passing in October 2014.
The act is credited as trailblazers of the bass-centric "bleep techno" genre. AllMusic referred to them as "one of British techno's most influential and trendsetting ensembles."
Formative period
Bell and Varley connected while attending university in Leeds, choosing the name LFO after the synthesizer term "low-frequency oscillation." Their initial track, "LFO," gained traction in clubs before its 1990 release on Warp, ultimately reaching number 12 on the UK singles chart.
Although DJ Martin (Martin Williams) co-wrote and co-produced "LFO," he was not officially part of the group. Bell acknowledged Martin’s role in structuring tracks for club audiences, often spinning their raw demos to positive crowd reactions.
At just 19 years old, Bell and Varley created their debut album Frequencies. Bell later revealed that he handled most production duties solo, as Varley preferred a more straightforward dance music direction outside Warp’s vision; nonetheless, production credits were evenly shared.
The duo secured a deal with Tommy Boy Records in the United States and provided remixes for artists such as Afrika Bambaataa, Björk, Radiohead, Depeche Mode, Laurent Garnier, and The Sabres of Paradise.
Subsequent developments
LFO’s sophomore album, Advance, was released in 1996. That same year, Varley exited the partnership to launch Feedback alongside Simon Hartley (Wild Planet). Bell contributed production to Björk’s Homogenic (1997) and joined her on tour for both Homogenic and the 2007/08 Volta tours. Additionally, he produced Depeche Mode’s Exciter (2001).
In 2003, Bell solely produced LFO’s third studio effort, Sheath.
The collaboration between LFO and Aphex Twin resulted in the 2005 EP AFX / LFO.
The 2009 compilation Warp20 (Recreated) included reinterpretations of two classic LFO tracks by Luke Vibert and Autechre. The original "LFO" (Leeds Warehouse Mix) was featured on Warp’s tenth anniversary release, Warp 10+2: Classics 89–92.
Their song Freak was used during the opening scene of Gaspar Noé’s 2009 film Enter the Void.
Bell passed away at age 43 in 2014 due to health issues, which brought LFO to an end.
Albums
- Frequencies (1991) – UK chart position: No. 42
- Advance (1996) – UK chart position: No. 44
- Sheath (2003)
EPs
- What Is House? EP (1992) – UK chart position: No. 62
Singles
- "LFO" (1990) – UK chart position: No. 12
- "Love is a Message" (1990)
- "Loop" (1990)
- "Frequencies" (1991)
- "We Are Back" (1991) – UK chart position: No. 47
- "Tied Up" (1994) – UK chart position: No. 99
- "Freak" (2003) – UK chart position: No. 79
External links
- Articles with short description
- Acid house groups
- English house music duos
- English techno music groups
- British intelligent dance musicians
- British electronic dance music duos
- British male musical duos
- Musical groups from Leeds
- Musical groups established in 1988
- Musical groups disbanded in 2014
- Warp Records artists
- Tommy Boy Records artists
- Rhythm King artists
- Musical groups disestablished in 2014