One of the definitive albums/Compilations the electronic genre has produced along with "Autechres incunabula" these were the best albums in the artificial intelligence series by far the only track missing on bytes is the Bali track "norte route" which came out on planet e but that tune aside its still revolutionary just listen to the first song object orient which gets my vote as there finest production its common knowledge that black dog consider bytes to be there favourite work even better than the book of dogma which collates there early eps.Whats also notable is how fresh it still sounds today a true gem.Enjoy!

This superb release is a good reminder of how genious the Warp label once was (R.I.P.).
The jazzy vibe and the electronic touch has a mellow feel to it - warm and subtle, rather than minimal, this music has lasted through the nineties and up until now - A true friend!
The bronze vinyl that I got is in excellent condition and plays like a dream without any flaws - and I'm really picky when it comes to vinyl quality.

This release, from one of the few truly influential electronic music pioneers in the early 1990's, Black Dog, has been hailed as being one of the most innovative and influential recordings from the early Warp Catalogue, as part of the label's "Artificial Intelligence" series.

The focus on "Bytes" is lively, complex, intricate and emotive sounds that send the listener into states of hypnotic bliss, with their established tones flowing seamlesslessly throughout the album and yet managing to incorporate a diverse array of styles in each track.

The trio behind Black Dog, two-thirds of whom make up another big name on Warp, "Plaid", are renowned for their quirky, at times even kitsch-y melodies and beats, and this shows through in fully unrivalled glory on "Bytes". Playful tracks, such as "Caz" flow perfectly into the more subtle, grooving and sombre pieces like "Carceres Ex Novum", and to be honest, the effect they have is astounding.

The music here, while at first not immediately appealing (probably due to the similar textures used in the tracks - may cause you to hear it as being "all the same"), slowly reveals its unparalleled and timeless beauty only with repeated listens. Often with releases such as this, there is a reason for their "highly acclaimed" status - they have earned it, and quite deservingly, too. "Bytes" is no exception.

Rather than complaining that electronic music today is losing its touch, we should instead pick classic releases such as "Bytes" out from our collections, wipe off any dust that may have settled on it, and enjoy. Hopefully it won't be too long before we can experience such another innovative, inspiring and influential album such as "Bytes" to enjoy for 2005 and beyond.

A seminal album from one of electronic music’s most original artists. If you don’t have this in your collection, you shouldn’t even pretend to know anything about electronic music. Even now, 11 years after its release, there’s nothing that even comes close to the sublimity of Bytes. “Carceres Ex Novum” still is one of my top 5 electronic tracks of all time, and if you look at my collection, you’ll know that I don’t say this lightly. It blends an Arabic melody with a complex ¾ time signature for results that are truly out-of-this-world. The rest of the album is as equally intricate and fascinating. “3/4 Heart” and “Jauqq” both add to the mysterious and skewed melodic quality of the album. There’s no way around it, Bytes is a timeless masterpiece.

I didn't even know this came out! If you're reading this and not the Warp version, I may as well tell you that this is one of the all-time greatest electronic LPs, up there with the very best. I was only a kid when it came out and didn't really understand the music, little did I know I would return to it over and over again in the coming years...'Caz' by Close Up Over is a masterpiece of funky melodic techno, perhaps THE masterpiece but it is matched by so many moments on this record...3/4 Heart is unmatched to this day (July 2003). Buy it and have a happy life.

Brilliant third release from the groundbreaking Artificial Intelligence series comes this album with the limited pressing in beautiful copper vinyl editioned to I'd guess and hope 2500 copies. Not sure, but the pressing is one of the crappiest in the world. Completely noisey. Didn't prevent from playing the snot out of it but... I've never heard a clear copy of most of these tracks so I'd have no idea what I've missed.

Been listening to this quite a bit lately, totally timeless this is one of those albums that will never age. I don't think any of their recent stuff (Plaid and Ken Downie) has come even close to the feel of this album. Probaly WARP's finest album of all time.

When you look on the cover of the cd, you see the words ''This Compilation'' This was because in time of
releasing Bytes, they already had a contract with GPR! (It's still a problem to release under the same name on different labels) It looks like a compilation of different artists, but it is still made by Downie, Handley and Turner.
The track Xeper was made by Downie in a very short time. One day he woke up with the idea to make this track and made it..
I have read in interviews that Bytes is still their most favourite work.
A must have for all electronic freaks.

Brilliant release, on of the top UK techno albums ever from the "Artificial Intelligence" era of Warp. Deep Detroit-flavored feelings meet clinical quirky UK machine programming. Does anyone how how many of the LTD copper/bronze colored vinyl were released? I believe those are numbered. Thanks.