Broadcast – Work And Non Work

A nice easy listening break in between all those great Warp IDM albums, I thought at the time. Who would have thought that this would be the sound Warp would push for the most part during the next five years.

As such it is a milestone in the annals of the label, Warp was Progressive House until 1993, then IDM, and with Broadcast, Jimi Tenor, Plone et al went on an easy listening venture starting from 1997.

I remember Warp for the years 1993-1997.

Very nice pressing with a strong low end and Trish Keenan's vocals clearly presented.

Anyone ever A/B this ‘97 drag city w the OG UK on Warp? Something tells me I wish the US laquer was also cut by this gentleman called Porky :(

Disappointed with my first sealed pressing. Upon opening I could already see (and) feel several scrapes/scratches that, as predicted, yielded irritating, repetitive clicks. And how convenient for them to fall on the most quiet passages.

Hoping this was a dud, as the warp represses of other broadcast albums are stellar.

Update: Got in touch with Warp NYC, and they were totally cool. After sending in photos of the defect, not only did they send a perfect replacement, they sent a bunch of bonus music free (ie, whole lps and cds from their catalog). This included the Broadcast side project Children of Alice lp and BOC's Tomorrow's Harvest cd.

TLDR: Worth it to reach out to Warp if you have a defective disc.

There is intentional album crackle on some of the tracks. The band would sample lo-fi recordings of themselves. This shows up on the CD format as well.

Anyone else have a noisy press?

I've got some definite "crackle" on parts of Phantom, which does not seem to be static.

Official repress for march 2015!

Broadcast's first release on Warp is a collection of singles and other b-sides from their singles on Duophonic. The tracks are a homage to the underground pop sounds of the 60's, with Moogs buzzing around in the background while Trish Keenan half sings and half speaks to great effect. Though the songs sometimes sound a bit too rough, this is a hidden gem in Warp's discography.

This is a strange record. At first sight it sounds like an early 70s rockband played here like The Doors or Velvet Underground. But the production skillz and instrumentation tell a modern thinking of these roots. Great record for friends of Air or Portishead.

Broadcast’s first album, <I>Work and Non Work</I>, is actually a compilation of early singles and EPs. It’s a wonderful introduction to the band and their unique sound. At once emotional and icily cool, the band’s combination of Trish Keenan’s high vocals and harpsichord-like synths becomes something beautiful and fractal. Their use of off-kilter melodies and modal harmonies crashed into a distinct pop sensibility is evident on “Messages From Home.” Eerie cinematics comes to the forefront, as well, on instrumentals like “Phantom.” Broadcast’s lyrics are actually of worth to listen to and complement the music hand-in-glove; listen, for instance, to the plaintive longing of “Lights Out.” It’s the thinking person’s pop music.