LFO — the influential Leeds-based duo comprised of Mark Bell and Gez Varley — made electronic-music history soon after its formation in 1988 by way of its self-titled single released in 1990. The infectious bass-driven synth track “LFO” went on to become one of the era’s music’s most influential rave/club tracks. Despite its germination in the underground, the track achieved impressive commercial and chart success.
While LFO ended when Bell died in 2014, surviving member Gez Varley says royalties are still owed for the single by Warp Records. Warp released the single “LFO” as well as the pair’s three full-length albums, 1991’s Frequencies, 1996’s Advance and 2003’s Sheath.
Warp Records co-founder Steve Beckett said of the single in 2007: “That was the one that turned us into a “real label’. We just weren’t really prepared for what would happen with that record.”
Thirty years since the release of LFO’s self-titled anthem ‘LFO’ (WAP5).
“That was the one that turned us into a “real label”. We just weren’t really prepared for what would happen with that record” – Steve Beckett, 2007
→ https://t.co/OLQV36cLBh pic.twitter.com/0a6DWjAbsz
— Warp Records (@WarpRecords) July 26, 2020
Varley has subsequently launched an online fundraiser. He’s asking fans to donate £1 with the goal of raising £5,000:
Hi, I’m trying to raise money for my unpaid royalties which are owed to me from the record label for my 1990 hit record LFO which reached number 12 in the UK gallup charts and number 10 in the network charts. The record sold over 130 000 copies and I’m personally still owed around 20k for the record. Please donate a £1 if you can this money will enable me to continue working as a Music producer and write more great dance music in the future … many thanks Gez Varley
Donations to the fundraiser can be made here.
Big Shot reached out to Warp Records for comment. We have not received a reply as of this writing.
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