Various Artists – Warp Records, Artificial Intelligence

"Seminal" is an overused word in music writing, but in the case of Warp's Artificial Intelligence compilation, no other word accurately describes its impact. Before its release, electronic music had been largely divided into two camps — tracks geared for the dance floor, which had little value as a home listening experience — and New Age fluff. Artificial Intelligence attempted to open up a middle path, where electronic music could succeed as both head music and dance music. That much was clear by the compilation's cover, which features a seated robot, leaning back in a recliner with both a Pink Floyd and Kraftwerk album lying conspicuously on the floor in front of him.

The groups charged with such a mission luckily turned out to be some of electronic music's leading lights: Aphex Twin turns up as Dice Man for "Polygon Window," Dutch techno legend Speedy J offers up two tracks, Autechre turns up for two tracks and ambient techno godfather Alex Patterson closes things out. (Richie Hawtin even makes an appearance under his little-used Re-Up alias for the forgettable "Spiritual High.") Like many seminal works of art, hearing the results is a tad underwhelming. That said, "Polygon Window" is Aphex at his finest, a rolling lite-techno groove thing whose synth melody is relentlessly infectious, while Speedy J's "De-Orbit" is a glorious bit of breakbeat that gets at what trip-hop might've sounded like had everyone in Bristol taken acid instead of smoked weed.