Plaid

Plaid, composed of Andy Turner and Ed Handley, originated in London, England. The duo emerged from The Black Dog, an influential electronic music group, before establishing themselves as Plaid in 1991. Early in their career, they also used individual aliases such as Atypic (Andy Turner) and Balil (Ed Handley). Their musical style is characterized by the integration of electronica, dance, ambient, and experimental elements, often incorporating diverse time-signatures and syncopated beats crafted from a blend of real instruments and samples. This distinct approach has led some critics to describe their genre as “post-techno.” Plaid has cultivated a significant discography over the years, releasing albums and EPs on notable labels including Clear, Peacefrog, Black Dog Productions, and Warp Records, as well as Trent Reznor’s Nothing Records.

Throughout their career, Plaid has achieved several milestones and engaged in diverse projects beyond their own releases. They have collaborated with various singers, including Mara Carlyle, Nicolette, and Björk. The duo is also recognized for their extensive remix work for artists such as Red Snapper, Goldfrapp, and The Irresistible Force, with much of this work compiled in albums like ‘Parts in the Post’ (2003) and ‘Stem Sell’ (2021). A notable audiovisual project, ‘Greedy Baby’ (2006), involved a collaboration with video artist Bob Jaroc and was presented in a 5.1 audio/visual format at venues such as the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the BFI Imax cinema. Their foray into film scoring began in 2006, composing the original score for Michael Arias’s anime film ‘Tekkonkinkreet,’ and later rejoining Arias for his second feature, ‘Heaven’s Door,’ and subsequent short films. Plaid’s music has also been featured in the ‘LittleBigPlanet’ series, contributing to the soundtrack of ‘LittleBigPlanet 3’ in 2014. Their sustained activity and evolution in electronic music have solidified their standing within the genre, as they approach their 30th year with Warp Records, continuing to release new material like ‘Feorm Falorx’ (2022).