Plaid - Hawkmoth

What this video is

Released in March–May 2014 as the announcement track for 'Reachy Prints', 'Hawkmoth' arrived at a moment of renewed critical interest in melodic IDM and the Warp Records catalogue. Plaid — Ed Handley and Andy Turner — had been active since 1988 and were foundational to the early-1990s Artificial Intelligence movement on Warp alongside Autechre and Aphex Twin. The 'Reachy Prints' campaign represented their return…

Why it matters

Represents the mature melodic IDM/electronica tradition of the Warp Records roster — a genre lineage stretching from the 1993 Artificial Intelligence compilations through to mid-2010s algorithmic composition. The track's 71 BPM tempo, E Major tonality, and warm harmonic texture exemplify Plaid's…