They use the very early Aphex Twin works on TV as background/intro music. Millions get 'ambiently' subjected to what started out as far from 'accessible', i.e. 1000 white label pressings on his original label Rabbit Recordings.
I am impressed that Warp are still going, there is and was something magical about seeing that logo majestically spin round at 33 rpm. In the days before the Internet you only found Warp records in independent record shops, the High Street majors were hiding the good stuff from you. Plus the BBC banned dance music back then. You had to be a true 'raver' and into the music to hear Aphex Twin, it slotted in to the 'chill out' part of the scene.
This is why I find it so funny when I hear a little bit of Aphex Twin, Autechre or other Warp stablemates such as Sabres of Paradise as the backing track to a BBC documentary about serious stuff.
Imaginably anything is 'accessible' given enough time. The audience are always playing catch up with an innovative artist.
"In the days before the Internet you only found Warp records in independent record shops" ? Are you sure about that? That's not really true in the UK, both HMV and Virgin stocked early Aphex, and I think my Selected Ambient Works came from Our Price of all places on week of release. You couldn't get more mainstream where I lived.
I wouldn't say the Beeb banned dance music, either. I first heard LFO's LFO on radio one, which is synonymous with WARP.
As for Sabres - Screamadelica won the Mercury music prize with Weatherall in charge. It's not like they were off the radar or anything.
Autechre started out quite normal, but have morphed into probably the most complex out of everything that you've mentioned. They're well-known, but their music is anything but mainstream today - it's a running joke that they used to make music :)
I am impressed that Warp are still going, there is and was something magical about seeing that logo majestically spin round at 33 rpm. In the days before the Internet you only found Warp records in independent record shops, the High Street majors were hiding the good stuff from you. Plus the BBC banned dance music back then. You had to be a true 'raver' and into the music to hear Aphex Twin, it slotted in to the 'chill out' part of the scene.
This is why I find it so funny when I hear a little bit of Aphex Twin, Autechre or other Warp stablemates such as Sabres of Paradise as the backing track to a BBC documentary about serious stuff.
Imaginably anything is 'accessible' given enough time. The audience are always playing catch up with an innovative artist.