Squarepusher
Using the same equipment from the sessions that produced the majority of "Feed Me Weird Things" Tom now set about working on the material for his first album for Warp. His broad conception for this record was "to push away from the jazz influence that was being felt at the time to a more soundtrack-type of sound". According to Tom he was listening to, amongst other things, early Lalo Schifrin and the "Deathwish" soundtrack by Herbie Hancock around this time. That said, the album also contains some abrupt diversions into quite different musical territory, evidenced in what Tom calls the "Industrial Psychedelia" of "Chin Hippy" and "Rustic Raver".
Vanessa Carlton
Carlton's second album, "Harmonium" was released in November 2004. "Harmonium" debuted at number 33 on the "Billboard" 200 and descended quickly after; selling less than 150,000 copies as of February 2006, which was considered a disappointment after her successful debut. It was produced by Stephan Jenkins from Third Eye Blind, and included darker themes than those on her debut album. Carlton and Jenkins met and began a relationship in mid-2002, when she and rock band Third Eye Blind, of which Jenkins is lead singer, were on tour together. After seeing Carlton perform live, Jenkins entered her dressing room and expressed interest in producing her music, and according to Carlton they "decided very quickly, that we had the same vision for the album". Carlton credited Jenkins with helping her to withstand and protect herself from pressures the record label executives, who wanted to influence the recording process, placed on her. According to Carlton, her label "wasn't very happy" about the decisions she made during the making of the album.