By Patrick Lyons

Last week, avant-electronica legends Boards of Canada decided to tease their upcoming album with a short TV commercial, a promotional strategy that’s becoming increasingly popular with musicians. Unlike Daft Punk’s recent barraging of NBC’s SNL audiences, BoC’s ad aired during Cartoon Network’s anime-friendly Toonami programming block, and was the latest in the long line of the channel’s collaborations with Warp Records.

Warp, Stone’s Throw and Ninja Tune, three of the most envelope-pushing labels in modern hip-hop and electronica, have all enjoyed exposure courtesy of “bumps” on CN’s Adult Swim network (as has NYU Local). In the years since MTV became irrelevant to alternative music, television is not the first place one would think to look for cutting edge tunes, but Cartoon Network is changing that in a major way. Check out a brief history of the channel’s promotion of awesome music after the jump.

1998- Space Ghost Coast 2 Coast finale with Thom Yorke and Bjork never happens.

Space Ghost was arguably the most Adult Swim-y show to exist on Cartoon Network before Adult Swim actually existed, so it makes sense that it was the first to attempt collaborations with alternative musicians. Unfortunately, the planned hour-long musical finale of the 1998 season never came to fruition.

2001- Birth of Adult Swim; Aqua Teen Hunger Force recruits Schoolly D

After cartoonist William Hanna (of Hanna-Barbera) died in 2001, the character of Cartoon Network changed forever. Adult Swim stormed onto the scene in 2001 with ATHF, a show that featured veteran rapper Schoolly D performing its theme song and providing narration for the first few seasons.

2005- Danger Doom’s The Mouse and the Mask

Cementing Cartoon Network’s Hip-Hop connection, MF DOOM and Dangermouse’s collaborative album had beats that sampled the music from Adult Swim shows, guest appearances from Aqua Teen Hunger Force characters, and even a song entitled “A.T.H.F.”

2006- Chrome Children; partnership with Stone’s Throw; Metalocalypse

Adult Swim and Hip-Hop label Stone’s Throw teamed up to release a compilation album/concert DVD featuring music by MF DOOM, Madlib, J Dilla and others, and ended up forming a partnership that lasts until today. In addition, the show Metalocalypse first aired, featuring a fictitious metal band named Dethklok that has become, as its creator said, “like Gorillaz” for metal.

2007- Williams Street Records; the “____ Swim” series

After Chrome Children, Adult Swim decided it liked releasing music too much to not have its own record label. Williams Street Records has since put out 18 albums, including a series of free compilations that include Ghostly Swim (featuring artists on the Ghostly label), Definitive Swim (a collaboration with Def Jux), African Swim, and Metal Swim.

2009- ATL RMX

Released by Williams Street, the free compilation featured remixes of songs by rappers from Atlanta. As you can imagine, it’s pretty damn dirty south.

2010- Adult Swim Singles Program; Adventure Time airs

Of all the Williams Street releases, the Adult Swim Singles Program has produced arguably the strongest music. Free compilations from 2010, 11 and 12 featured Washed Out, LCD Soundsystem, Freddie Gibbs, How to Dress Well, Clams Casino, Death Grips and many more. Additionally, NYU Local favorite Adventure Time premieres, and features Ashley Eriksson’s solo rendition of Lake’s “Island Song” during the credits — potentially the first time that mainstream television has ever sniffed K Records.

2011- Black Dynamite airs, scored by Adrian Younge; Off the Air’s great soundtrack

Younge, who scored the original Black Dynamite film, continued his legacy of making awesomely retro jams when an animated version hit Adult Swim. Off the Air also premiered, featuring music by Dan Deacon, Flying Lotus, Atlas Sound and others.

2012- Killer Mike’s R.A.P. Music

Though preceded by Cerebral Ballzy’s self-titled album, R.A.P. Music was the first big non-compilation release from Williams Street, garnering a ton of critical admiration to boot.

2013- Flying Lotus composes songs for Adventure Time, Aqua Team Hunger Force

Most recently, our favorite space age hip-hopper has been hard at work churning out a jam for Adventure Time and a new theme for Aqua Team Hunger Force.

Rock on, Cartoon Network. This music writer thanks your for your valuable contributions to his iTunes library, as well as your contribution to modern American culture as a whole. TV shouldn’t be a place ruled by “filler music,” and you guys understand that better than anyone else in the industry right now.

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