So what's IDM?

[Smag]

Sorry to sound ignorant, but what's IDM music I keep hearing about? Does anyone know what it stands for?

[TommyS]

Intelligent Dance Music - somehow i think juho will disagree with this statement :P

Got this of a website so I may be barking up the wrong tree here totally but its the only thing I found:

"What is Intelligent Dance Music? "Intelligent" gives a nod, obviously, to Warp Records' (UK) "Artificial Intelligence" releases. Let's take a close look at our copies of the 'Artificial Intelligence' compilation, shall we? (This compilation, WARP CD 6 in the UK, Wax Trax/Tee Vee Toons TVT 7203 in the US, is one of the very few definitive releases in this genre.) On the front cover, we see the subtitle: "Electronic Listening music from Warp". The picture on the front cover is of a humanoid figure reclining in a chair. From these two points, we can conclude that the music we're talking about is intended for *listening* - it may be danceable, and it may be influenced by current trends in more straightforward dance music, but it is intended more for your living room than your local club. Looking more closely at the cover pic, there are three album covers strewn on the floor of the figure's room: an early Kraftwerk record, Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon,' and Warp Records' first compilation, 'Pioneers of the Hypnotic Groove.' These, then, are three big influences in IDM: the electronica of Kraftwerk, the druggy self-indulgence of Floyd, and the funky bleepiness of Warp's early stuff (and techno, in the narrow sense of the word, in general). Moving on to the back cover, there are two bits of text, besides the tracklist, of interest: one, at the top left corner, asks "Are you Sitting comfortably?", the other, in the lower right, says "Artificial Intelligence is electronic 'Listening music' for Long journeys quiet nights and club drowsy dawns. Listen with an open mind." Again, and always, the focus is on listening, rather than dancing. Inside back cover: "Artificial Intelligence: electronic music for the mind created by trans-global electronic innovators who prove music is the one true international language. Real people whose unity lies in a common sound + spirit and whose 'listening music' cannot be described as either soulless or machine driven. The atmosphere and emotion both come from the musicians, their machines are merely the means to a human end."

and another by Mixmaster Morris..

"[Intelligent Dance Music] means the opposite of stupid hardcore. And of commercial dance music. Ambient music and intelligent techno were always linked in my mind and the audience largely overlaps. Intelligent techno has got to have more function than just to be utilitarian dance music. It has to give you something to listen to and be intrigued by. It has to work in the domestic environment."

More recently the IDM genre has been going through some rapid stages of reinvention, giving us intelligent jungle and a massive electro revival. This new breed include Wagon Christ, Jedi Knights, Elecktroids, and has even spawned new labels such as Clear Records.

:D

[saba]

Its listening music. Music for the mind, rather than the feet.
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[udenjoe]

But you can still dance to it. Hence the D. I would say it is more of an indy type of techno. But it's all techno anyway. Look for definitions of techno.

[Smag]

I've been into IDM for years and not realised it! 8O Music journalists like to pigeon-hole things though don't they?

[saba]

http://www.ishkur.com/features/music/index.htm
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[Juho L]

http://www.ishkur.com/features/music/index.htm

This was a good site! Probably the first site that has everything in right places.

[Juho L]

Intelligent Dance Music - somehow i think juho will disagree with this statement

Well, for trance people even using A-F-G-E7 chord progression is intelligent.

[Juho L]

That Saba's link is excellent! Very wide view for electronic music with quite objective view. I especially enjoyed those sarcasm bits and he wasn't sarcastic for no reason. Ten points to Ishkur for the site and ten points to Saba for the link.

[saba]

Glad you enjoyed it, Juho :)
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[Hollowcell]

that is an interesting site for sure...

for a start i didnt realize there was so many genres these days!!
what a load of shit!! ive called some of my DnB dark and some also experimental, but only because i thought my dark tracks sounded dark for me, and my experimental tracks had elements that i had experimented with! I didnt even realize there was a genre called dark or experimental!! :roll:

things arent really experimental if u are copying a genre!!! whats the world coming too!?!

[udenjoe]

I don't bother with genre. It's a load of crap. It's a way for someone to be labled the king of a certain genre. It's all techno to me. The sound of the future, NOW!

[Juho L]

I don't bother with genre. It's a load of crap. It's a way for someone to be labled the king of a certain genre. It's all techno to me. The sound of the future, NOW!

It's really amusing that some people tend to make up completely new genres even there's no new reason for it. For example 99,9% of all sub genres of sub genres are completely useless and are there only because to create an opportunity to some people to be cool by listening to genre that no-one else listens to.

It's really strange that some people don't listen to music because it's good but that because no-one else listens to that music. And then they think they're some sort of elite listeners. Elite my arse.

Maybe I sohuld start to make and listen to neopsychedelic progressive breakbeat funkcore.

[udenjoe]

Good idea! :wink:

I'm into making a Nu-electro track now. I just think it's all electro. But then again it sounds like a breakbeat tune. Ah to hell with the genre.

[Hollowcell]

Maybe I sohuld start to make and listen to neopsychedelic progressive breakbeat funkcore.

fuck it, im gunna work on my.....umm

necrophiliac-post psykodelik-broken beat-fuckcore track right now!!!! :D

(u may notice i changed the spelling to make it just that little bit more cool!!)

[Smag]

I don't bother with genre. It's a load of crap. It's a way for someone to be labled the king of a certain genre. It's all techno to me. The sound of the future, NOW!

I agree, I just lump it all together under Techno i.e. Music made with technology. I don't like using all sorts of genres to describe stuff, all these genres are created by music journalists anyway, they need something to write about.

[saba]

But my ambient stuff doesn't fall under that catergory!
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