Intelligent dance music
IDM, short for intelligent dance music is an electronic music genre which began as a style of techno in the early 1990s. As compared to the driving, pounding, sound of techno aimed at the dancefloor, IDM aims for the head, being a bit slower, more melodic, less aggressive, and more artistic, quirky and improvisational. It is sometimes informally called intelligent techno, listening techno or art techno.
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2 Sound production in IDM 3 Other notable IDM artists 4 See also 5 External links |
The initials IDM appeared in music magazines during the genre's first wave in 1992-1993, but didn't really stick until the formation of the IDM mailing list, an email forum, on the Internet in August 1993. At that time, the list's focus was on the progressive electronic music of Richard D. James, Autechre, and other artists featured on the influential Warp label's Artificial Intelligence compilations. Among these artists were Black Dog Productions (members of which became Plaid) and B12/Redcell.
The term "intelligent dance music" is often criticized for not being an actual description of the music genre. Whether or not intelligence or dancing are involved in particular, the name was apparently more memorable than other competing phrases (see: memetic replicator). This is probably due in large part to the high volume of the aforementioned IDM mailing list. Later, Otto von Schirach aided the replication of the "idm" meme by mockingly shouting "idm" repeatedly in the first track in the album "chopped zombie fungus".
Detractors of the phrase, have occasionally used the term "dolphin music" as a disparaging alternative to "intelligent".
Lesser-known, but equally influential and highly regarded today, are the artists that were on Kirk Degiorgio's A.R.T. and Op-Art labels, and the Likemind label, including Degiorgio himself under various names (As One, Future/Past, Esoterik), Steve Pickton (Stasis), and Nurmad Jusat (Nuron).
Although all of the above artists hail from England, the progressive techno / ambient / IDM duo Sun Electric from Berlin are also early pioneers of the genre.
After experiencing somewhat of a lull in the mid-1990s, IDM experienced a resurgence in the early 2000s, with an increasingly diverse array of styles being combined in innovative ways by a growing stable of artists. According to its proponents, IDM represents the most forward-thinking, experimental arm of techno, taking electronic music in entirely new directions, not just merging affectations of more "highbrow", established forms of music with dance rhythms.
The use of a computer is probably essential to create so called "intelligent dance music", as the necessary degree of control is difficult without software. However, idm is somewhat unique among other music genres with computer use, such as trance, in that idm creators tend to take their computers to the limit with unconventional techniques and sophisticated software. It seems that the human brain is often taken to its limit as well, with some composers such as aphex twin seemingly caring for their craft with the neurotic attention span of an autistic savant. The creators often try to have the greatest degree of control over the sound as possible, attempting to organize compositions of a high intricate resolution while maintaining control. Autechre probably epitomize this, as they apparently have masterful control over their intricate complicated compositions. Some have developed techniques to produce intricate chaos, such as Merzbow, but seem to have little control over the system of units.
Overview
Sound production in IDM
Other notable IDM artists
See also
External links
Electronica
Big beat - Bitpop - Chip - Downtempo - Glitch - IDM - Nu jazz - Post-rock - Trip hop
Electronic music | Genres
Ambient | Breakbeat | Electronica | Electronic art music | House | Trance | Industrial | Synth pop