Intelligent dance music
Encyclopedia
Intelligent dance music (commonly IDM or intelligent dance) is a term that describes an electronic music
genre
that emerged in the early 1990s. The genre is influenced by a wide range of musical styles particularly electronic dance music
(EDM) such as Detroit Techno. Stylistically, IDM tends to rely upon individualistic experimentation rather than on a particular set of musical characteristics. The range of post-techno styles to emerge in the early 1990s were described variously as art techno, ambient techno, intelligent techno, and electronica
. In the United States
, the latter term is now used by the music industry as a catchall to describe EDM
and its many derivatives.
The term IDM is said to have originated in the United States in 1993 with the formation of the IDM list, an electronic mailing list
originally chartered for the discussion of music by (but not limited to) a number of prominent English
artists, especially those appearing on a 1992 Warp Records
compilation called Artificial Intelligence.
Usage of the term "Intelligent Dance Music" has been criticised by electronic musicians such as Aphex Twin
and is seen by artists such as Mike Paradinas
as being peculiar to the U.S.
based electronic musicians were inspired by the underground dance music of the time and started to explore experimental forms of EDM production. By the early 1990s, the music associated with this experimentation had gained prominence with releases on a variety of record labels including Warp Records
(1989), Black Dog Productions
(1989), R & S Records (1989), Carl Craig's
Planet E, Rising High Records (1991), Richard James's
Rephlex Records
(1991), Kirk Degiorgio's
Applied Rhythmic Technology (1991), Eevo Lute Muzique (1991), General Production Recordings
(1989), Soma Quality Recordings
(1991), Peacefrog Records
(1991), and Metamorphic Recordings (1992).
Ambient house
, a genre that fused
house music
(particularly acid house
) with ambient music
, was being produced in the United Kingdom around this time, by bands such as The Orb
. A major influence on ambient house was Japan's Yellow Magic Orchestra
, who were producing ambient
electronic music during the late 1970s to early 1980s and were cited as pioneers of ambient house by the 1990s. During the early 1990s, the term "ambient house" became synonymous with intelligent dance music in general, but was eventually replaced by several other terms. Following the lead of ambient house, ambient techno music was soon produced by artists such as Ireland's Aphex Twin
and Japan's Tetsu Inoue
. Ambient techno distinguished itself with strong techno
and electro influences, including more extensive use of Roland
's TR-808
and TR-909
drum machine
s. The term "ambient techno" was eventually replaced by "intelligent techno" following the success of Warp's Artificial Intelligence series.
By 1992, Warp Records was marketing the musical output of the artists on its roster using the description electronic listening music, but this was quickly replaced by intelligent techno. In the same period (1992–93), other names were also used, such as armchair techno, ambient techno, and electronica
, but all were attempts to describe an emerging offshoot of electronic dance music that was being enjoyed by the "sedentary and stay at home". Steve Beckett, co-owner of Warp, has said that the electronic music
the label was releasing at that point was targeting a post-club
, home-listening audience. In 1993 a number of new record labels emerged that were producing intelligent techno geared releases including New Electronica, Mille Plateaux
, 100% Pure, and Ferox Records.
. Subtitled "electronic listening music from Warp", the record was a collection of tracks from artists such as Autechre
, B12
, The Black Dog
, Aphex Twin
, and The Orb
, under various aliases. These artists, among others, would eventually become the main topics of conversation in the Intelligent Dance Music List, an electronic mailing list
founded in August 1993.
in reference to Coil
's The Snow
EP. Another instance of the phrase appeared on Usenet in April 1993 in reference to The Black Dog's album Bytes. Wider public use of such terms on the Internet did not come until August 1993, when Alan Parry announced the existence of a new electronic mailing list for discussion of "intelligent" dance music: the Intelligent Dance Music list, or IDM List for short.
The first message, sent on August 1, 1993, was entitled "Can Dumb People Enjoy IDM, Too?". A reply from the list server
's system administrator, Brian Behlendorf
, revealed that Parry originally wanted to create a list devoted to discussion of the music on the Rephlex label, but they decided together to expand its charter to include music similar to what was on Rephlex or that was in different genres but which had been made with similar approaches. They picked the word "intelligent" because it had already appeared on Artificial Intelligence and because it connoted being something beyond just music for dancing, while still being open to interpretation.
Artists that appeared in the first discussions on the list included Autechre
, Atom Heart, LFO, and Rephlex Records artists such as Aphex Twin, µ-ziq, and Luke Vibert; plus artists such as The Orb, Richard H. Kirk, and Future Sound of London, and even artists like System 7
, William Orbit
, Sabres of Paradise, Tycho
, Orbital
, Plastikman and Björk
.
As of early 2011, the mailing list is still active.
was released in 1994. The album featured fragments of posts from the mailing list incorporated into typographic
artwork by The Designers Republic
. Sleeve notes by David Toop
acknowledged the genre's multitude of musical and cultural influences and suggested none should be considered more important than any other.
During this period, the electronic music produced by Warp Records artists such as Aphex Twin (an alias of Richard D. James), Autechre, LFO, B12, Seefeel
, and The Black Dog
, gained popularity among electronic music fans, as did music by artists on the Rephlex and Skam labels. Lesser-known artists on the Likemind label and Kirk Degiorgio
's A.R.T. and Op-Art labels, including Degiorgio himself under various names (As One, Future/Past and Esoterik), Steve Pickton (Stasis) and Nurmad Jusat (Nuron) also found an audience, along with bigger-name, cross-genre artists like Björk and Future Sound of London.
, labels like Schematic, AiRecords, Merck Records
, Nophi Recordings, and The Beta Bodega Coalition released material by artists such as Phoenecia, Dino Felipe, Machinedrum, and Proem. Another burgeoning scene was the Chicago
/Milwaukee area, with labels such as Addict, Chocolate Industries, Hefty
, and Zod supporting artists like Doormouse
, Trs-80
and Emotional Joystick. Tigerbeat 6, a San Francisco based label has released IDM from artists such as Cex
, Kid 606, and Kevin Blechdom
.
Contemporary IDM artists include Team Doyobi
, Quim
, Himuro Yoshiteru
, Kettel
, Ochre
, Marumari
, Benn Jordan
, Proem
, Lackluster
, Arovane
, Ulrich Schnauss
, Wisp
and Zygote.
and techno
artists, including Aphex Twin, Cylob, and Mike Paradinas
, have criticised the term IDM. Paradinas has stated that the term IDM was only used in America.
Allmusic Guide describes the IDM name as
Aphex Twin's Rephlex records official overarching genre name is Braindance, of which Dave Segal of Stylus Magazine asked whether it was a "snide dig at IDM’s mockworthy Intelligent Dance Music tag?"
Kid 606 has said,
Cylob
, aka Chris Jeffs, said, "Also, anyone who applies the term IDM to my music deserves to be shot."
Thaddeus Hermann of City Centre Offices
has said:
Matmos (Perfect Sound Forever
) has said,
:Category:Intelligent dance music musicians
:Category:Experimental techno albums
:Category:Ambient techno albums
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
genre
Music genre
A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...
that emerged in the early 1990s. The genre is influenced by a wide range of musical styles particularly electronic dance music
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
(EDM) such as Detroit Techno. Stylistically, IDM tends to rely upon individualistic experimentation rather than on a particular set of musical characteristics. The range of post-techno styles to emerge in the early 1990s were described variously as art techno, ambient techno, intelligent techno, and electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the latter term is now used by the music industry as a catchall to describe EDM
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
and its many derivatives.
The term IDM is said to have originated in the United States in 1993 with the formation of the IDM list, an electronic mailing list
Electronic mailing list
An electronic mailing list is a special usage of email that allows for widespread distribution of information to many Internet users. It is similar to a traditional mailing list — a list of names and addresses — as might be kept by an organization for sending publications to...
originally chartered for the discussion of music by (but not limited to) a number of prominent English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
artists, especially those appearing on a 1992 Warp Records
Warp Records
Warp, commonly referred to as Warp Records, is a pioneering independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 1989, notable for discovering some of the more enduring artists in electronic music....
compilation called Artificial Intelligence.
Usage of the term "Intelligent Dance Music" has been criticised by electronic musicians such as Aphex Twin
Aphex Twin
Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
and is seen by artists such as Mike Paradinas
Mike Paradinas
Michael Paradinas , who works primarily under the name μ-Ziq in addition to a large number of aliases, is a British musician in the field of electronic music.-History:...
as being peculiar to the U.S.
History
During the late 1980s, a number of UKUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
based electronic musicians were inspired by the underground dance music of the time and started to explore experimental forms of EDM production. By the early 1990s, the music associated with this experimentation had gained prominence with releases on a variety of record labels including Warp Records
Warp Records
Warp, commonly referred to as Warp Records, is a pioneering independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 1989, notable for discovering some of the more enduring artists in electronic music....
(1989), Black Dog Productions
Black Dog Productions
The Black Dog was founded by Ken Downie along with Ed Handley and Andy Turner. Widely regarded as legends, the group are pioneers who, along with acts like Autechre, Aphex Twin, µ-ziq and LFO, came to define the techno movement known as intelligent dance music in the early 1990s.-Early career:In...
(1989), R & S Records (1989), Carl Craig's
Carl Craig
Carl Craig is a Detroit-based producer of techno music, and is considered to be one of the most important names in the Detroit second generation of techno producers and DJs...
Planet E, Rising High Records (1991), Richard James's
Aphex Twin
Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
Rephlex Records
Rephlex Records
Rephlex Records is a record label started in 1991 by electronic musician Richard D. James and Grant Wilson-Claridge. Rephlex coined the term braindance to describe the otherwise uncategorisable output of Aphex Twin and Rephlex Records...
(1991), Kirk Degiorgio's
Kirk Degiorgio
Kirk Degiorgio, better known as As One, is a British techno producer and DJ. Born in the late 60s in Stepney, east London, and raised in Suffolk, he started producing music in the early 90s. He founded the labels A.R.T. Records and Op-Art Records and releases on them as well as B12 Records, R&S...
Applied Rhythmic Technology (1991), Eevo Lute Muzique (1991), General Production Recordings
General Production Recordings
General Production Recordings is an electronic music independent label, founded in 1989 in England. The label helped establish artists such as Beaumont Hannant, Mark Broom, The Black Dog, Plaid and Luke Slater....
(1989), Soma Quality Recordings
Soma Quality Recordings
Soma Quality Recordings is a Scottish techno and house label co-founded in 1991 by the electronic music duo Slam...
(1991), Peacefrog Records
Peacefrog Records
Peacefrog Records are an independent record label based in London, United Kingdom. The label produces releases in many different styles of electronic music as well as branching out into folk and indie artists such as José González and Nouvelle Vague. Started by Pete Hutchison and Paul Ballard in...
(1991), and Metamorphic Recordings (1992).
Ambient house
Ambient house
Ambient house, a music genre that first emerged in the late 1980s, is a sub-genre of house music, combining elements of acid house and ambient music...
, a genre that fused
Fusion (music)
A fusion genre is music that combines two or more styles. For example, rock and roll originally developed as a fusion of blues, gospel and country music. The main characteristics of fusion genres are variations in tempo, rhythm, i a sometimes the use of long musical "journeys" that can be divided...
house music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
(particularly acid house
Acid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
) with ambient music
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
, was being produced in the United Kingdom around this time, by bands such as The Orb
The Orb
Throughout 1989, the Orb, along with Martin Glover, developed the musical genre of ambient house through the use of a diverse array of samples and recordings. The culmination of its musical work came toward the end of the year when the group recorded a session for John Peel on BBC Radio 1...
. A major influence on ambient house was Japan's Yellow Magic Orchestra
Yellow Magic Orchestra
Sakamoto first worked with Hosono as a member of his live band in 1976, while Takahashi recruited Sakamoto to produce his debut solo recording in 1977 following the split of the Sadistic Mika Band...
, who were producing ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
electronic music during the late 1970s to early 1980s and were cited as pioneers of ambient house by the 1990s. During the early 1990s, the term "ambient house" became synonymous with intelligent dance music in general, but was eventually replaced by several other terms. Following the lead of ambient house, ambient techno music was soon produced by artists such as Ireland's Aphex Twin
Aphex Twin
Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
and Japan's Tetsu Inoue
Tetsu Inoue
Tetsu Inoue is a producer of electronic music. His style could be described as ambient with a heavy minimalist influence. He has lived in Japan, San Francisco, and New York, and has collaborated with musicians such as Pete Namlook, Bill Laswell, Andrew Deutsch, Jonah Sharp, and Taylor Deupree.His...
. Ambient techno distinguished itself with strong techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
and electro influences, including more extensive use of Roland
Roland Corporation
is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on April 18, 1972, with ¥33 million in capital. In 2005 Roland's headquarters relocated to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. Today it has factories in Japan,...
's TR-808
Roland TR-808
The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer was one of the first programmable drum machines . Introduced by the Roland Corporation in early 1980, it was originally manufactured for use as a tool for studio musicians to create demos. Like earlier Roland drum machines, it does not sound very much like a real...
and TR-909
Roland TR-909
The Roland TR-909 Rhythm Composer is a partially analog, partially sample-based drum machine built by the Japanese Roland Corporation in 1983. The brainchild of Tadao Kikumoto, the engineer behind the Roland TB-303, it features a 16-step step sequencer and a drum kit that aimed for realism and...
drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
s. The term "ambient techno" was eventually replaced by "intelligent techno" following the success of Warp's Artificial Intelligence series.
By 1992, Warp Records was marketing the musical output of the artists on its roster using the description electronic listening music, but this was quickly replaced by intelligent techno. In the same period (1992–93), other names were also used, such as armchair techno, ambient techno, and electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
, but all were attempts to describe an emerging offshoot of electronic dance music that was being enjoyed by the "sedentary and stay at home". Steve Beckett, co-owner of Warp, has said that the electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
the label was releasing at that point was targeting a post-club
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
, home-listening audience. In 1993 a number of new record labels emerged that were producing intelligent techno geared releases including New Electronica, Mille Plateaux
Mille Plateaux
Mille Plateaux is an influential electronica record label founded 1993 by Achim Szepanski in Frankfurt, Germany. It is known for mostly releasing minimal techno, glitch music and other experimental electronic music.-History:...
, 100% Pure, and Ferox Records.
Artificial Intelligence
In 1992, Warp released Artificial Intelligence, the first album in the Artificial Intelligence seriesArtificial Intelligence (series)
Artificial Intelligence is a series of albums by Warp Records released from 1992–1994 to exhibit the capabilities and sounds of electronic music. Warp described the new music as "electronic listening music" to clarify that it was meant more for the mind than the body...
. Subtitled "electronic listening music from Warp", the record was a collection of tracks from artists such as Autechre
Autechre
Autechre are an English electronic music duo consisting of Rob Brown and Sean Booth, both natives of Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1987, they are one of the most prominent acts signed to Warp Records, a label known for its pioneering electronic music and through which all Autechre albums...
, B12
B12 (band)
B12 are a British electronic music duo consisting of Mike Golding and Steve Rutter. First appearing in the early 1990s under a variety of monikers, including Musicology, Redcell and Cmetric, the duo were often mistaken as hailing from Detroit, their sound being comparable to the so-called second...
, The Black Dog
Black Dog Productions
The Black Dog was founded by Ken Downie along with Ed Handley and Andy Turner. Widely regarded as legends, the group are pioneers who, along with acts like Autechre, Aphex Twin, µ-ziq and LFO, came to define the techno movement known as intelligent dance music in the early 1990s.-Early career:In...
, Aphex Twin
Aphex Twin
Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
, and The Orb
The Orb
Throughout 1989, the Orb, along with Martin Glover, developed the musical genre of ambient house through the use of a diverse array of samples and recordings. The culmination of its musical work came toward the end of the year when the group recorded a session for John Peel on BBC Radio 1...
, under various aliases. These artists, among others, would eventually become the main topics of conversation in the Intelligent Dance Music List, an electronic mailing list
Electronic mailing list
An electronic mailing list is a special usage of email that allows for widespread distribution of information to many Internet users. It is similar to a traditional mailing list — a list of names and addresses — as might be kept by an organization for sending publications to...
founded in August 1993.
The IDM List
In November 1991, the phrase "intelligent techno" appeared on UsenetUsenet
Usenet is a worldwide distributed Internet discussion system. It developed from the general purpose UUCP architecture of the same name.Duke University graduate students Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived the idea in 1979 and it was established in 1980...
in reference to Coil
Coil (band)
Coil were an English cross-genre, experimental music group formed in 1982 by John Balance—later credited as "Jhonn Balance"—and his partner Peter Christopherson, aka "Sleazy". The duo worked together on a series of releases before Balance chose the name Coil, which he claimed to be...
's The Snow
The Snow
The Snow is a track by the British group Coil, available on the album Love's Secret Domain and also released as a 12" vinyl, cassette and CD EP. A music video of "The Snow " was directed by Peter Christopherson....
EP. Another instance of the phrase appeared on Usenet in April 1993 in reference to The Black Dog's album Bytes. Wider public use of such terms on the Internet did not come until August 1993, when Alan Parry announced the existence of a new electronic mailing list for discussion of "intelligent" dance music: the Intelligent Dance Music list, or IDM List for short.
The first message, sent on August 1, 1993, was entitled "Can Dumb People Enjoy IDM, Too?". A reply from the list server
Server (computing)
In the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients"...
's system administrator, Brian Behlendorf
Brian Behlendorf
Brian Behlendorf is a technologist, computer programmer, and an important figure in the open-source software movement. He was a primary developer of the Apache Web server, the most popular web server software on the Internet, and a founding member of the Apache Group, which later became the Apache...
, revealed that Parry originally wanted to create a list devoted to discussion of the music on the Rephlex label, but they decided together to expand its charter to include music similar to what was on Rephlex or that was in different genres but which had been made with similar approaches. They picked the word "intelligent" because it had already appeared on Artificial Intelligence and because it connoted being something beyond just music for dancing, while still being open to interpretation.
Artists that appeared in the first discussions on the list included Autechre
Autechre
Autechre are an English electronic music duo consisting of Rob Brown and Sean Booth, both natives of Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1987, they are one of the most prominent acts signed to Warp Records, a label known for its pioneering electronic music and through which all Autechre albums...
, Atom Heart, LFO, and Rephlex Records artists such as Aphex Twin, µ-ziq, and Luke Vibert; plus artists such as The Orb, Richard H. Kirk, and Future Sound of London, and even artists like System 7
System 7 (band)
System 7 are a British ambient dance band. Due to the existence of another band called System Seven, they were initially marketed as 777 in North America...
, William Orbit
William Orbit
William Orbit is an English musician, composer and record producer, perhaps best known to most for his work on Madonna's album Ray of Light. He has also co-produced several unreleased Madonna songs originally recorded for other albums...
, Sabres of Paradise, Tycho
Tycho
Tycho may refer to:* Tycho Brahe , Danish nobleman and astronomer* Tycho van Meer , Dutch field hockey striker* Tommy Tycho , Hungarian-Australian pianist, conductor, composerIn astronomy:...
, Orbital
Orbital (band)
Orbital are a British electronic dance music duo from Sevenoaks, England consisting of brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll. Their career initially ran from 1989 until 2004, but in 2009 they announced that they would be reforming and headlining The Big Chill, in addition to a number of other live shows...
, Plastikman and Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
.
Artificial Intelligence Vol. 2
Warp's second Artificial Intelligence compilationArtificial Intelligence II
Artificial Intelligence II was a compilation album released on Warp Records on 30 May 1994. The album is the eighth and final release in Warp's Artificial Intelligence series.-2xLP and cassette version:2xLP and cassette...
was released in 1994. The album featured fragments of posts from the mailing list incorporated into typographic
Typography
Typography is the art and technique of arranging type in order to make language visible. The arrangement of type involves the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading , adjusting the spaces between groups of letters and adjusting the space between pairs of letters...
artwork by The Designers Republic
The Designers Republic
The Designers Republic was a graphic design studio, founded on 14 July 1986 by Ian Anderson, and based in Sheffield, England. It was known for its anti-establishment aesthetics, while simultaneously embracing brash consumerism and the uniform style of corporate brands, such as Orange and Coca-Cola...
. Sleeve notes by David Toop
David Toop
David Toop is an English musician and author, and as of 2001 was visiting Research Fellow in the Media School at London College of Communication. He was notably a member of The Flying Lizards. He was a prominent contributor to the British magazine The Face. He is a regular contributor to The Wire,...
acknowledged the genre's multitude of musical and cultural influences and suggested none should be considered more important than any other.
During this period, the electronic music produced by Warp Records artists such as Aphex Twin (an alias of Richard D. James), Autechre, LFO, B12, Seefeel
Seefeel
Seefeel are a British electronic/post-rock band formed in the early 1990s. They are currently signed to Warp Records.-Biography:Seefeel formed during 1992 in London, England; with Mark Clifford on guitar, Mark Van Hoen on bass, Justin Fletcher on drums and Sarah Peacock on vocals and guitar. During...
, and The Black Dog
Black Dog Productions
The Black Dog was founded by Ken Downie along with Ed Handley and Andy Turner. Widely regarded as legends, the group are pioneers who, along with acts like Autechre, Aphex Twin, µ-ziq and LFO, came to define the techno movement known as intelligent dance music in the early 1990s.-Early career:In...
, gained popularity among electronic music fans, as did music by artists on the Rephlex and Skam labels. Lesser-known artists on the Likemind label and Kirk Degiorgio
Kirk Degiorgio
Kirk Degiorgio, better known as As One, is a British techno producer and DJ. Born in the late 60s in Stepney, east London, and raised in Suffolk, he started producing music in the early 90s. He founded the labels A.R.T. Records and Op-Art Records and releases on them as well as B12 Records, R&S...
's A.R.T. and Op-Art labels, including Degiorgio himself under various names (As One, Future/Past and Esoterik), Steve Pickton (Stasis) and Nurmad Jusat (Nuron) also found an audience, along with bigger-name, cross-genre artists like Björk and Future Sound of London.
IDM in America
In the mid-1990s, North American audiences welcomed IDM, and many IDM record labels were founded, including Drop Beat, Isophlux, Suction, Schematic, and Cytrax. In Miami, FloridaMiami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, labels like Schematic, AiRecords, Merck Records
Merck Records
Merck Records was a record label based in Miami and run by Gabe Koch. It released electronic music.-Background:Their releases cover a wide range of styles, from cut up vocal hip hop by their most prominent artist Machinedrum, to central IDM by artists like Proem, Mr. Projectile, and Deru, to...
, Nophi Recordings, and The Beta Bodega Coalition released material by artists such as Phoenecia, Dino Felipe, Machinedrum, and Proem. Another burgeoning scene was the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
/Milwaukee area, with labels such as Addict, Chocolate Industries, Hefty
Hefty Records
Hefty Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois . Founded in 1995 by John Hughes III , the label releases a range in genres that include post-rock, IDM, down-tempo, nu jazz, experimental music, and hip-hop.-History:...
, and Zod supporting artists like Doormouse
Doormouse
Doormouse is an alias of electronic musician and breakcore producer, live performer and DJ Daniel Martin born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, now living in Miami, Florida. He sometimes appears as Dan Doormouse. He began making music and DJing in the 90s. In 1997 he founded Addict Records "to explore...
, Trs-80
TRS-80 (group)
TRS-80 is an electronic music group, formed in Chicago in 1997 by Jay Rajeck and Kent Rayhill. The group is named after the Tandy TRS-80 personal computer released in the 1970s.-History:...
and Emotional Joystick. Tigerbeat 6, a San Francisco based label has released IDM from artists such as Cex
Cex
Cex is a musical project run by Rjyan Claybrook Kidwell and started in 1998 at the age of 16. Although Cex and Kidwell are frequently used interchangeably, Cex occasionally expands to several people at sporadic points, such as particular tours or albums...
, Kid 606, and Kevin Blechdom
Kevin Blechdom
Kevin Blechdom, born Kristin Erickson, is an American experimental electronic musician/performance artist from San Francisco, California.-Life and career:...
.
Contemporary IDM artists include Team Doyobi
Team Doyobi
Team Doyobi are an electronic music duo, Christopher Gladwin and Alexander Peverett , currently signed to the Skam Records label. They began their collaboration by producing electronic soundtracks for self-made video art in the early 1990s...
, Quim
Quim
Joaquim Manuel Sampaio da Silva, OIH, , aka Quim , is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Sporting de Braga as a goalkeeper....
, Himuro Yoshiteru
Himuro Yoshiteru
Himuro Yoshiteru is an electronic music musician and DJ from Japan.Himuro's first album Nichiyobi was released in 1998 by the English record label Worm Interface, alongside artists like Tom Jenkinson and Freeform...
, Kettel
Kettel
Kettel is Reimer Eising , a self-described "elixir-brewing, camping-loving and musicmaking sorcerer-to-be." He is well-known for his playful, spontaneous melodies and organic folk sounds similar to Aphex Twin, Jega, and Plaid....
, Ochre
Ochre (musician)
Ochre is the stage name of English electronic musician Christopher Leary. The name "Ochre" was originally adopted as the title for Leary's academic work while studying audio production at Newcastle College, as a variation of "Oaker", being the name of a street in Manchester where Leary spent his...
, Marumari
Marumari
For the videogame power-up, see Metroid.Marumari is Josh Presseisen, a one-man electronica band from Providence, Rhode Island, US.He has toured with such bands as I am Robot and Proud, Octopus Inc, Colongib and Stars as Eyes...
, Benn Jordan
Benn Jordan
Benn Lee Jordan is an American modern jazz and electronica musician operating under many pseudonyms. Since 1999 his most widely distributed and eclectic music has been released under the name of The Flashbulb...
, Proem
Proem (musician)
Proem, whose real name is Richard Bailey, is a 35-year-old musician. Formerly a resident of Austin, Texas, he now resides in Houston. He has been releasing music since 1999 on labels like Merck, n5MD, and Hydrant....
, Lackluster
Lackluster
Lackluster is the main stage name of Esa Juhani Ruoho , who has also recorded as Esa Ruoho, Can'o'Lard, Kökö and the Köks and XLLV. Lackluster is formerly known as the chiptune musician, Distance, part of the demoscene groups Orange, Monotonik, Calodox, The Digital Artists, The Planet of Leather...
, Arovane
Arovane
- Biography :Zahn was born in Germany in 1965. He first began experimenting with rudimentary audio equipment and keyboards when he was 15. Over the years he continued experimenting and developing his sound, even learning to play the clarinet at one point. In the late 80s he was dealing increasingly...
, Ulrich Schnauss
Ulrich Schnauss
-Biography:Ulrich Schnauss was born in the northern German seaport of Kiel in 1977. He became interested in a range of music: My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Tangerine Dream, Chapterhouse, and early bleep & breakbeat tracks...
, Wisp
Wisp (musician)
Wisp is the alias of electronic music artist Reid Dunn who hails from Niagara Falls, New York. Wisp began making music on his computer in 1999 and originally released his music for free as mp3s on Netlabels before being signed to Sublight Records. In December 2007 he was signed to Benn Jordan's...
and Zygote.
Reception
British electronic musicElectronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
and techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
artists, including Aphex Twin, Cylob, and Mike Paradinas
Mike Paradinas
Michael Paradinas , who works primarily under the name μ-Ziq in addition to a large number of aliases, is a British musician in the field of electronic music.-History:...
, have criticised the term IDM. Paradinas has stated that the term IDM was only used in America.
Allmusic Guide describes the IDM name as
A loaded term meant to distinguish electronic music of the '90s and later that's equally comfortable on the dancefloor as in the living room, IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) eventually acquired a good deal of negative publicity, not least among the legion of dance producers and fans whose exclusion from the community prompted the question of whether they produced stupid dance music.In a September 1997 interview, Aphex Twin commented on the 'Intelligent Dance Music' label:
I just think it's really funny to have terms like that. It's basically saying 'this is intelligent and everything else is stupid.' It's really nasty to everyone else's music. (laughs) It makes me laugh, things like that. I don't use names. I just say that I like something or I don't.
Aphex Twin's Rephlex records official overarching genre name is Braindance, of which Dave Segal of Stylus Magazine asked whether it was a "snide dig at IDM’s mockworthy Intelligent Dance Music tag?"
Kid 606 has said,
I hate IDM and its elitist champions. It makes the music sound so much more than it actually is. It's a label invented by PR companies who need catchphrases. I like sounds, but hate what people attach to sounds.
Cylob
Cylob
Cylob is the alias of UK electronic music maker Chris Jeffs. A trombone player in his youth, he progressed to experimenting with electronic music and recording in his late teens.-Career:...
, aka Chris Jeffs, said, "Also, anyone who applies the term IDM to my music deserves to be shot."
Thaddeus Hermann of City Centre Offices
City Centre Offices
City Centre Offices is a record label based in Manchester, England, with an affiliate in Berlin, Germany. The label, founded in 1998 by Shlom Sviri and de:bug magazine writer Thaddi Herrmann, has released music from several notable acts, including Arovane, Boy Robot, Marsen Jules, Christian Kleine,...
has said:
Nowadays, I do not like the sound of the term. Whenever someone mentions it, or uses it to describe their own music, I immediately become skeptical, expecting weak and boring tracks.”
Matmos (Perfect Sound Forever
Perfect Sound Forever (magazine)
Perfect Sound Forever is one of the longest-running online-only music magazines . Along with Michael Goldberg's Addicted to Noise Perfect Sound Forever (est. 1995) is one of the longest-running online-only music magazines . Along with Michael Goldberg's Addicted to Noise Perfect Sound Forever...
) has said,
I belong to the weblist called "IDM" and occasionally enjoy the discussions there, because I like some of the artists who get lassoed into that category (not to mention that we, occasionally, are lumped into that category too), and because you can occasionally find out about interesting records on that list... Matmos is IDM if that only means "might be talked about on the IDM list"- but I don't endorse that term "intelligent dance music" because it's laughable. Rather Interesting Records had a nice slogan that kind of says it all: "Remember: Only Stupid People Call It "Intelligent".
See also
- TechnoTechnoTechno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
- FolktronicaFolktronicaFolktronica or electrofolk is a genre of music comprising various elements of folk music and electronica, often featuring samplings of acoustic instruments—especially stringed instruments—and incorporating hip hop rhythms...
- GlitchGlitch (music)Glitch is a term used to describe a genre of electronic music that emerged in the mid to late 1990s. The glitch aesthetic is characterized by a deliberate use of glitch based sonic artifacts that would normally be viewed as unwanted disturbances reducing the overall sound quality and are thus...
- List of IDM artists
:Category:Intelligent dance music musicians
:Category:Experimental techno albums
:Category:Ambient techno albums
Further reading
- Reynolds, S., Energy Flash: a Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture, Pan Macmillan, 1998 [also published in abridged form as Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture, Routledge, New York 1999] (ISBN 978-0-330-35056-3).
External links
- The Intelligent Dance Music Mailing List - list info
- Archive of posts to The IDM Mailing List (1993–2008)
- original list announcement on alt.rave, August 8, 1993
- IDMForums Netlabel and discussion forums
- Last.fm group for IDM artist discussion
- Limbik Frequencies 24/7 Intelligent Dance Music Radio Station, no commercials, no dj's