IDM Megathread: We Are the Music Makers

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ManoliIsFat: Oct 4, 2002

Nihnoz posted:

I wish IDM wasn't called Intelligent Dance Music. So I could say I like it without shame.

It'd be cool if you liked breakcore instead and said that. If you like Warp-y/Reflex-y poo poo, I think you should have to own up to it and say "IDM".

# ¿ May 15, 2010 23:32

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 17:13

ManoliIsFat: Oct 4, 2002

joooohn posted:

Some other artists worth checking out:

Vorpal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-idiLIOWyE

Chris Clark (Now know just as Clark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owlaPVpwNmk

Venetian Snares (No idea how he didn't get a mention in OP :P)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9beA88_66c

Tim Exile (New album was a bit weak, but videos like this more than make up for it)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGT1tZT9C1o
also, an absolute joy to see live

Ceephax Acid Crew
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTe8lnad8nU

Not exactly sure if he fits the IDM tag, but Milanese
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxqvX6niXoM

And another godfather of sorts, Kid606
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frFtCDpWl5g

I hate to be a stick in the mud (so new for me, i know), but these dudes are all over the place; you mostly posted breakcore dudes. Don't call kid606 a godfather. He's maybe just a popular artist people know, but he comes from a long line of breakcore producers.

Basically, this thread is a collection of disparate movements in electronic music, but since pitchfork mentioned a couple of them and college kids have heard of them, they get labeled as IDM. Like how anyone can think Boards of Canada has anything to do with like Aphex or Mu just blows my mind.

insomne posted:

I've tried listening to it like twice and I just don't get it. It's sitting on my Zune right now so maybe I'll go check it out, but does anyone have a super entry level recommendation of theirs so I can check that out instead?

Exile and Clark are loving wicked, I love those guys.

Also it's okay to discuss other fringe electronic like Bluetech in my opinion because really there's no other place to discuss that and that poo poo is cool anyways. It's kind of dumb to argue about what is and isn't IDM (because yeah, it's pretty loving vague) and people on the Internet are notorious for that. Also, it's a really, really dumb name we all get it and you are literally beaten by the second paragraph of the OP, it doesn't really need to be repeated like 40 times.

Its a dumb name beyond it being "pretentious". It's dumb because it conflates a bunch of different styles and histories of electronic music. I mean, there's a world of difference between some academic dude with his array of max patches, making bleep-blorps, and kid606 raggajungle jams.

toadee posted:

I would have mentioned Mu-Ziq, Squarepusher, Bogdan Raczinski, Luke Vibert, and Cylob in the OP.

It's worth it to mention the name IDM came from the 'Artificial Intelligence' compilation and not some need to feel superior about ambient techno. It's as good a label as any in my opinion. It's gotten kind of out of hand though. I always thought of Ceephax Acid Crew as ummm I dunno Acid maybe? Just for instance.

Ya exactly. Bodgan is a personal hero of mine that dude can make a tune.

ManoliIsFat fucked around with this message at 17:36 on May 17, 2010

# ¿ May 17, 2010 17:29

ManoliIsFat: Oct 4, 2002

insomne posted:

I don't think Pitchfork has anything to do with Kid606 and the rest of these artists being called IDM, since people have been associating them with it since the 90's

Ya but that's the thing. Kid606 came up in an established breakcore circuit. He's from California, he was second-generation breakcore right there with snares and others. Listen to his first records, they're all like partied-up DJ Scud records. Same with snares' first records. They were making music for an established raggajunglebreakcore scene in Europe and also developing a scene in North America. They never would've thought of their music as IDM, they'd fall over laughing at the idea. There are IDM-y labels and producers, but people's blanket, umbrella concept of IDM is usually completely muddied and ambiguous to the point of meaninglessness. That's what my Pitchfork comment is getting to: it's called IDM mostly by people who aren't truly engaged in the music. To me http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQEmaj9C6ko has nothing to do with http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frFtCDpWl5g

ManoliIsFat fucked around with this message at 04:56 on May 18, 2010

# ¿ May 18, 2010 04:51

ManoliIsFat: Oct 4, 2002

eckoelab posted:

Ya bro I completely feel you. But IDM has turned in to what the word "emo" has, completely divorced from its original meme status and label for all these European dudes who know eachother, and come to mean something totally arbitrary.

There's being a genre rear end in a top hat, and then there's being a genre rear end in a top hat for a good reason.

ManoliIsFat fucked around with this message at 05:03 on May 18, 2010

# ¿ May 18, 2010 04:55

ManoliIsFat: Oct 4, 2002

I think it's pretty good. "Cleaning my house"-tracker ambient. "Studying for a test"-instrumental hip hop.

# ¿ May 18, 2010 05:10

ManoliIsFat: Oct 4, 2002

insomne posted:

it is a genre (in the same veins as people calling "house" a genre) and a scene and is still going pretty strong.

No see, that's exactly the thing. House is a real genre, and its got a bunch of related sub-genres. Same with dnb, liquid is not the same thing as darkstep, but they recognize a common lineage. IDM is a bunch of disparate stuff exceedingly more than house or a lot of other blanket terms are. I hate to be a cock about it, but its necessary inorder to really "get" any of this poo poo beyond a bunch of mp3s in a playlist.

Also when Aphex says he has unreleased stuff, I bet he means he has a bunch of whitelabels, not necessarily all composed by him.

ManoliIsFat fucked around with this message at 01:43 on May 19, 2010

# ¿ May 19, 2010 01:40

ManoliIsFat: Oct 4, 2002

insomne posted:

That's pretty funny. Seems she's still playing shows and stuff. I wonder if The Tuss is kind of the same deal. There's pretty much like a 1% chance it's not RDJ.

I thought they figured this out like it could've only been aphex cuz of the synth they used. I'm pretty sure its him and whoever else he wants to make a track with, and that's a cool idea. Also if anyone's making a statement about celebrity idolization in electronic music, it's funny that it's Aphex.

# ¿ May 21, 2010 01:07

ManoliIsFat: Oct 4, 2002

insomne posted:

Yeah, The Tuss uses some really rare kajillion dollar synthesizer that like 4 people in the world own, one being Aphex. Aphex and Rephlex still vehemently deny that it's him, for whatever reason.

Well because they don't want to play in to this college kid game of idol worship. The idea is that's its supposed to be anonymous and mysterious. They're defending it vehemently and kids should be down with that.

It's like everyone flipping out to find out who Burial was: that poo poo is stupid as hell, let him be anonymous. Just because you want to put a poster of him over your bed doesn't mean he wants that.

# ¿ May 21, 2010 16:14

ManoliIsFat: Oct 4, 2002

insomne posted:

I actually just started listening to that last night. I'm about half way through and I don't even know what to make of it yet. Should probably sit down and listen to the album the whole way through.

I've actually been listening to a lot of Mu lately. What a great song to start the summer.

muziq is the absolute fuckin man

# ¿ May 28, 2010 17:14

ManoliIsFat: Oct 4, 2002

Hey if any of you bros are gonna be in LA

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=131711573537617

(that is my record label. we're split between ny and la, i'm flying out i'm so pumped. this is a dream come true for me.)

ManoliIsFat fucked around with this message at 14:46 on Jul 26, 2010

# ¿ Jul 26, 2010 14:10

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 17:13

ManoliIsFat: Oct 4, 2002

Cuz he's a weirdo!

# ¿ Aug 18, 2014 20:12

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