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Fun Stuff => BAND => Topic started by: Garcin on 29 Sep 2005, 14:45
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It's been pointed out a number of times recently that IDM is a ridiculous name for a musical genre. According to this excellent wikipedia article, there have even been IDM songs about what a silly name IDM is.
So please nominate a genre label that we can use to refer to such electronic outfits as Kraftwerk, Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, Mr. Scruff, and Autechre, and that is less retarded than "IDM".
Just to anticipate, I don't personally don't find any of the following labels compelling, either because they already belong either to distinct genres, or because they already denote subgenres of IDM, or because they are equally retarded: "Glitch" (different);"ambient/illbient" (different);
"breakbeat" (different); "breakcore" (retarded). But, hey, your mileage may vary.
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the IDM genre name is retarded. and all it's subgenres are too (industrial hardcore. speedcore. breakcore. and so on). i want to punch whoever coined the phrase in the neck.
i wouldnt go putting mr scruff and aphex twin and kraftwerk in the same category. but hey. and isn't illbient just a word dj spooky made up and no-one else uses?
so, in conclusion: i got nothin'. let's just abolish the genre system entirely and replace it with "awesome" and "not awesome".
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Genres are a useful means of talking about music, but electronic music (the blanket-term I prefer) is too broad and multifaceted to fit comfortably under the IDM moniker (which I would apply to more cerebral, less dance-friendly artists like Mouse on Mars or Boards of Canada- although I'm sure there are plenty of folks who would disagree with me on their classification as such).
Basically I just like the term "electronic music" as it's plenty broad but still differentiates people like Daft Punk from, say, Pavement.
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Yeah I'm pretty much the same way. It's all electronic to me.
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IT'S ALL GREEK TO ME!
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I dunno, it doesn't bother me that much. Genre classification is interesting for me. Electronic music categorization seems ridiculously complicated, though.
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Electronic genre classification is like Metal genre classification on speed and household cleaners. Also, the new name for IDM is "Fudgekitten".
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idm...simple, inoffensive. to me anyway
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I agree with Moiche that it's the dumbest name for a genre, hands down, and yes that counts everything-core.
On the other hand, I'm comfortable saying "IDM" and just pretending in my head that it means something less stupid, because I know what sounds fit under the "IDM" label. Let it be.
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I typically just refer to the specific subgenre (glitch, ambient, abstract, drill'n'bass, whatever).
I've heard the suggestion that IDM be revised to mean "insane drum machines." Personally I think that's more often an accurate descriptor.
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Well, Aphex Twin is with you on this issue, as he is always complaining about the name IDM. His suggestion for a replacement is 'braindance', which doesn't strike me as fantastic.
Person: "What type of music do you listen to?"
Me: "Oh, mainly Hip-Hop, post-rock/math-rock stuff and Braindance"
And voila, I instantly look retarded. I just say Electronica, as that covers IDM and also other stuff I listen to, while being slightly more precise than 'electronic'.
When pressed for a description, I usually go with "Go into HMV and look at the dance section. I listen to the stuff there you can't dance to"
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i wouldnt go putting mr scruff and aphex twin and kraftwerk in the same category. but hey. and isn't illbient just a word dj spooky made up and no-one else uses?
so, in conclusion: i got nothin'. let's just abolish the genre system entirely and replace it with "awesome" and "not awesome".
Yeah, I guess Mr. Scruff is closer to fusion/triphop; Kraftwerk is closer to house; and Aphex Twin is closer to ambient. But none of them fit within those genres, so I thought - hey! - throw them all in. And, yeah, illbient is shit DJ Spooky made up. Threw it in because quite frankly for the hell of, and because I think it describes "instrumental hip hop" a lot better than the phrase "instrumental hip hop" -- which is almost as retarded as IDM.
I think that the genre system is essentially irrelevant at this point, since the whole independent electronic and indie rock scene is one that defies formalism and voluntary categorization. This is hardly profound, but the only useful reference these days is other bands: you've got some focal point bands that are used as descriptors and pretty much act as modern genres.
But you have to have some way to describe a group that someone hasn't heard other than "awesome" and not "awesome". Genres or other routes of description aren't just all about being a know-it-all music nerd cock. Just like, 90% maybe.
Also about Mr. Scruff, I was thinking more about the older Mr. Scruff like on the Mrs Cruff re-release, and less about, say, Trouser Jazz.
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...and Aphex Twin is closer to ambient.
Sometimes.
I think IDM is a great term. Intelligent Dance Music, on the other hand is not. Think about it, just the phrase IDM pretty much sounds like a lot of the music. to me anyway. If someone looks at me funny when I say it, I'll just say Electronica. I never tell people what it stands for.
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ebm is almost as stupid... "electronic body music". oh god.
the problem about idm is that if somebody says "oh i listen to IDM music" you exactly what heīs saying. you can imagine something that itīs a) glitchy and fast with drill n bass and cute analog melodies or b) abstract and glitchy and droney or c) ambient, pastoral synths and hip-hop beats.
none of those are actually danceable... idm was a good name in 1996 when you can listen to stuff like Orbital, that (in that moment) made danceable, non-trance/housey electronic music. but now itīs just silly.
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No, if they say 'I listen to IDM music' you hit them. Because although I'll deny the existence of the expanded form, no-one needs to say 'intelligent dance music music'. Use it as a noun folks, not an adjective.
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Hang on, I'm going to reply to this as soon as I get back from the ATM machine.
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/me bashes head against wall.
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"Crap".
Oh, come on. You know Richard D. James is nothing but clattering noise.
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It's beautiful clatter.
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My fellow B.S.er, Mitch, calls IDM "Insane Drum Machines."
It's not entirely accurate, but cute enough to settle the stomach a bit.