I have finally found the confidence after the sort time I have been on this
list to ask you all collectively for any insights you all may have on
something that has had me vexed for quite a while now.
This list is a great deal more international than I had at first imagined. I
had always seen IDM as a predominantly British thing, because (and I mean
nothing by this) the majority of IDM musicians and labels are located here
in the UK. And yet, imagine my surprise when I see so many acts playing over
in America, and so many independent club nights and radio shows playing a
high quality mix of electronic music.
When I first experienced IDM in a live scenario, I saw LFO and Autechre play
at Sankeys about 5 or 6 years ago. The place was packed, and the atmosphere
was like nothing else. All of us were there for a unified moment, we all
managed to capture something together, brought into one place because of our
love and respect for the music being played (anyone remember "Flutter" at
the end, ask me about it some time!)
Now, I go to events whenever I can, and am met with nothing but
chin-stroking and elitism. Went to Leeds and saw the Skam crew rip it up,
and yet no-one danced. Me and two friends boogied for hours, looking like
twats (and we were met with that attitude in a very upfront manner), yet to
be honest with you I had no choice........I could not and did not sit down
to such a high quality set of such excellent music.
And then Autechre play in Manchester, and when they do they are greeted by
more standing around and, to be honest, a sense of elitism rather then
community. No wonder they are spending so much time in America.(sorry, that
was a little agressive, but I feel very passionately about this)
With nights that get on average 100 people through the door, there is no
money in promoting IDM. And yet we all know how fanatical the average IDM
fan is about his/her music. So where does the gap come from? Why (in my
experience) does there seem to be no scene with which I can immerse myself
in
Either I am missing something, or you guys need to ewxplain to me why even
in Manchester, home to so much IDM, there is still no scene? Someone educate
me before I explode. I am particularly intersted in the American point of
view, because you guys seem to be a great deal closer to my ideal of a scene
that anything over here.
Yours
MattC