IDM? Century?
...
Can we include favorites that are merely IM? Or just
M?
I'm confused. I'm not sure about how all the
categorization works.
"Intelligent Dance Music" doesn't specify "electronic"
(IEDM would be a more helpful acronym), but
fortunately the poll clarifies this point, by asking
for favorite "electronic" music.
By asking us for "electronic" favorites, rather than
IDM favorites (which is implicite nonetheless), and by
specifying a "century", it is suggested that we
include the nearly obligatory Stockhausen or John Cage
in our lists. This would indicate our open-minded
definition of IDM - even though these artists did not
make music intended for the dancefloor. They were
only IM.
One question I have is: Should we include, in our
listings, music that was intended for the dancefloor,
but isn't considered "electronic"? (like a nice
waltz... incidentally, doesn't freeform have a waltz
track... on "me shape" maybe? Sadly, the only waltz I
can think of off-hand is some IDM track) This would
seem fair, since we presumably may include electronic
music that isn't dancey.
I've been listening to, dancing to, and collecting
electronic dance-oriented techno-related type
whatchamacallit music since the early 90's, and yet
I'm not sure I'm competent to fill out an IDM survey
because it seems to require not only an expert
knowledge of IDM (a style which, conventionally
defined, started much less than 100 years ago), but a
comparable knowledge of this century's electronic
music. In good conscience, I cannot make this
pretense.
I know a thing or two about music history, a working
knowledge, but I also know enough to know that Reich,
Glass, Xenakis, et al are like the "pop" of electronic
music. (like Aphex and Autechre are to IDM.) I
wouldn't want "just the popular artists to win every
time", so I'll have to leave that category out of my
voting.
It's funny how conceptual categories shape what we
see... I could include Led Zeppelin in my list,
really. I wouldn't think of it though because Zep
isn't in the "electronic" bin at a record shop.
History books that I've read usually name Cage as
"first electronic music guy", because he used
turntables. Music is "electronic" so long as it is
produced by instruments with electronics... So
obviously, as a category, "electronic music"
encompasses much more than what people mean when they
say "electronic music". Then there's "digital"...
"electro acoustic"... the question of what "danceable"
really is... are "synthesizers" essential to a
definition of this style...
Well, it's confusing enough trying to decide what
styles and genres are what, but ultimately, the reason
I decided not to fill out the survey is because I had
a buying freeze this last year. So I can't come up
with an adequate top 10 for year 2000, which
disqualifies me.
j
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