I am an Electronic Music producer and DJ and I have particular interest in
Techno and IDM (in all their off shoots). I feel the constant need to
categorize electronic music will eventually be the demise of it.
"IDM":
Personally I can't stand the term IDM, but I have become accustom to using
it as of late because of the recent press IDM has gotten (people know want I
am talking about when I use the term IDM). To me singling out music that is
"Intelligent" is pompous, separatist and arrogant beyond belief. I would
like to think that all music has an intelligent thought process behind it,
or at least some level of commitment and talent. I get annoyed when I post a
new electronic artist on the list and someone responds with "that's not IDM"
like there is some formula to what is intelligent dance music. Lately I have
been bomb-blasted for mentioning Techno on the list. I guess Techno is now
considered unintelligent as well.
"Ambient":
I have never used the term or really heard the term "Ambient Techno" and to
me this is a bit of a contradiction. Growing up in Detroit and being a
Techno lover for well over a decade I would describe Techno us upbeat,
totally synthetic, often grating, sometimes funky, better never ambient. The
term ambient (in relation to music) was coined by Brian Eno on the linear
notes to his 1973 album "Discreet Music". Eno refers to "Ambient Music" as
background music that should be played at low volumes. The term Ambient took
on a different musical connotation during the early to mid 90's when all
those "Ambient" compilations starting popping up. Artist like Future Sounds
of London, Pete Namlook and Jonah Sharp started exploiting the term, which
eventually came to represent the washy, arpeggio ridden, soundscapes
(usually beatless) of modern (digital) electronic music. I still use Eno's
reference point when using the term.
"Glitch":
Of all the terms describing modern electronic music I would consider
"Glitch" to be the geekiest, yet most descriptive (accurately). I glitch in
the digital audio world is an audible mistake in the wave form, often
achieved when a sample is properly truncated. The sound that is created is a
sort of high pitched "pop" that happens so quickly that it is often missed,
almost subliminal. Artists like Oval, Pole, Microstoria, Matmos and Jan
Jenilek have taken these "glitches" (which used to represent sloppy wave
form editing/sampling) and exploited them to create rhythms and new sound
textures. "Glitch Dub", "Micro House", "Glitch Techno" are all terms I have
used and heard used to describe this new form of electronic production
(purely digital). The sound of digital imperfection!!!!
I personally see electronic music branching out in a similar fashion to Jazz
(my other love). Jazz had a humble, almost accidental beginning forged by
racial tension, cultural integration, music complexity, intellectualism and
nostalgia. Replace the instrumentation (trumpet for a synth) and you have a
very similar progression of underground, predominantly instrumental,
cultural diverse (on language barrier), fragmented, progressive music. Like
Jazz, electronic music has several schools and that list grows almost every
day. To me this need to categorize/intellectualize is what destroyed the
progress of Jazz. Be Bop alienated so man Jazz fans with its hyper speed
soloing and intangible melodic progressions. IDM represents that alienation
to me and although I enjoy music that is often place into the IDM category,
I feel the whole idea of IDM is a hindrance to the progression of electronic
music.
Sincerely,
Sean Patrick Horton (a.k.a. Nordic Soul)
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