IDM Mailing Archive

Hullo All, for the past years I've been starting to lean more and more towards electro than the artists commonly discussed on the list. I am quite certain that this is a natural progression for me, from the early A.R.T./GPR/New Electronica/Likemind et al. sound through the harsher Warp (Autechre, Phoenecia)/Skam/Markant etc. phase (where some rhythm elements are definitely electro - just listen to ``Basscadet'') to what I am buying more and more nowadays: Yunx, Jega, Phoenecia, Datathief and so on. I have also been compelled to buy some pure electro-plays, like SCSI and other similar labels. Someone else besides me has to have noticed the recent uprising of neo-disco in the form of labels like Gigolo and artists like Zombie Nation with their roots deeply in the sewers of Hague and ears on the wall of Moroder and disco - and that labels like RePHLeX jumped on that bandwagon well before the genre was brought into mainstream attention (just listen to DMX Krew and Cylob's ``Rewind'' and ``Sex Machine''). Speaking of RePHLeX, there are some really, _really_ good (yet somewhat disturbing) electro tracks on their back catalogue, mostly Cylob and Mike Dred (and of course Drexciya and Dynamix II)). I think this has been a fluid transition from the almost too abstract rhythm programming on recent Autechre releases to the crisp (and sometimes even melodic) yet not straightforward electro on records like Jega's ``Geometry'', Yunx/Datathief split EP on Pitchcadet, more experimental sound on Elektrolux (one of my current absolute favourite labels), Phoenecia's ``Odd Jobs'' and ``Randa Roomet'', Team Doyobi's ``Pushchairs For Grown Ups'' - and the harsher, noisier chapter of Speedy J's ``IEEE Mitten Menu'' and ``Pannik''. I'm still quite reserved in my foray into electro - I have not run to buy every UR record there is, but Carl Finlow and some others really have grabbed my attention with their nonstandard electro sound. I still have mixed feelings towards the neo-disco movement for a reason I'm unable to grasp, though. It is fun yet I wouldn't listen to it at home. A second point is the rise of the lo-bit electro movement - people using C-64's and other 4-8-bit equipment to produce (mostly) electro. There was a whiff of that on RePHLeX with the release on Bodenstandig 2000's ``Maxi German Rave Blast Hits 3'' and Lektrogirl's ``I Love My Computer'' and the more recent releases like Tero's ``First Blood'' on Rikos Records (I have seen this guy perform _live_ with two C-64's - absolutely fabulous - go get his first release (RIKOS003) _now_) and 8-bit Rockers (I don't know if it's out yet). I'm not too keen on the lo-bit circuit (with the exception of Tero), but it really is gaining momentum (or I'm just late to observe). (Rikos Records will release a Lackluster 7" soon.) So what am I aiming at? Probably to claim that electro in its new forms should be regarded as IDM (the concept, not a genre). Any takers? Ideas? Am I totally off the mark here? Cheers, -- nuutti-iivari meriläinen gordon at diversion dot org http colon slash slash www dot diversion dot org slash --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

For me, being into electro is more of a regression (though not at all an unpleasant one!). I was into hip-hop at the time it first appeared and on the radio shows I listened to they played a lot of electro too, which I actually preferred in retrospect although I wasn't so clear about the distinction at the time. As for UR being electro, I sometimes wonder if making this retrospective distinction between techno and electro is a good thing. UR did much to define what techno is for me and I find it hard to suddenly consider it to be some other kind of music. UR has always been always futurist in it's outlook and the current interest in electro is essentially retro in nature. (And I strongly suggest going out and buying every UR release you can get!) Ross. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nuutti-Iivari Meriläinen" <gordon@populo.vip.fi> To: <idm@hyperreal.org> Sent: Friday, November 17, 2000 11:29 AM Subject: [idm] Electro As IDM Hullo All, for the past years I've been starting to lean more and more towards electro than the artists commonly discussed on the list. I am quite certain that this is a natural progression for me, from the early A.R.T./GPR/New Electronica/Likemind et al. sound through the harsher Warp (Autechre, Phoenecia)/Skam/Markant etc. phase (where some rhythm elements are definitely electro - just listen to ``Basscadet'') to what I am buying more and more nowadays: Yunx, Jega, Phoenecia, Datathief and so on. I have also been compelled to buy some pure electro-plays, like SCSI and other similar labels. Someone else besides me has to have noticed the recent uprising of neo-disco in the form of labels like Gigolo and artists like Zombie Nation with their roots deeply in the sewers of Hague and ears on the wall of Moroder and disco - and that labels like RePHLeX jumped on that bandwagon well before the genre was brought into mainstream attention (just listen to DMX Krew and Cylob's ``Rewind'' and ``Sex Machine''). Speaking of RePHLeX, there are some really, _really_ good (yet somewhat disturbing) electro tracks on their back catalogue, mostly Cylob and Mike Dred (and of course Drexciya and Dynamix II)). I think this has been a fluid transition from the almost too abstract rhythm programming on recent Autechre releases to the crisp (and sometimes even melodic) yet not straightforward electro on records like Jega's ``Geometry'', Yunx/Datathief split EP on Pitchcadet, more experimental sound on Elektrolux (one of my current absolute favourite labels), Phoenecia's ``Odd Jobs'' and ``Randa Roomet'', Team Doyobi's ``Pushchairs For Grown Ups'' - and the harsher, noisier chapter of Speedy J's ``IEEE Mitten Menu'' and ``Pannik''. I'm still quite reserved in my foray into electro - I have not run to buy every UR record there is, but Carl Finlow and some others really have grabbed my attention with their nonstandard electro sound. I still have mixed feelings towards the neo-disco movement for a reason I'm unable to grasp, though. It is fun yet I wouldn't listen to it at home. A second point is the rise of the lo-bit electro movement - people using C-64's and other 4-8-bit equipment to produce (mostly) electro. There was a whiff of that on RePHLeX with the release on Bodenstandig 2000's ``Maxi German Rave Blast Hits 3'' and Lektrogirl's ``I Love My Computer'' and the more recent releases like Tero's ``First Blood'' on Rikos Records (I have seen this guy perform _live_ with two C-64's - absolutely fabulous - go get his first release (RIKOS003) _now_) and 8-bit Rockers (I don't know if it's out yet). I'm not too keen on the lo-bit circuit (with the exception of Tero), but it really is gaining momentum (or I'm just late to observe). (Rikos Records will release a Lackluster 7" soon.) So what am I aiming at? Probably to claim that electro in its new forms should be regarded as IDM (the concept, not a genre). Any takers? Ideas? Am I totally off the mark here? Cheers, -- nuutti-iivari meriläinen gordon at diversion dot org http colon slash slash www dot diversion dot org slash --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

Hello, I've always thought that electro was closely linked with IDM, just look at Two lone swordsmen's output. Many IDM artists profess their love for the electro beat, from Autechre stating that early influences were hip hop to the CLEAR record label from the mid 90's which featured bands such as plaid and gescom messing about with electro beats, and whose very name was a reference to an early electro record by Cybotron. I think electro music represents a time when electronic music as we know it was being born, when the rules about sound and composition with regards to genres had yet to be written, and that is why I listen to IDM because it embodies to me the excitement that I experienced when I first heard electro. Anything goes. Sorry for the waffle. Dan 7ape. np. I-F - Space invaders are smoking grass. -----Original Message----- From: Nuutti-Iivari Meriläinen [mailto:gordon@populo.vip.fi] Sent: 17 November 2000 11:46 To: idm@hyperreal.org Subject: [idm] Electro As IDM Hullo All, for the past years I've been starting to lean more and more towards electro than the artists commonly discussed on the list. I am quite certain that this is a natural progression for me, from the early A.R.T./GPR/New Electronica/Likemind et al. sound through the harsher Warp (Autechre, Phoenecia)/Skam/Markant etc. phase (where some rhythm elements are definitely electro - just listen to ``Basscadet'') to what I am buying more and more nowadays: Yunx, Jega, Phoenecia, Datathief and so on. I have also been compelled to buy some pure electro-plays, like SCSI and other similar labels. Someone else besides me has to have noticed the recent uprising of neo-disco in the form of labels like Gigolo and artists like Zombie Nation with their roots deeply in the sewers of Hague and ears on the wall of Moroder and disco - and that labels like RePHLeX jumped on that bandwagon well before the genre was brought into mainstream attention (just listen to DMX Krew and Cylob's ``Rewind'' and ``Sex Machine''). Speaking of RePHLeX, there are some really, _really_ good (yet somewhat disturbing) electro tracks on their back catalogue, mostly Cylob and Mike Dred (and of course Drexciya and Dynamix II)). I think this has been a fluid transition from the almost too abstract rhythm programming on recent Autechre releases to the crisp (and sometimes even melodic) yet not straightforward electro on records like Jega's ``Geometry'', Yunx/Datathief split EP on Pitchcadet, more experimental sound on Elektrolux (one of my current absolute favourite labels), Phoenecia's ``Odd Jobs'' and ``Randa Roomet'', Team Doyobi's ``Pushchairs For Grown Ups'' - and the harsher, noisier chapter of Speedy J's ``IEEE Mitten Menu'' and ``Pannik''. I'm still quite reserved in my foray into electro - I have not run to buy every UR record there is, but Carl Finlow and some others really have grabbed my attention with their nonstandard electro sound. I still have mixed feelings towards the neo-disco movement for a reason I'm unable to grasp, though. It is fun yet I wouldn't listen to it at home. A second point is the rise of the lo-bit electro movement - people using C-64's and other 4-8-bit equipment to produce (mostly) electro. There was a whiff of that on RePHLeX with the release on Bodenstandig 2000's ``Maxi German Rave Blast Hits 3'' and Lektrogirl's ``I Love My Computer'' and the more recent releases like Tero's ``First Blood'' on Rikos Records (I have seen this guy perform _live_ with two C-64's - absolutely fabulous - go get his first release (RIKOS003) _now_) and 8-bit Rockers (I don't know if it's out yet). I'm not too keen on the lo-bit circuit (with the exception of Tero), but it really is gaining momentum (or I'm just late to observe). (Rikos Records will release a Lackluster 7" soon.) So what am I aiming at? Probably to claim that electro in its new forms should be regarded as IDM (the concept, not a genre). Any takers? Ideas? Am I totally off the mark here? Cheers, -- nuutti-iivari meriläinen gordon at diversion dot org http colon slash slash www dot diversion dot org slash --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org