I'm not sure we're really "stuck" with "idm". i
rarely use the term. usually i say edm, for
"electronic dance music". it sounds enough like "idm"
that people i've never met before sometimes know
exactly what i mean.
but what i mean by edm includes things like "techno",
and is more inclusive than what typically is meant by
"idm". if i need to specify ae/afx styled (i.e.,
"typical" dance oriented idm) music, then i say it.
ae/afx type music. if the person has never heard of
ae/afx, then i'd rather explain what that means
anyway. If i need to describe some other type of
"idm", there are plenty of other adjectives in current
use as well... glitchy, dancy, mechanical, droney,
pretentious, etc. and if i'm talking about non-dance
oriented edm, i say "armchair". i prefer being
specific to using the ambiguous and arrogant term idm.
the only term i never use (except in a derogatory
sense) is "experimental". my friend matt mentioned a
funny quote by Jim O'Rourke, something like, "i don't
like it when people call me "experimental". it seems
to suggest that i don't know what i'm doing!"
seriously though, "experimental" now refers only to a
style, not actual experimentation.
language can be very powerful. you might think "it's
just an acronym", but in fact, what you know it stands
for might shape the way you think about it, and the
way you treat others. in addition, it alienates (even
offends) other groups of people. not to mention that
it's just inaccurate! idm simply is not more
intelligent than other types of dance music.
i think it's naive to think "idm" is just a harmless
word. it implies that other types of dance music are
not intelligent, and from my experience, idmers often
begin to think this way, without necessarily realizing
it. in fact, i seem to remember a thread a long time
ago, on this list, when a lot of people were arguing
that in fact idm IS more intelligent than techno/hip
hop/et al. i think this argument is deeply flawed,
but don't want to get into it at all. (maybe search
the archives if you're interested.)
the ironic thing is that in some ways, idm itself is
very simplistic and dumb. (in terms of traditional
academic ideas of composition/music theory.)
composers (not just avant/20th century/electronic
composers) and other music cultures (i.e.,
non-western) have been developing ideas for centuries
that few idm artists seem to be aware of.
particularly when it comes to composition. edm has
brought brilliant new ideas to the table, to be sure,
but many artists seem to lack an awareness of some
things... that makes the music kinda simple - which is
OK.
edm doesn't have to be "about" these things. it's
more about contemporary culture, i think. it's
something i often love about electronic dance music -
it's not all tricky and smart and "universal". it's
"pop music", and it's relevant. and most of the time,
you can dance to it. or it has a sense of humor. or
it's dope. or just sounds really cool.
anyway, i don't care if they've started putting up
"idm" signs in record shop bins. i don't like the
name, so i don't use it.
j
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