On Wed, 30 Oct 2002 CAPOIIEE@aol.com wrote:
quoted 9 lines In a message dated 10/30/02 9:49:51 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> In a message dated 10/30/02 9:49:51 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> jwhite@ShoppersDrugMart.CA writes:
>
> > Hello. I was just wondering where everyone sees IDM going in the near
> > future? I mean sound/genre - anything really. Just interested in hearing
> > some opinions.
>
> to hell in a handbasket?
>
To me, it is quite telling that the definition of the name of the list
has come up in this thread, and people are actually doing research to find
out things about the list while on the list. Sad.
("Why is so much attention given to Warp's recent past?")
By no small fault of the list itself, concentrating on the machinery and
mechanics of IDM production, from DSP Max to spotting the sort of
algorithms used in a particular track through to requesting patches for
Max similar to those used by Autechre. I find that the culmination point
of the whole discussion on the relevance of IDM is the article on Richard
Devine on Wired (
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.03/eword.html?pg=4),
because "It never gets old [...] As processor speeds go up, the crazier my
music gets!" In a later issue, laptop techno gets a thumbs up from the
self-appointed digerati life-style magazine:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.05/laptop.html .
I do not wish to appear deprecative towards mainstream recognition of
the culture and music I've been entrenched in for the past well over a
decade. Nevertheless, focusing on the technologies and mechanics of
production simply take the attention away from the music itself. The music
becomes more appealing to some people because it is generated using the
latest gadgets, gizmos and software. I have since the beginning been
interested in the music, mainly because I've had a (partial) classical
musical education. I still find being able to play a real, physical
instrument more valuable than being able to tweak virtual knobs and
variables inside software. I do use software myself, nevertheless the
emphasis is on the actual process of composing, not the use and
availability of plug-ins, algorithms, combinations of software and good
old raw processing power.
It seems to me that what nowadays is characterised as IDM is music for
engineers. The pool of diverse genres that used to be IDM has been dried
up, and electronic music is, or has already become, the soulless sort of
music it used to be accused of being in the beginning.
quoted 3 lines its becoming "genre" music now, like "industrial," "drum n bass,&
> its becoming "genre" music now, like "industrial," "drum n bass," "house,"
> "punk" etc..
>
All music degenerates this way. From my point of view, IDM started as a
counterreaction to the somewhat stagnated music scene in the UK.
quoted 4 lines producers start wondering if their tracks are "idm" enough. it used to be
> producers start wondering if their tracks are "idm" enough. it used to be
> that idm was wierd experimental music that no one could categorize, it will
> be a genre with its own rules and subculture.
>
I would call rules functions and subculture subroutines. Categorisation
is how we make sense of our immediate surroundings and create structure in
our lives. It is inevitable and unavoidable. I find it quite sarcastic
that RePHLeX categorised the music they release as Braindance, as a
piss-take on the stagnancy and canonised goings-on on IDM. I wonder if
anyone else has realised this.
quoted 7 lines kids in highschool will walk around with moptops and laptops wearing
> kids in highschool will walk around with moptops and laptops wearing
> schematic t-shirts.. soon there will be a band that will have vocals
> and make it mainstreamish, and everyone on this list will be very
> upset. 15 year old kids will start joining the list and ask who aphex
> twin is. the 'post-warp' era is coming if not already here.. you wait
> and see
>
I have already been upset for a number of years. The numbers of veterans
on the list have dwindled almost down to nothing. Mostly, I just depress
the D button (as suggested in a recent post) when the prefix [idm] appears
on my message list. It is quite easy to judge if a posting is worthy of
attention by the subject line. Time consuming, yes, due to the drivel that
passes as IDM nowadays.
So, why do I still hang on? Because there is gold in them mines. Every
now and then something I deem worth my while comes up, and then I'm again
glad that I didn't dismiss the list as a waste of my time. Not that there
is a lot to say about the recent discussions, mind you. A friend on the
list said before unsubscribing, "This list used to be the shit. Now it's
just shit."
To me, the future of the list is what the people on the list make of
it. We could moderate. We could spawn parallel lists. There are a number
of things we could do. All things that could be done would (and perhaps
will) be construed to be elitistic snobbery. Nevertheless, I do not
advocate anything. I will stay on the list. I will still listen to my
Warps, GPRs, Likeminds, Skams, and whatnot.
Just to bring in some music content as well, today I've been listening
to the following:
D'Arcangelo: Broken Toys' Corner (RePHLeX CAT127LP 2xLP)
Dr. Derek F: Acidic Possession (Skam-related 12")
Silicon Scally: Mr. Machine (SCSI-AV ID009 2xLP)
Zero DB: Audio Battery (Black Label BL002 12")
Ada: Blindhouse (Areal AREAL10 12")
In my not-at-all-humble opinion, all are relevant and on-topic releases
for IDM.
Cheers,
--
nuutti-iivari meriläinen gordon at diversion dot org
http colon slash slash www dot diversion dot org slash
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