To tell you the truth, I can't see ambient music becoming pop at all. I
think that's what a lot of us fear about the large American record
labels. It seems as soon as they pick up a genre, they blow it up into
a huge imagefest. That doesn't change the fact that the music can still
be underground, and that the underground music can be (and probably will
be) much better than the new soundgarden of IDM.
The Aphex Twin played his cards right as far as major labels go. He's
made a mystical embodiment to attatch to his name, and his music, at the
very least, is unconventional. So... after a while, he got press and
major label attention. Now he's on the cover of a magazine distributed
in Sam Goody!
However: if Mr. James hadn't made the image/name conglomeration for
himself, I don't think he'd have as much press. He's illustrated as a
novelty because of his 'strangeness.' Most other IDM or techno acts
don't have this marketability even though the music is on par.
So what's my point? I don't know... for one, I don't think we have
anything to fear as far as major record labels go. They can try to make
pop radio djs play the brand-spankin'-new ambient supergroup music, but
*I* don't think pop culture will eat it up. It's not edible :).
Tom