Certainly the orb, the aphex twin, and fsol are some of the pinnacles
of IDM, but don't forget about Autechre, B12, Black Dog Productions,
Speedy J, and Polygon Window (and others, of course :). Their new
stuff on AI2 is certainly danceable in most cases (and so is Pommes
Fritz, really).
That said, there does seem to be a trend towards more atmospheric
sounding tracks in IDM today. I think it has to do with the way
Ambient music and IDM have been gradually being put in the mainstream
spotlight. This sends the artists scurrying, they are trying not to
get stuck in a rut and the way they're doing it is by being more
ambient.
[fletcher]