On Sat, 7 Jul 2001, Mxyzptlk wrote:
quoted 6 lines Additionally, the incestuous nature of gathering/giving recommendations and> Additionally, the incestuous nature of gathering/giving recommendations and
> reviews via the list (something which certainly couldn't be measured and
> certainly varies, i.e., "influence") might certainly have an affect on the
> listmembers...and given that many have gone on to be/are becoming
> successful artists in the genre who will in turn have some impact on others
> making music, I think it's undeniable.
Exhibit A: The artwork for Artificial Intelligence II contained images
of IDM-list e-mail.
Exhibit B: A lot of magazines -- Urb in particular -- has chosen 'IDM'
as a marketing pidgeonhole. IDM (the list) gets namechecked all the time --
artists denigrate it for being a bunch of anal chinstrokers, but there's
always the idea that having a good buzz on IDM gives an artist some sort
of credibility it wouldn't otherwise have.
I think that IDM(the list) is really more of a mirror than a generator.
For a lot of people (myself included) the fact of its existence has been
an enabling factor in making my own music; ultimately, however, music made
soley to impress the IDM listers is a doomed enterprise. For one thing,
like any other audience, IDM is fickle. For another, Art can't be designed
by committee. And the IDM list is a vanishingly small slice of the
record-buying public.
Remember your Vonnegut: what we have here is a Karass -- a synthetic grouping
of presumably like-minded people who look to the list for validation. But
there's a certain sad quality to it that it holds in common with Trekkies,
Beanie Baby Collectors, and Miniature Poodle Breeders. It's all well and
good to find your tribe, but just talking to people who you agree with is
ultimately sterile and incestuous.
IDM is at it's best when people actually write about music with some
descriptive effort; we don't all have to be Simon Reynolds (ack!) but
if IDM is a mostly list about a list about music. We all know who writes
stuff worth reading; if everyone would aspire to be that entertaining and
informative, it would be much better. The world's hard disks are already
clogged with 'me too' posts and silly flame wars. The first silly flame
war I participated in was in 1983; when I see another one come on I just
start leaning on my D key.
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