IDM — Author: Egor Komarov. License: Pexels License — https://www.pexels.com/license/. Source

IDM

Audio: IDM

IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) is an experimental electronic music direction with complex rhythms, unconventional structures, and an intellectual approach. Made for home listening rather than the dance floor.

IDM appeared in 1990s Britain. The name derives from Warp Records' compilation Artificial Intelligence (1992) and spread through the IDM mailing list (1993), whose members wanted to set “intelligent” electronics apart from routine techno tracks. The signature trait: complex, broken beats, asymmetrical meters, a blend of synthetic and acoustic elements.

Titans of the genre: Aphex Twin (Richard D. James) — genius and provocateur; Autechre — a duo whose works sound like mathematical formulas in sound; Boards of Canada — nostalgic, somnambulistic IDM; Squarepusher. Ukrainian representatives: Heinali and early projects of Tik Tu. IDM is for listeners who cherish experiment and are ready for “music as puzzle.”