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Intelligent dance music (commonly IDM)
is a form of electronic music that emerged in the early
1990s. It was originally influenced by developments in underground dance music such as Detroit
techno and various breakbeat styles
that were emerging in the UK at that time.[2][3] Stylistically,
IDM tended to rely upon individualistic experimentation rather than adhering to
musical characteristics associated with specific genres of dance music.[4]The
range of post-techno[5] styles
to emerge in the early 1990s were described variously as "art
techno",[6] "ambient
techno", "intelligent techno", and "electronica".[7] In
the United States, the latter is often used as a
catchall term to describe not only downtempo or downbeat/non-dance electronic
music but also EDM.
The term "IDM" is said to have
originated in the United States in 1993 with the formation of the "IDM
list", an electronic mailing list originally
chartered for the discussion of music by (but not limited to) a number of
prominent English artists, especially those
appearing on a 1992 Warp Recordscompilation called Artificial Intelligence.[8]
Usage of the term "intelligent dance
music" has been criticised by electronic musicians such as Aphex Twin as
derogatory towards other styles and is seen by artists such as Mike
Paradinas as being particular to the U.S.[9][10]
