..IDM

Intelligent dance music (commonly IDM) is a genre of electronica derived from dance music of the 1980s and early 1990s which uses unusual and "weird" sounds, defies rhythmic convention, and is much harder to dance to than most forms of techno.. IDM is originally applied to musicians like FSOL, Orb, Orbital, Richard James (aka Aphex Twin), Black Dog, B12, and various others from Warp's Artificial Intelligence series.

History

In 1992, Warp Records released Artificial Intelligence, the first album in the Artificial Intelligence series. The record was a collection of tracks from artists such as Autechre, B12, The Black Dog, Aphex Twin, and The Orb, under various aliases. These artists, among others, would eventually become the main topics of conversation in the IDM List, an electronic mailing list founded in August 1993.
Developed out of the IDM community during this time was a filesharing program called Soulseek, which underground artists used to share their music and make contacts.

Characteristics

A 2001 monthly editorial in Audiogalaxy stated that IDM producers use "squelched beats, jagged synth lines, static washes, electrical shorts" and other odd sounds, and that IDM "defies rhythmic convention," introducing sudden changes in rhythm. Besides these musical features, the editorial points out that IDM is typically difficult to dance to.
Venetian Snares, for example, uses Renoise, a powerful tracking software, while Proem uses Fruityloops in his studio setup.

Origins and criticisms of the name 'Intelligent dance music'

In November 1991, the phrase "intelligent techno" appeared on Usenet in reference to Coil's "The Snow" EP. Another instance of the phrase appeared on Usenet in April 1993 in reference to The Black Dog's album Bytes.
Wider public use of such terms on the Internet did not come until August 1993, when "intelligent dance music" and its initials were adopted in the name and charter of the IDM electronic mailing list:
"IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) is a forum for the discussion of what has been termed 'intelligent' music – that is, music that moves the mind, not just the body. There is no specific definition of intelligence in music, however, artists that I see as appropriate are FSOL, Orb, Orbital, Richard James (aka Aphex Twin), Black Dog, B12, and various others from Warp's Artificial Intelligence series. Of course, the list is open to all interpretations of intelligent dance music."
Many listmembers have been known to use the phrase "IDM is a mailing list, not a genre!" when the acronym was debated.
Allmusic Guide describes the IDM name as "A loaded term meant to distinguish electronic music of the '90s and later that's equally comfortable on the dancefloor as in the living room, IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) eventually acquired a good deal of negative publicity, not least among the legion of dance producers and fans whose exclusion from the community prompted the question of whether they produced stupid dance music."
In a September 1997 interview, Aphex Twin commented on the 'Intelligent Dance Music' label: "I just think it's really funny to have terms like that. It's basically saying 'this is intelligent and everything else is stupid.' It's really nasty to everyone else's music. (laughs) It makes me laugh, things like that. I don't use names. I just say that I like something or I don't."
Aphex Twin's Rephlex records official overarching genre name is Braindance, of which Dave Segal of Stylus Magazine asked whether it was a "snide dig at IDM’s mockworthy Intelligent Dance Music tag?"
Kid 606 has said, "I hate IDM and its elitist champions. It makes the music sound so much more than it actually is. It's a label invented by PR companies who need catchphrases. I like sounds, but hate what people attach to sounds."
"Also, anyone who applies the term IDM to my music deserves to be shot." - Chris Jeffs (Cylob) [15]
Matmos interviewed by Perfect Sound Foreer: I belong to the weblist called "IDM" and occasionally enjoy the discussions there, because I like some of the artists who get lassoed into that category (not to mention that we, occasionally, are lumped into that category too), and because you can occasionally find out about interesting records on that list.
Matmos is IDM if that only means "might be talked about on the IDM list"- but I don't endorse that term "intelligent dance music" because it's laughable. Rather Interesting Records had a nice slogan that kind of says it all: "Remember: Only Stupid People Call It "Intelligent".
Source
http://en.wikipedia.org/