From Andregurov Sent Wed, Apr 29th 1998, 06:53
From Andregurov Sent Wed, Apr 29th 1998, 06:53
In a message dated 98-04-29 01:33:19 EDT, xxxx@xx.xx writes: << I was just commenting on the fact that people claim "intelligent" to be subjective to taste, so if there are so many definitions, then obviously you're defining "intelligent" with a shotgun approach (ie. spray everywhere and you'll probably hit it), which doesn't seem the proper way to identify something so scarce as "intelligence". >> Everyone defines it differently when it comes to specifics, but I think I am safe in stating that obviously some sort of consensus exists in defining the word "intelligent" as it is used in IDM. Or else this list would be damn tedious and confusing with subscribers attempting to convince each other that U2 is IDM, or Ben Folds Five, or Wendy Carlos (the irony of which is that I believe this has happened at one time or another), etc. The consensus strikes me to state "intelligent" as music that is not club driven, but worthy of club play. Armchair dance music, electronic listening music, and so on. Some of it is driven by beats, some is not. Some is minimalist, some is complex in tone and color. Some is good, some really sucks. When you start to really attempt to nail down specifics, though, it all gets bogged down. Which does not discredit the label used to define it - jazz, for instance, is nearly impossible to define, but this does not damage the consensus understanding of it. Or maybe you are not getting your point across. Or I am truly lost AND pretentious. But I am confused by your calling "intelligence" scarce ... perhaps "intelligence" is just a colorful way to describe the music we all love and is not meant to connote anything else. I hereby vote we call this list the sometimes-groove-ridden-electronic-but-also-acoustic-by-turns-beatwise-but- not-beat-dependent-don't-call-it-electronica list. That way Ben Folds Five has a chance to make it. James (merely restating the opinions posted to the list by countless other more worthy and lucid members at some time or another) James np: Best of Chess Jazz