Like a lot of folks, I am in agreement that the abbreviaton IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) is about as pretentious as you can possibly get. Without getting too specific — is it not obvious? — I will admit that there should be a term, perhaps a bit more inclusive, to describe the kind of music being made by Bernard Farley, aka Outputmessage. Farley, who was introduced to me on the Idol Tryouts comp from Ghostly, combines a handful of styles and a love of mathematics (he studied it at Virginia Tech) into a really palatable and engaging style of ambient breakbeat that owes as much to Aphex Twin and Boards of Canada as he does to New Wave and Electro. A track like today’s post “Glintz” lurks in that gray area between the dancefloor and the headphones; it’s actually perfect to listen to on your way out. But the beat, while fighting for sonic space with a host of really lovely melodies, is just propulsive enough to energize. It’s a tremendous debut from a young American artist of whom we expect great things to come.
RIYL: Aphex Twin (ambient stuff), Barbara Morgenstern, Pilote, Sybarite, Junior Varisty KM, Orbital, New Order, Juryman
READ:
BUY: InSound.com, Bleep, Boomkat (Vinyl LP)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS
