Intelligent dance music (IDM) is a style of electronic music originating in the early 1990s, defined by idiosyncratic experimentation rather than specific genre constraints. The music often described with the term originally emerged in the early 1990s from the culture and sound palette of styles of electronic dance music such as ambient techno, acid house, Detroit techno and breakbeat; it has been regarded as better suited to home listening than dancing. Prominent artists in the style include Aphex Twin, Autechre, Squarepusher, μ-Ziq, the Black Dog and the later duo Plaid, as well as earlier acts such as the Future Sound of London and Orbital.
Warp Records is a British independent record label founded in Sheffield in 1989 by record store employees Steve Beckett and Rob Mitchell and record producer Robert Gordon. It is currently based in London.
The Black Dog is a British electronic music group, founded in 1989 by Ken Downie along with Ed Handley and Andy Turner. The group are considered pioneering figures of techno's ruminative "home-listening" aesthetic in the early 1990s.
The B-52's is the debut album by American New wave band the B-52's. The kitschy lyrics and mood, and the hook-laden harmonies helped establish a fanbase for the band, who went on to release several chart-topping singles. The album cover was designed by Tony Wright.
Trans-Europe Express is the sixth studio album by German band Kraftwerk. Recorded in 1976 in Düsseldorf, Germany, the album was released in March 1977 on Kling Klang Records. It saw the group refine their melodic electronic style, with a focus on sequenced rhythms, minimalism, and occasionally manipulated vocals. The themes include celebrations of the titular European railway service and Europe as a whole, and meditations on the disparities between reality and appearance.
Ambient techno is a subgenre of techno that incorporates the atmospheric textures of ambient music with the rhythmic elements and production of techno. It was pioneered by 1990s electronic artists such as Aphex Twin, Carl Craig, The Orb, The Future Sound of London, the Black Dog, Pete Namlook and Biosphere.
Plaid are an English electronic music duo composed of Andy Turner and Ed Handley. They were founding members of The Black Dog and used many other names, such as Atypic and Balil, before settling on Plaid. They have collaborated with singers Mara Carlyle, Nicolette and Björk, and have released records on the labels Clear, Peacefrog, Black Dog Productions, and Warp.
Music Has the Right to Children is the debut studio album by Scottish electronic music duo Boards of Canada, released on 20 April 1998 in the United Kingdom by Warp and Skam Records and in the United States by Matador. The album was produced at Hexagon Sun, the duo's personal recording studio in Pentland Hills, and continued their distinctive style of electronica, featuring vintage synthesisers, degraded analogue production, found sounds and samples, and hip hop-inspired rhythms that had been featured on their first two EPs Twoism (1995) and Hi Scores (1996).
Dubnobasswithmyheadman is the third studio album by British electronic music group Underworld, released in the United Kingdom on Junior Boy's Own on 24 January 1994. It was the first Underworld album after the 1980s version of the band had made the transition from synthpop to electronic dance music and is also the first album to feature Darren Emerson as a band member.
"It's in Our Hands" is a song by Icelandic recording artist and songwriter Björk, released as the first and only single from her first greatest hits album Greatest Hits (2002). It was written by her and co-produced by her along with Matmos. Musically, "It's in Our Hands" is an electronic song that is influenced by glitch music, abstract sounds, ambient and synthpop. The song received favorable reviews from many music critics and reached number 37 in the United Kingdom.
"Deeper and Deeper" is a song by American singer Madonna from her fifth studio album, Erotica (1992). It was written and produced by Madonna and Shep Pettibone, with additional writing from Anthony Shimkin. In Australia and most European countries, the song was released as the album's second single on November 17, 1992; in the United States, a release was issued on December 8. It was included on Madonna's second greatest hits compilation, GHV2 (2001). A dance-pop and deep house song, it has disco and Philadelphia soul influences; the bridge features instrumentation from flamenco guitars and castanets and features background vocals from the singer's collaborators Donna De Lory and Niki Haris. Lyrically, the song talks about sexual desire, though it has been argued that it is actually about a young man coming to terms with his homosexuality. It includes a reference to Madonna's single "Vogue" (1990).
"Star Guitar" is a song by English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers, released as the second single from their fourth album, Come with Us (2002). It reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart, number two on the US Billboard Dance Club Play chart, and number one on the UK Dance Chart. The song was greeted with praise from critics.
The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld is the debut studio album by English electronic music group the Orb, released as a double album on 2 April 1991 by Big Life. It is a segued, progressive and psychedelic trip which draws from various genres and incorporates a huge number of samples and sound effects. Much of the album was recorded after founding member Jimmy Cauty left the group, leaving Alex Paterson as the central member, with additional contributions by Kris Weston, Andy Falconer and several others.
76:14 is the second studio album by Global Communication, an English electronic music duo consisting of Tom Middleton and Mark Pritchard. Initially released via Dedicated Records on 1 June 1994, the album has been re-issued a number of times, most recently in 2020.
Spanners is the third studio album by English electronic music group The Black Dog. It was released via Warp on 16 January 1995. It peaked at number 30 on the UK Albums Chart.
Star is the third studio album from American R&B group 702. It was originally scheduled to be released on November 19, 2002 by Motown, but was later delayed to March 25, 2003. In the United States. The album peaked at number forty-five on the US Billboard 200 and produced the singles “Star” and "I Still Love You".
"Release" is a song performed by American producer and rapper Timbaland, taken from his second studio album Shock Value (2007). The song features vocals by longtime collaborator Justin Timberlake. Mosley and Timberlake co-wrote the song together with rapper and songwriter Craig Longmiles. The song was produced solely by Timbaland and recorded in various locations in the United States. "Release" is an uptempo house and funk song that incorporates elements of dance and urban music.
Selected Ambient Works 85–92 is the debut studio album by Aphex Twin, the pseudonym of the British electronic music producer Richard D. James. It was released on 9 November 1992 through Apollo Records, a subsidiary of the Belgian label R&S Records. The album consists of ambient techno tracks recorded onto cassette reputedly dating as far back as 1985, when James was 13-14 years old. On release it received widespread acclaim and entered the Dance Albums Chart at No. 6 on 26 December 1992.
Bodily Functions is a studio album by British electronic musician Herbert. It was released by !K7 Records in 2001.
"Skirt" is a 2013 song recorded by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. She co-wrote the song with Chris Elliot, Chris Lake, and The-Dream, while Elliot and Marco Lys produced it. "Skirt" samples "Shake & Bake", a composition by Elliot and DJ Bones. The track premiered on Elliot's SoundCloud account on 28 May 2013—Minogue's 45th birthday—before it was released as a stand-alone promotional single on 24 June. The distribution of the single, both physically and digitally as a remix EP, was handled by Rising Music, an independent record label established by Lake.
