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IDM in America in 2017--any cities with active scenes?

snack master

By snack master
in EKT General Discussion

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snack master Rising Star

snack master

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As someone who likes to play shows, I'm always looking for like-minded producers to play shows with, but it can sometimes be a bit difficult finding quality producers who want to play shows.

 

So, I'm wondering if you all know of any active IDM / jungle / acid / etc. scenes in America.  Or, is it mostly just happening in Europe?  

 

I've played some random shows with IDM-ish acts in places like Philadelphia, Athens GA, and Delaware, but they all seemed to be relatively isolated, and not operating out of a proper scene.  I did play a show in Boston earlier this year that made me think they have some cool stuff going on, but that was just one show, so it may not be a true example of what's going on there.

 

 

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TubularCorporation Grand Master

TubularCorporation

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Boston is weird.  I lived there for a decade, have probably played 60-700 shows there, and was still in active bands there playing at least one show every month or two for years after I moved away, and I still can't say I have a really good sense of the place.  It's one of those places that manages to be diverse, experimental, conservative and provincial ALL AT THE SAME TIME, which is what I loved about it and what I hated about it.  That said, for me personally, I didn't really feel like there was much of a coherent scene for any kind of underground music after the mid 2000s, when all of the good gallery and warehouse spaces got shut down for minor fire code violations over a single week.

 

When I was living there and playing out a lot there wasn't much of a electronic scene in genral, IDM or otherwise, though.  Noise, psych, space rock, drone, weird experimental folk made by Sun City Girls fans that I don't have a genre name for, free jazz.. sure.  IDM? Not that I was ever aware of.  I've heard that electronic music finally started to really catch on up there over the past 5 years or so, but I haven't been visitn muh in that period, and quit the last Boston based band I was in, I don't know, over three years ago I think.  Definitely over two years ago.  Couldn't deal with the 3-4 hour round trip commute and $50 for food and train fares every time I went to practice.

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TubularCorporation Grand Master

TubularCorporation

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60-700 is quite a range

 

 

Missed a zero.

 

Obviously that should be 60-7000

 

 

(realistically it was probably more like 300-350 in Boston itself and another 100-150 in other places before and after that thinking about it now, even the most prolific band I was probably only averaged one show every 3 weeks for a year or so before it went down to more like 7-8 a year, I didn't start playing shows and between 2008 and 2012 I'd say 2/3 of the shows I played were in other cities and I dont think I played a show in Boston until 2000, maybe there was one in '99; I'm sure this is very exciting reading)

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TubularCorporation Grand Master

TubularCorporation

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A lot of those were basement shows but basement shows were the most fun anyhow, especially back when you'd get as many people in a basement out in Salem or something than I usually see today in "real" venues (although I haven't been playing out much these days and as a result I haven't been going to many shows either, so for all I know there's been a live music renaissance that I'm not aware of and none f my friends in town are aware of (actually, I've heard that there have been some really goo local hip hop shows lately, a couple thousand people showing up to see all-local lineups in parks and things, but I haven't seen one myself yet.  This isn't in Boston, though, Boston's big enough that there are always decent sized shows happening at least a couple times a week, there was just a long period where the whole underground/grey area venue circuit was mostly gone and all anyone seemed to get was shows at bars and small clubs, and that gets old really fast IMHO, no real sense of a shared experience with the audience.

 

I've heard some vague things about it getting better again but I'm not sure how that would work since it's so unattainably, punishingly expensive up there now  I mean, when I was there it was the second most expensive pale to live in the USA (San Francisco was the first, NYC was a trailing third for a long time after 9/11) but there were still plenty of cheap word-of-mouth places around, but those were all getting turned into condos around when I left, and I'm really not sure where underground venues would even be possible there now. Almost all of my friends were priced out of the city years ago.

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Lada Laika Grand Master

Lada Laika

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all artists are getting priced out of cities these days, especially on the coasts. it's stupid and ridiculous that so many places are upping condos and remaining without rent control, shit like that is literally why the 100% silk warehouse blaze in Oakland happened

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Guest

Guest

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In my city, there is a small electronic scene with mostly house, funky house, deep house, and some dnb. Mostly DJs. I play some techno at those shows once in a while, but not much of the braindancey stuff since the crowds are more into rhythm than melody.

There's a mingling of groups in nearby towns and cities who are generally into electronic music of all kinds, always peeking into what each of us are doing, getting together to geek out, share some tracks, play some shows. But I feel a lot of the regional audience for what I and a few others do are more attractive to producers than music listeners. While the house and techno crowd has active listeners who want to dance.

Slightly off topic, but what are door charges for shows looking like your respective cities? 25 years ago the average was $5 and nowadays people gripe if they have to pay more $8 to see a show.

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Braintree Grand Master

Braintree

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There's a good scene in San Francisco and Oakland. There are separate groups for differing styles, but we all generally play each other's shows.

 

LA has bit of a modular scene going for itself.

 

There's a monthly party in Portland, OR called 'Live in the Depths' that's good. I played it last summer:

 

https://www.facebook.com/events/140383263237705/?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%223%22%2C%22ref_newsfeed_story_type%22%3A%22regular%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22null%22%7D&pnref=story

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Hautlle Grand Master

Hautlle

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Houston has a lot going on thanks to the Defunkt Crew (https://www.facebook.com/DEFUNKT.co/).  They put on some great pre/post parties during Day for Night last year.

 

My city is open to stuff due to it being a college town, but there's not much that I find interesting in the ways of electronic music

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ganus Veteran

ganus

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Houston put on some crazy rad IDM after parties featuring locals during DFN last year.

 

San Fran, Seattle, LA come to mind?

Seattle is more house-y lately (and we have a bit of a footwork movement that's in its infancy) but there would definitely be interest.
footwork scene in Seattle? I've seen folks wearing Teklife gear at shows, but have heard very little footwork there except from Chicago folks on tour. I dance at shows, and I do footwork for most of the night if the rhythm & tempo is right, but I have only ever seen one or two others...

More info pls, very interested. PM me?

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Lada Laika Grand Master

Lada Laika

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Houston put on some crazy rad IDM after parties featuring locals during DFN last year.

 

San Fran, Seattle, LA come to mind?

Seattle is more house-y lately (and we have a bit of a footwork movement that's in its infancy) but there would definitely be interest.
footwork scene in Seattle? I've seen folks wearing Teklife gear at shows, but have heard very little footwork there except from Chicago folks on tour. I dance at shows, and I do footwork for most of the night if the rhythm & tempo is right, but I have only ever seen one or two others...

More info pls, very interested. PM me?

Like I said, it's in its infancy, but Mokedo and Kremwerk/Timbre Room have been hosting more and more out-of-town footwork headliners with local nobodies who outshine the main act. I'm hoping it breaks out in the next year or two, as it's still overshadowed by their more rave-y EDM/house shows, but there's been very healthy turnouts so far. (Foodman and Jlin being the highlights, again supported by locals who got the crowd moving more than I've seen at any Seattle shows in a while.)

I missed the DJ Orange Julius show but I heard it was insane

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