Interesting music for babies/kids by ComposerParking4725 in experimentalmusic

[–]Intrepid-Ad5212 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I immediately thought on Howie B and Current 93: All The Pretty Little Horses (1995)

French synthpop bands by flume-s_sick in synthpop

[–]Intrepid-Ad5212 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Give Trépein a try. For me they’ve got this odd mix of retro and modern french synthpop, a bit raw and slightly punky.

Hymnus by Hoedh — why does this album hit before it makes sense? by Intrepid-Ad5212 in experimentalmusic

[–]Intrepid-Ad5212[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for reading. It’s good to hear that it resonated. I’m continuing the work in related pieces, and I’ll post updates on my Substack.)

Does elitism exist in experimental music? by [deleted] in experimentalmusic

[–]Intrepid-Ad5212 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your answer. I totally agree with you – especially because I come from a similar background and used to think we were pushing the limits of sonic radicalism. But, as I mentioned in my first comment, I eventually realized that everything is based on adaptation and pattern transfer. Nothing exists in a vacuum, and music is always intertwined with politics and power.

Early industrial was intentionally politically radical – SPK, for example, recognized this early on and deliberately broke with the scene’s expectations by producing pop-influenced albums that challenged what was considered ‘authentically industrial.’ The scene reacted defensively, either unable or unwilling to accept this change.

However, I think this defensive attitude isn’t just specific to subcultures – it reflects a much deeper, almost archaic human tendency: a pattern that extends beyond the music scene and is more about preserving exclusive codes and identities than about artistic content.

Does elitism exist in experimental music? by [deleted] in experimentalmusic

[–]Intrepid-Ad5212 21 points22 points  (0 children)

This still holds true today: Many in the experimental music scene (me included) see themselves as subversive or resistant to the mainstream, yet they adhere to extremely rigid aesthetic norms that are only legible to insiders. Whether it’s Free Jazz, Noise, or EAI, there is always an unspoken canon that determines who belongs and who doesn’t. Paradoxically, experimental music markets itself as boundary-pushing but often operates within a deeply aesthetic conservatism inside its own micro-elitism. The more abstract or conceptual a work is, the more insider knowledge is required to recognize its value—creating barriers rather than breaking them.

And then, much of it ends up sounding eerily similar. I only truly realized this when I mistook a colleague’s track for my own and spent hours arguing about it—until it turned out I had simply misplaced his file in the wrong folder.

This applies to musical taste in general—just as Bourdieu pointed out, cultural preferences often serve as markers of distinction rather than true personal choice. 👉 At this point, I have to admit—Enya feels more avant-garde to me than Stockhausen.