Bleep

Following in the ever present shadows of the Artificial Intelligence compilations of the early 90's, IDMEMO brings together a whole host of leading lights from the world of electronic music and its nearby territories. The tone is set from the very first track of the first disc - Cylob’s robot-voiced ‘Are We Not Men Who Live And Die’ is pitched somewhere between Laurie Anderson and Devo. Across subsequent entries from artists such as Global Communication, I.F. and Replicant we hear sprawling IDM, ambient textures and Plaid-esque electronic compositions which are flushed with a warm depth of feeling that, although it may emerge from synthetic instrumentation, feels distinctly humane.

The second volume sees contributions from the likes of Seefeel and The Black Dog hit upon the same terrain. Some of the tracks here push on through from IDM-adjacent electronic music into other genres, a choice which gives this compilation good variation as it progresses. Passarani 2099’s ‘Ixora’ has a halcyon-glow junglist vibe about it that recalls recent work from the likes of Lone and Special Request; entries from Tinfoil Teakettle and Funckarma both have a strong 80s feel to their chunky synth sounds; and Spiritualized’s beatific ‘Anyway That You Want Me’, which closes out IDMEMO’s first disc, is the sort of gorgeous, synapse popping loop based song which reminds the listener of the qualities that have distinguished Spiritualized’s music ever since the project came to prominence in the 1990s.

IDMEMO: A Future Of Nostalgia is a two-disc compilation from the outer reaches of electronic music compiled by two of the genres most diligent selectors. The harmonious, the inventive and the beautiful on offer here will not disappoint.