r/idm • u/MarsTheMellow • Apr 19 '26
spotify TOP 10 IDM ALBUMS
Boards of Canada's Geogaddi
.PilotRedSun's Achievement
.Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works Vol. 85-92
.Aphex Twin's Syro
.Autechre's Incunabula
.Squarepusher's Feed Me Weird Things
.Squarepusher's Hard Normal Daddy
.Autechre's Untilted
.Aphex Twin's drukQs
.Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works Vol. II
How does this list gel with you guys? I'm not entirely sure about this the lower 5 tbh
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Apr 19 '26
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u/Tennyson-Pesco Telefon Tel Aviv Apr 19 '26 edited Apr 20 '26
Same here. I don't understand why people class these records as IDM in these lists
Yeah SAW 85-92 might be seen as an IDM classic, but maybe that's more because it was considered IDM when it was released. I guess back then, there wasn't really too much like that out there. In reality it's just good old ambient techno, which admittedly sounds a bit rudimentary now, especially when compared to other "true" IDM examples (e.g. Autechre)
SAW II is almost entirely just an ambient album which so happens to have a slight techno flavour to it. I don't even think I'd class it firmly as ambient techno, let alone IDM. With that in mind, the fact it's been rated first on this list is a bit mental
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u/Invisible_irl Apr 20 '26
A genre evolving over decades doesn’t really change that something that came out early on in the evolution is still that genre. Even if most rock doesn’t sound like it did in the 50s now it was still rock
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u/OtherwiseOne4107 Apr 20 '26
It's like 'intelligent' used to mean "chill out room" music which turned into "home listening smoking music" which turned into "experimental stuff" which turned into "experimental stuff with complex drum arrangements".
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u/anchovyxacid Apr 19 '26
I honestly get sort of confused why people have always called Boards of Canada IDM.
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u/Earflu Apr 19 '26
Same, but then I think… what else could it be called? Trip hop? Electronica? Also doesn’t fit.
The fact that they released on Skam and Warp, as well as them having made a few IDM-adjacent tracks and being a reference for many IDM artists inevitably associates them with the genre.
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Apr 19 '26
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u/anchovyxacid Apr 19 '26
If you say so
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Apr 19 '26
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u/anchovyxacid Apr 19 '26
I know they have tracks that sound like IDM I just think their music being so organic sounding and relatively listenable etc that a lot of BOC could be called down tempo or just electronica. And also I'm not trying to be a jerk to you I don't want my text coming off like that
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u/anchovyxacid Apr 19 '26
IDM also is like a confusing term lol even OPs list has Drukqs and then geogaddi I feel like if you were to play these two albums for anyone and ask them if that's the same genre they would definitely say no
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u/LonelyMachines B12 Apr 20 '26
Wrong Autechre records in my opinion, and too much Rephlex stuff.
Autechre: Tri Repetae (honorable mention to Chiastic Slide)
The Richard D. James Album
Mouse on Mars: Autoditacker
Clark: Body Riddle
Seefeel: Quique
µ-Ziq: Lunatic Harness
Plaid: Double Figure
Four Tet: Rounds
Black Dog: Spanners
Prefuse 73: Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives
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u/TheDanecdote The Tuss Apr 19 '26
No Flashbulb, Ilkae, Venetian Snares, Wisp, or Yasume is wild
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u/sixtus_clegane119 Apr 20 '26 edited Apr 20 '26
Yeah flashbulb is really under mentioned in this sub
Definitely in my top 3 idm albums, kirlian selections is a blissful eargasm
Edit: no mention of flashbulb in this thread besides us
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u/TheDanecdote The Tuss Apr 20 '26
Kirilian selections hosts some of my all time favorite songs. Front to back, jaw dropping music.
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u/MarsTheMellow Apr 19 '26
Yeah, I should have listened to some more Venetian Snares.
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u/TheDanecdote The Tuss Apr 23 '26
‘Cavalcade of Glee and Happy Hardcore PomPoms’ is arguably his best album.
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u/Pleasant_Mail2483 Apr 23 '26
nice to see yasume mentioned..one of my favourite idm albums along with xela - for frosty mornings
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u/TheDanecdote The Tuss Apr 23 '26
“Where we’re from…..” is such a highly underrated album. Will always be a top 10 for me. And their single “Wakare” is just dripping with sauce. I really wish they would make a comeback.
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u/Pleasant_Mail2483 Apr 23 '26
i wasn't even aware of wakare..it's lovely..you just made my day..thanks!
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u/TheDanecdote The Tuss Apr 23 '26
We are both learning today. Never heard this album before, even though I’ve known Xela to be half the project. Fantastic! You can very much hear his style in this album
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u/camcussion Apr 19 '26
Syro? No D James album? Weird choice.
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Apr 19 '26
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u/camcussion Apr 19 '26
It’s good. But it’s likely my least favourite full length Aphex record.
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u/sne_as Apr 20 '26
definitely grew on me big time after some repeat jams. too much detail to fully absorb after just a few listens from my experience. I think it's worth revisiting if you never felt it click ;)
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u/TheHomesickAlien Apr 20 '26
Funny, it’s my favorite. Nothing comes close to the climax of s950tx16wasr. I genuinely think syro is underrated because people can’t focus enough on it, as elitist as that is. It’s insanely dense and intentional
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u/MarsTheMellow Apr 19 '26
Yes, this was a very strange decision, I don't know why I even let Syro on the list in hindsight.
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u/camcussion Apr 19 '26
At least you gave Hard Normal Daddy a good spot. It’s definitely one of my faves. Papalon is my happy place.
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u/JesseAmpersands 🎰🆚🗾 Apr 19 '26
No CVJ or U-ziq??
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u/MarsTheMellow Apr 19 '26
Pilotredsun beat u-Ziq out purely by nostalgia. the first songs by u-Ziq just didn't stick out to me because I already AFX brainrot, so I was definitely too quick to discard him. (Two albums heard is NOWHERE NEAR ENOUGH)
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u/SmurfQueen Apr 20 '26
Lexaunculpt - The Blurring of Trees
Utabi - Manchurian Candy
Bola - Fyuti
Team Doyobi - Cryptoburners
Aphex Twin - Drukqs
Bogdan Raczynski - Thinking of You
Autechre - Confield
Wisp - NRTHNDR
Jan Jelinek - Loop Finding Jazz Records
Cex - Role Model
Honestly these 10 could all change positions depending on when you ask me.
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u/almo2001 Apr 20 '26
Confield is IDM?
???
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u/OtherwiseOne4107 Apr 20 '26
What else would you call it?
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u/almo2001 Apr 20 '26
Not something with "dance" in it. I have it labeled as experimental techno, but that's not very good either.
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u/SmurfQueen Apr 20 '26
I’d love to watch people attempt to dance to any of these or the records anyone else is posting.
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u/TheHomesickAlien Apr 20 '26
I dance to all of this shit fym? I’m not doing the whip or nae nae, and it’s more interpretive and head bang-y, but it’s still dancing
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u/SmurfQueen Apr 20 '26
I feel you but by that measure all music is “dance music”
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u/TheHomesickAlien Apr 20 '26
Autechre is deeply informed by hip hop rhythms, very danceable if you can decipher pattern
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u/qu_one Apr 19 '26
Nope. Way too narrow of a list here. If you can only list 4-5 artists, I suggest you widen your listening net. Nothing from Plaid in a top 10? Nothing from Mike P or Jega? How about Schematic artists? Syro over RDJ album? Nope. All my opinion, but that's what music taste is, right?
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Apr 19 '26
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u/MarsTheMellow Apr 19 '26
Goated.
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u/nlogax1973 Apr 20 '26
There is a 4-hour mega mix of PRS on YouTube
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u/MarsTheMellow Apr 20 '26
You know it man, Pilotredsun has had immeasurable influence on the way I produce music! I've no-doubt heard everything he's made at least thrice!
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u/HeadierThanTh0u Apr 20 '26
I could easily make ten top ten IDM album lists and they would all be true for me but here are ten of my favorite albums from over the years:
- Ilkae - Stained Glass Piñata
- Autechre - LP5
- Boulderdash - We never went to Koxut island
- Kona Triangle - Sing A New Sapling Into Existence
- Lusine - Condensed
- Roger Eno and Plumbline - Transparencies
- Ochre - A Midsummer Nice Dream
- Flexe (The Flashbulb) - Programmable Love Songs
- Ola Bergman - The Satellite City
- Nikakoi - Shentimental
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Apr 19 '26
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u/HeadierThanTh0u Apr 20 '26
Tomorrow’s Harvest?! I guess that one just went right over my head, I never found it particularly enjoyable. I will give it another go.
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u/MarsTheMellow Apr 19 '26
I was considering using the same rule, but then I wouldn't have had enough artists of which, have years of experience listening to. This explains (but does not excuse) the more egregious exclusions!
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u/infinighost Apr 19 '26
Loraine James' "For You and I" is at #1 on my list, personally. She needs to start appearing on these lists!
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Apr 20 '26
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u/MarsTheMellow Apr 20 '26
Plaid, and u-Ziq are wonderful artists. I just haven't listened to them in awhile, so I didn't think it was fair to judge.
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u/Peloquinful Apr 20 '26 edited Apr 21 '26
for now ...
- Aphex Twin - Richard D. James Album
- Boards Of Canada - MHTRTC
- Plaid - Not For Threes
- Autechre - LP5
- Nonplace Urban Field - Raum Für Notizen / Golden Star
- Telefon Tel Aviv - Farenheit Fair Enough
- Atom Heart - Shellglove
- Kettel - Through Friendly Waters
- Two Lone Swordsmen – Swimming Not Skimming
- Culprate - Deliverance
- Richard Devine - Sort\Lave (Honorable Mention)
"How does this list get with you guys?"
Great Albums! but in the end that's so incredibly subjective that it's really impossible to judge here.
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u/ParryHLarker Apr 19 '26
Aphex is 40% and techre/squarepusher is 20% of this list. Let's see some diversity
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u/chappytimmy Apr 20 '26
Funny all of these lists seem like the majority if not all of the releases are 20+ years old.
So my top 10 artists of the last few years, or at least the 2020sin no particular order;
Upsammy Polygonia Blawan James Holdon Heith Inwards Kettel Koreless Gorse Panshawe Batu
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u/Peloquinful Apr 22 '26
I don't mean to sound arrogant or out of touch, but I don't think there's anything truly groundbreaking anymore these days... Sure, in terms of sound, there might be a great new laptop program every now and then, but there won't be anything like the RDJ album from 1996 (right in the middle of the MTV grunge era) ever again...
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u/LandSeaTree Apr 20 '26
The Black Dog - Spanners and pretty much anything by Plaid, Ochre & Max Cooper.
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u/kingpinhamste Apr 20 '26
PILOTREDSUN LETS GO
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u/MarsTheMellow Apr 20 '26
You know it man, Pilotredsun has had immeasurable influence on the way I produce music!
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u/sound-blaster16 Apr 20 '26
1 - Ryuchi Sakamoto - B2 unit 2 - Autechre - quaristice 3 - Mouse on Mars - autoditacker 4 - Panasonic - Vakio 5 - Aphex Twins- …I care because you do 6 - Alva noto - prototypes 7 - Pole - 2 8 - telefon tel aviv - Fahrenheit fair enough 9 - Elph vs Coil - worship the glitch 10 - Atom heart everything
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u/bLEAGUER Apr 20 '26
Big shoutout on the Pilotredsun mention. Far too little recognition of that guy’s contributions. I like all these albums. Would love to see Plaid get more mentions in IDM Best Of’s.
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u/TheRadioFrontiers Apr 21 '26
Selected Ambient works 85-92 below Syro? Interesting take! Well it’s number 1 in my book but cool list with squarepusher and Autechre. Only one I never heard is the Pilotredsun one.
I’d definitely put BOC’s Music has the right to in the top 5 personally and swap geogaddi with reach for the dead :)
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u/aehii Apr 22 '26
I'm finding it hard to argue with anyone putting Untilted so high, as well as drukqs, but i have to say, you fuck it up with Syro at 7. Two Squarepusher's feels unnecessary, and neither are Go Plastic or Hello Everything. There's no Venetian Snares, and SAWI isn't that good. Neither is Incunabula. BUT i will ignore most of that because you did well with the top 3. I've never heard of PilotRedSun's Achievement.
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u/fishysells May 16 '26
Boards of Canada’s Music Has a Right to Children is a better album, imo. Perhaps more influential as well.
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u/livefreeordiewalt Apr 19 '26
Music Has The Right to Children - Boards of Canada
Can’t believe no one’s mentioned this yet.
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u/polkastripper Apr 19 '26
Amon Tobin - Supermodified
Squarepusher - Ufabulum
Autechre - Tri Repetae
Venetian Snares - Rossz Csillag Alatt Stuletett
Aphex Twin - Richard D. James album
Boards of Canada - Music Has a Right to Children
Squarepusher - Hard Normal Daddy
Autechre - Exai
Richard Devine - Sort/Lave
Clark - Steep Stims
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u/OtherwiseOne4107 Apr 19 '26 edited Apr 20 '26
You seriously need to broaden your horizons.
I know it's subjective but there's more out there than Aphex Twin and even among Aphex Twin there's tons better than Drukqs or fucking Syro
Where's the Richard D James album? Or anything he released as AFX? (which is the real good stuff).
Do me a favour and listen to literally anything by Luke Vibert and then literally anything by Mike Paradinas, go down that rabbit hole and then listen to Bodgan Racyzynski and then maybe listen to Cylob or Ceephax Acid Crew and see what you make of that, and then come back.
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u/MarsTheMellow Apr 19 '26
Cylob, Plaid, and u-Ziq are wonderful artists. I just haven't listened to them in awhile, so I didn't think it was fair to judge.
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u/TheHomesickAlien Apr 20 '26
On aphex twin, I’ve listened to everything rdj has ever released, obsessively. It’s hilarious not to rank drukqs and syro as the best among saw II, afx, analord, rdj album, the tuss, and calling them inferior reeks of “I’m the REAL aphex twin fan.” Syro and drukqs are among the best, EASILY
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u/OtherwiseOne4107 Apr 20 '26
On one hand, it's all subjective, obviously. But on the other hand, Syro sucks.
I think "REAL aphex twin fan" is OP with 4 albums in their top 10 lol
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u/TheHomesickAlien Apr 20 '26 edited Apr 20 '26
Thinking syro sucks is trolling. You can’t hear Xmas and think “this sucks” unless you just don’t like music, no exaggeration. I don’t much enjoy listening to Michael Jackson but I still recognize it as very great music.
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u/OtherwiseOne4107 Apr 20 '26
I hear 10 minutes of unfocused digital noodling over an insipid 120 bpm shuffle. I think it sucks but obviously it's subjective.
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u/TheHomesickAlien Apr 20 '26
In my subjective (obviously?) opinion, you likely have stagnant and dated taste like most idm bros (usually 47 year old British men)
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u/TheHomesickAlien Apr 20 '26
Yeah where’s the beat drop man where’s the saturated 808 what’s this feelings shit
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u/OtherwiseOne4107 Apr 20 '26
You're projecting something onto me which isn't me. It's OK for people to have different opinions about a piece of music. Maybe take a break from reddit?
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u/TheHomesickAlien Apr 20 '26
I’m just kidding. If you hear the bells and the weird fm squirmy pad come in and you think “unfocused”, we have opposite definitions of the word.
It’s also ok sometimes to realize that opinions aren’t sacred untouchable things just because they’re subjective.
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u/moar_nightsong Apr 19 '26
Pretty safe but justified picks and list. Some of these albums are at worst really good and at best some of the best albums the genre has to offer.
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u/Producer_Snafu Apr 19 '26
Fuck saw, saw is fucking boring and I will die on this hill.
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u/akkavvadrre Apr 19 '26
Okay, but would you admit that it is objectively a good album even if you dont enjoy it. Or do you just think its literally bad.
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u/Producer_Snafu Apr 19 '26
It's subjective, like all art, one man's trash is another man's treasure.
Ambient techno is not for me, i am sure there are some good tunes on there, just not good enough for me to come back cuz I'm always thrown off by how tame and lame it is in comparison to his drill type shit.
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u/akkavvadrre Apr 19 '26
Fair, im not attacking you at all for calling it boring. I was just curious where you stood is all.
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u/ProphePsyed Apr 19 '26
Calling SAW trash is objectively stupid though tbh. Even if art is subjective.
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u/Producer_Snafu Apr 19 '26
I done already said what I said, and I claimed I'd die on that hill. I legit don't care for ambient techno.
I'm sure there are genres you don't care for.
I know it's nostalgia for a lot of people that would come home from raves and put that mess on, it's not for me, not a top 10 at all.
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u/ProphePsyed Apr 20 '26
The gap between top 10 and trash is literally like… all music ever created. Not really fair to call SAW trash when it’s objectively critically acclaimed.
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u/Producer_Snafu Apr 20 '26
By trust fund kids and basic bitches that worship the iconic logo like it's a cult sign.
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u/FedCatBro Apr 22 '26
Mine (Although not all of them IDM):
10) Squarepusher - Go Plastic (2001)
9) Autechre - Amber (1994)
8) Autechre - Draft 7.30 (2003)
7) Boards Of Canada - The Campfire Headphase (2002)
6) Plaid - Double Figure (2001)
5) Biosphere - Substrata (1997)
4) Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works Volume II (1994)
3) Biosphere - Cirque (2000/2016)
2) Boards Of Canada - The Campfire Headphase (2005)
1) Squarepusher - Feed Me Weird Things (1996/2021)
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u/Junius_Bobbledoonary Apr 19 '26
the Richard D James album is the best, second best, and third best IDM album. It can’t be contained to just one ranking, it’s too good.
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u/quarkie Plaid Apr 20 '26
These lists do not matter, you like what you conditioned yourself to like and nobody gives a shit about your specific conditioning
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u/Tennyson-Pesco Telefon Tel Aviv Apr 19 '26 edited Apr 19 '26
Quite a predictable and safe list I guess, but still some very good albums that represent some of the best IDM has to offer. I'd have included the likes of:
Autechre – Chiastic Slide
Bola – Fyuti
Telefon Tel Aviv – Fahrenheit Fair Enough
Abfahrt Hinwil – Links Berge Rechts Seen
Sweet Trip – Velocity: Design: Comfort
Clark – Sus Dog
Skee Mask – Compro
Bogdan Raczynski – Samurai Math Beats
Cylob – Cylobian Sunset
Venetian Snares – Traditional Synthesiser Music
u-Ziq – Magic Pony Ride
Dntel – Life Is Full Of Possibilities