Sasha, of Sasha & Digweed fame, is a perpetrator of trance music. This letter he wrote to the IDM mailing list. I think it speaks for itself.

Subject: you pathetic "Braindancers"
From: Sasha (fourturntables@ravenet.org)

The lack of maturity here is exessively apparent. I don't even know why I am waisting my time kicking these little bits of knowledge to you pathetic "Braindancers". I travel all over the world with the pure intention of spreading the vibe of trance music. All those who cannot handle the ultimate power that Rave Youth has harnessed through the power of trance are welcome to sit at home buying obscure records on Ebay. The reason you can't buy my recordings on Ebay is because you can just go down to Tower Records or Sam Goodie and be instantly connected to our culture. Commercialism is not evil, it is a vehicle to educate the masses. You people need to wake up and recognize the true vibe. Until then my fans and I will be enjoying heaven on earth.

(sic^sic)

Dear IDM Community

First up, don't get me wrong. I like IDM quite a bit, especially Glitchcore and Drill & Bass. Not as much as I like post-punk, or drinking beer and playing pool, but as a musical genre it's definitely something I say "yes" to. The thing is, even though I think it's good, I own hardly any albums by the artists I like. I think I own as many Soft Cell albums than I do IDM releases, and I'm sure as fuck not *that* much of a fan of Soft Cell. Why?

I'll tell you why. While I can get lots of releases either inexpensively from music stores or buy records for a couple of dollars at a market, to obtain IDM releases I have to outlay vast amounts of cash at specialist record shops. I don't mind looking through shops, many a day I've spent happily devoted to the pursuit of CD's and records, but I do care about spending shitloads of my hard-earned pay packet on one release when I could be getting more of other stuff.

It's not that I'm adverse to spending big on one thing - The other week I got a Jaques Dutronc compilation for the rather princely sum of $50. But while I don't mind spending what is, to me, a fat wad of my pay on some remastered works by 60's pop crooner, I've got a serious problem paying thirty dollars and upwards for an album that's made, for the most part, on a fucking computer. What expensive instruments, pricey studio mixing/mastering time, and bulky equipment is present to account for the cost? How come I can buy brand new Neu! reissues for $20, when I would have to spend $15 on a fucking two-track single by Richard 'I left my mp3 player on a train so I'll release my new album even when it's not finished so I don't miss out on any of the profits even though I'm already a rich motherfucker' James. Paying IDM prices for the albums you want makes being a fucking Fall completionist look cheap by comparison. In short. You're all a bunch of fucking rich elitist snobs.