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II - Paperclip Minimizer (2026)

I had not heard about Nick Bostrom’s “paperclip maximizer” thought experiment before today, so the pun in the name of John Howes’ IDM robot-dub-trap moniker was lost on me.

(While I sympathize with the danger of a runaway AI deciding the the best thing to do is to turn everything into paperclips because of misaligned priorities, I have to wonder if we aren’t doing the same thing by letting certain humans turn every ounce of value in the world into AI-bubble- and manipulated-treasury-bond-financed IOUs)

My layman’s understanding of macroeconomics aside, This is a really fun throwback sort of release to the days of yore when I huddled around my dial-up internet connection and listened to an hour of programmed bleeps and bloops as if it were a symphony.

Modern tech is at play here, if only in the subtle maipulations of the hi-hats and bass tones. The second side is more tonal than the first (notice I said “tonal” and not “melodic”), but the whole thing is a glorious and unapologetic old-school machine music rave-up.

It’s almost entirely rhythm and texture, and it’s fantastic.

RIYL

If you’re only now stumbling across my obsession with 90s electronic music, welcome. You may soon be awkwardly looking for a way to change the subject, as most people do when I talk to them about it.

Some places to start:

2020s music electronic idm concentration music

The Ocean Conductor
The Anaton Project
Cinematic post-prog

Little Wide Open
Kevin Morby