Brazilian-born Amon Tobin, one of the major producers on the Ninja Tune label, is about to drop his eight studio album to date, a deep and mysterious journey through the depths of sonic sci-fi psychedelica…
Many of you might still remember Amon from his days as a prodigious Jungle producer, but he has since long abandoned the limitations of the genre. With two more albums scheduled to drop this year, the first one to appear is ISAM, an album that combines his love for gritty field recordings, art, sci-fi and electronica into a stunning piece of intelligent sound design. ISAM is the result of recording and synthesizing countless snippets of sounds, after which they were built into actual instruments that were subsequently used to create its content. The result is an album that sounds unmistakably organic, intelligent and –in a way- beyond comprehension. Some would refer to this as IDM, but ISAM stretches far beyond this definition only.
Upon hitting play, Amon takes the listener on a journey through twelve tracks that switch from chilled and laidback to gritty and at some points hectic, but always vivid and never lacking a theme. Journeyman opens the album with a dark and twisted lullaby that becomes progressively more psychedelic along the way, after which more sonic warfare is transposed on tunes such as the brilliant Autechre-y Goto 10 and the stunning listening experience that is Wooden Toy, a tune that sounds deceivingly stripped but actually bursts with layers of melancholy and depth. Unlimited creativity is the keyword here. Genres, or any conventional programming really, are put aside. Instead, Amon continues to combines vocal snippets, haunting melodies and strangely intriguing effects into truly breathtaking tracks. One of the stand out tracks (of many) is Kitty Cat, a mesmerizing piece of ‘pop’ gone astray, in which especially the vocals and oddly shaped textures play pivotal roles.
Our verdict: ISAM has become the product of musical wit, skill, and a lot of guts too. It’s the musical equivalent of a rubix cube: it may look like a hard nut to crack, but perseverance and patience will eventually reveal its essence. Perhaps the biggest accomplishment on this album is that Amon has managed to stay true to each track’s theme, without indulging in endless repetition or dull moments. Fans of Autechre, Aphex Twin, Headlight, Kettel, and DnTel will love it, but it should cater to anyone with a sense of adventure. It’s just really, really good. Rating: 9.0/10 Label: Ninja Tune Release date: May 23rd, 2011
IDM - 
