Amon Tobin – ISAM

As "One last Look" was my favorite track, I was very disappointed to see it dropped from the vinyl release. Very.

Otherwise, an awesome album and a even more amazing live experience, which I caught twice. If you haven't seen the show, this album probably won't make much sense. Reference ISAM on youtube for full recordings of his 3D projection live show. Amon continues to display his own unique sound, which is somewhat uncommon in the electronic music world. Nothing but iration for this producer and his continually evolving sound signature.

You can still buy this version on the Ninja Tune website so don't go paying stupid money for it.

Who has beef with this album? Tobin fans need to chill out about this release. This is exquisite work, regardless of who created it, obviously a master of their craft – in both design and execution – so what’s the problem? I don’t see any.
This album could be summed up in one word. The word is confident. And since Tobin may lose a few fans for being himself, so be it. I can respect the confidence to produce something for yourself. It’s not always about the audience. In fact, true art does not pander to a screaming public, it usually just manifests before the eyes and has instant value for just existing – this album could easily work toward that cause.

There is such a playful, almost whimsical appeal to the absurdity of sound bites used to compile beats and establish structure, which in no way hinders the output of creativity and conscious thought that went into the entire production.
This album may feel minimal, maybe. But compared to what? Previous Tobin material? Who cares. Self-improvement is what happens when an individual knows there are no limits to what they can do.

Right here and right now, this is the refinement we’ve been waiting for -- Amon Tobin couldn’t have marked history at a better date. True bliss during terrible times.

Amon Tobin has just released ISAM and I bet he was anticipating its release as much as his fan's were, he was obviously quite eager for people to hear ISAM, considering that he posted the whole album for everyone to listen to in such places as soundcloud.com, or he was trying to beat the pirates at their own game. Either way ISAM is easily Amon Tobins most experimental album to date, which is really saying something as all his albums are quite experimental already.

The major factor that sets ISAM apart from Tobins previous albums is the sparsity of the beats when there are any to be heard. Amon Tobin is, it seems, trying to redefine what it is we should expect from him and from music in general, and what he expects from himself. ISAM is Amon Tobin doing to "dance" orientated music what Diamanda Galas has done to blues and rock, strip it back to its most basic foundations, rip apart what is left behind and reassemble it in such a manner as to make it completely undefinable and then add their own touch to it. All the usual Amon Tobin signatures are present, with what seems to be an added level of spontaneity and sporadic single shot crunching beats or sub bass sounds.

If you weren't curious before of what lurked inside Amon Tobins head, this album should change all that. ISAM is not an easy album, but then easy albums are what the Gaga's of the world produce, ISAM is an album made to be explored over and over again even if it is just to make sure you heard what it is you think you heard the first time round. Personally, I think ISAM is Amon Tobins best album and after ISAM I'm really, really looking forward to what he will come up with next.

A great adventure in beats & sound! Very cool!!!