ISAM (album)

ISAM
Studio album by Amon Tobin
Released 19 April 2011 (digital)
23 May 2011 (physical)
Genre IDM, trip hop, breakbeat, experimental
Length 49:57 (standard)
56:11 (+ bonus tracks)
Label Ninja Tune Records (ZEN168)
Producer Amon Tobin
Amon Tobin chronology

Foley Room
(2007)		 ISAM
(2011)		 Dark Jovian (EP)
(2015)
Digital release artwork
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic link
Pitchfork Media (5.9/10) link
Sputnikmusic link
The Epoch Times link
The Skinny link

ISAM (Invented Sounds Applied to Music) is the seventh full-length studio album by Brazilian electronic musician Amon Tobin. It was initially slated to be released in both physical and digital media on 23 May 2011, however following the leak of a promotional copy the previous month the digital release was moved forward to 19 April.[1]

Physical releases can include a limited edition CD artbook featuring images from Control Over Nature, an installation conceived by Amon Tobin and Saatchi collection artist Tessa Farmer which is thematically related to the music of ISAM.[2] Farmer's work also features on the cover of the album.

Style

This album marks a significant evolution in Amon Tobin's sound due to the absence of vinyl samples and trademark jazz-oriented breaks. As with 2007's Foley Room, a prominent element of the sound is heavily-processed field recordings obtained from a variety of unexpected sources. However ISAM goes a step further in that it features a much more unorthodox palette of sounds than before, with these sounds being arranged in close, intricately edited patterns.

Tobin has described the album as a "sound sculpture" and said that his intent is to move forward from the aesthetics of his previous work.[3] A 50-minute mix of tracks from ISAM featuring track-by-track commentary by Amon Tobin can be heard on Soundcloud.[3]

Track listing

All tracks written by Amon Tobin.

No. Title Length
1. "Journeyman"   6:38
2. "Piece of Paper"   2:40
3. "Goto 10"   4:20
4. "Surge"   2:05
5. "Lost & Found"   4:54
6. "Wooden Toy"   2:25
7. "Mass & Spring"   4:16
8. "Calculate"   1:33
9. "Kitty Cat"   4:16
10. "Bedtime Stories"   3:44
11. "Night Swim"   5:58
12. "Dropped from the Sky"   7:10
13. "Morning Ms Candis" (limited edition CD and digital-only bonus track) 3:34
14. "One Last Look" (digital-only bonus track) 2:40
Total length:
 56:11

References

  1. ↑ "Amon Tobin - 'ISAM' Available Digitally Now" — Ninja Tune website
  2. ↑ "Amon Tobin & Tessa Farmer present: ISAM - Control Over Nature" — ISAM microsite, Installation section
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "'ISAM' - Full album with track-by-track commentary from Amon Tobin" — Soundcloud