Amon Tobin - ISAM

[Soloman Tump]

So a quick straw poll.

 

Should I buy this?

[Guest Adam]

Yeah.

[crono3]

My interest in it is already declining a bit... I keep finding myself wanting to put on the new Bibio instead. Not crazy about all the songs, and some not as a whole, but there are some definite killer moments!

 

The digital version is only $8 at his site I think... can't go wrong with that!

[kcinsu]

dling now.

 

comments later.

[sidewinder]

I've only played it twice so far and as I think I've said before, it will take time to digest just like Foley Room did, but one thing I find odd: It seems like the entire album builds up to create the final track, Dropped From the Sky. Like it's all a bunch of broken pieces trying to put themselves together and finally they create a more song-oriented, melodic piece. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Maybe the first 11 tracks will eventually reveal themselves in some way. Kind of like Autechre songs, that seem like puzzle you have to solve.

[kcinsu]

Ok, on the last track now.

 

This album is boring.

 

Lovely sound design, some lovely phrases, but there is no narrative that feels like my emotions went on any kind of journey, let alone even felt evoked.

 

Story telling in electronic music seems to be a dying art.

[kcinsu]

I kind of feel like this album proves a long belief I had... it's easier to make good stuff with other peoples ideas (ie sampling phrases from other records, and putting them together to make something new), than recording all your own field recordings, and making synth lines, and physical modeled sounds and putting those together. that requires expressing yourself at every level, where as using a sample of a music phrase involves far less "soul searching" from the artist.

 

I feel like it demonstrates that amon tobin has great production skills, and ability to combine bits and pieces into interesting phrases... but his ability to evoke emotional music phrases is minimal... the musical content of his samples, I think, needs more credit... his choice of samples has been excellent, but it doesnt mean he can make equally expressive musical pieces solely on his own.

 

or maybe what I am trying to say, is that this proves there is more of a difference between music producer, and music composer, than is commonly recognized these days?

[danshoebridge]

I kind of feel like this album proves a long belief I had... it's easier to make good stuff with other peoples ideas (ie sampling phrases from other records, and putting them together to make something new), than recording all your own field recordings, and making synth lines, and physical modeled sounds and putting those together. that requires expressing yourself at every level, where as using a sample of a music phrase involves far less "soul searching" from the artist.

 

I feel like it demonstrates that amon tobin has great production skills, and ability to combine bits and pieces into interesting phrases... but his ability to evoke emotional music phrases is minimal... the musical content of his samples, I think, needs more credit... his choice of samples has been excellent, but it doesnt mean he can make equally expressive musical pieces solely on his own.

 

or maybe what I am trying to say, is that this proves there is more of a difference between music producer, and music composer, than is commonly recognized these days?

 

I think making sample-based music and original music are certainly pretty different disciplines - and some people have more of an ability in one area than the other. Just like Tobin and people like DJ Shadow seem to have a bit of a tin ear when they compose their own melodies, I'm sure there are loads of people who can write a good melody on a keyboard but would come up with something horrendous if given a load of samples to sift through.

 

Listening to ISAM and then say, Permutation, you can hear that Amon Tobin's got an excellent ear for combining melodies from elsewhere, but his own melodic compositions seem to occasionally end up sounding bizarrely twee and cartoonish. They may be samples, but the intertwining bass, drums, stabs & horns on 'bridge' seem both far less strightforward and also a lot better, whereas the melodies that come in after a minute or so on 'dropped from the sky' do absolutely nothing for me personally.

 

The album's not a write-off though, there's some good stuff on there - definitely an improvement of Foley Room.

[kcinsu]

Agreed on all counts.

 

I really do like the "dubstep" track though.

[Lucas]

I think making sample-based music and original music are certainly pretty different disciplines - and some people have more of an ability in one area than the other. Just like Tobin and people like DJ Shadow seem to have a bit of a tin ear when they compose their own melodies, I'm sure there are loads of people who can write a good melody on a keyboard but would come up with something horrendous if given a load of samples to sift through.

 

This !

 

I also hear a lot more "music" in the first two albums than in the last two ones, but that doesn't mean a sampling approach is easier than an "DIY" one ; The music I've made so far corresponds to that second method and I think I couldn't make anything good right now if I had to make a track just using sampling.

[elusive4]

so did we come to a decision whether thsi album is loud or not?

[Guest hahathhat]

so did we come to a decision whether thsi album is loud or not?

it is sculpted

[elusive4]

clutch tightter

[Silent Member]

conclusion: it is loud, but some of us think it sounds good anyway.

[Guest Coalbucket PI]

Agree with Kcinsu and danshoebridge, although I do like this a lot I think that is what's missing.

[kcinsu]

So I've listened to this alot, and there are some really awesome sounds... But there are some really annoying sounds too. And not in the "it's good because it's annoying" way... In the "I'd like to never hear that sound in this track ever again" way.

 

6/10 for me

[Bob Dylan]

I've found it :

 

ISAM is like all the fucking Transformers movie sounds turned into beats.

[Deepex]

lmfao wat

[Guest Enter a new display name]

The world premiere of his ISAM audiovisual performance will be in Montreal in a few weeks. I'm still hesitating about whether I should go or not.

[jules]

go, I bet there are lots of big bad beats live

[Lianne]

I listened to this from beginning to end off the Soundcloud page and actually found it a much easier and more enjoyable listen than Foley Room - which is strange, considering Foley Room had more tracks with regular-ish beats and melodic elements.

 

I think it's because it just felt more natural and creative to me than Foley Room and the sounds made my ears feel happier. I reckon it's a fantastic album and I've ordered it. It's not like there's loads of people making this kind of material to this degree of quality any more - then again, I know nothing about what's going on in 'academic' music. But this doesn't sound academic to me, it just sounds imaginative and experimental.

[Bob Dylan]

lmfao wat

 

 

Seriously, on the third listen I can't put the image out of my head. It's that bad. All he does is just take the Transformers movie sounds and adds some beats.

[Guest Adam]

Sounds on Transfomers movie are really good though. Brilliant sound design work there.

 

All he does is just take the Transformers movie sounds and adds some beats.

 

I guess you have no idea how much time and skill it takes to create those sounds and make them work well with the music. I understand that some people don't like this album and there's nothing wrong with it, but saying such things is a bit stupid.

[Deepex]

But it doesn't even sound like that. They are sounds that evolve over time, yes... Do you guys even like IDM? wat? I'm not super hard up for this record or anything, but I can't help but sense a high level of tastelessness in this thread. "It's boring" ...Really? There are lots of high action parts and some very nice, more subdued sections. Are you the people that are still stuck in the 90s? Or I bet you're the same guys that skip the piano songs on Drukqs

[Guest Enter a new display name]

Fight between the Clark fanboy crew and the angry french canadians!