Isolee

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So I heard his 'rest' CD when it came out a few years back (2001 i think). Liked it for a while then just tired of nicely rhythmic electronic music and sold it and explored other 'stuff'.

today I went for one last round of record buying before xmas and saw a copy on 2LP (at beargain prices too) and am really enjoying it as I type.

The rhytms on this are truly great.

So what things did he do since then and were they any good?

Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Monday, 22 December 2003 23:38 (twenty years ago) link

There have been three twelves, "Brazil.com", "It's About" and "Can't Sleep All Night" which are all excellent, but they're not quite like the warm scratchy throb of 'Rest'. The last release "Can't..." seems like a bit of a step back even from 'Rest'. One of my favorite tracks post-'Rest' is Mocky's reinterpretation of "It's About". I'm hoping Isolee is saving the best stuff for another full length.

Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 22 December 2003 23:49 (twenty years ago) link

he's done quite a few remixes in the last year, none of hich spring to mind so i guess they weren't that outstanding. there should be a new lp early next year. i saw him play live in berlin earlier in the year. it was discotastic and astonishing.

stirmonster, Tuesday, 23 December 2003 00:05 (twenty years ago) link

thanks you two.

Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 00:06 (twenty years ago) link

I really enjoyed the remix he did for Osborne's release on Spectral this year!

Philippe, Tuesday, 23 December 2003 00:08 (twenty years ago) link

i enjoyed the remix he did of Blaze's "Lovely Day", nice to see what he does with vox. I find rest a bit too restless for my taste.

jed (jed_e_3), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 01:56 (twenty years ago) link

Yeah Isolee live is an amazing experience not to be missed.

Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 23:00 (twenty years ago) link

one year passes...
Isolee set for download http://rapidshare.de/files/4805282/Breezeblock_2005.09.06_-_Isolee_dj_set_only.mp3.html

Good Dog (Good Dog), Monday, 3 October 2005 19:58 (eighteen years ago) link

Download that, it's gooood.

Good Dog (Good Dog), Monday, 3 October 2005 20:04 (eighteen years ago) link

it won't let me :(

fandango (fandango), Monday, 3 October 2005 20:11 (eighteen years ago) link

holy shit, rapidshare is fast!

ken taylrr has gone off the internet because of you (ken taylrr), Monday, 3 October 2005 20:12 (eighteen years ago) link

just hold out for about 20 seconds and you'll get a download auth

ken taylrr has gone off the internet because of you (ken taylrr), Monday, 3 October 2005 20:12 (eighteen years ago) link

oh... I have to let the page reload until that timer starts counting down again? It doesn't seem to ever start... I guess I'll wait. Man I feel such a n00b now.

fandango (fandango), Monday, 3 October 2005 20:15 (eighteen years ago) link

yup, and then click the DL link when it allows

ken taylrr has gone off the internet because of you (ken taylrr), Monday, 3 October 2005 20:21 (eighteen years ago) link

tracklist


Ricardo Villalobos - 'What You Say' Isolee remix (white)
Isolee - 'My Himatic' (Playhouse)
Tiga - 'You Gonna Want Me' Isolee remix (PIAS)
Egoexpress - 'Aranda' Isolee remix (Ladomat)
Isolee - 'Monstermania' (white)
Willson - (unreleased track) (white)
Isolee - 'All Over' (white)

dunno if I'm feeling the latter half...

Good Dog (Good Dog), Monday, 3 October 2005 20:23 (eighteen years ago) link

I hadn't heard that Villalobos remix before - aceness!

Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 04:50 (eighteen years ago) link

"The What You Say Is More Than I Can Say" remix is from the Famous When Dead 3 compilation, but only from the vinyl edition. Heard it once in store, decided to get the CD compilation instead*. Only to spend another year being unable to find it on soulseek. So the mix is worth it just for that track, but you know if somebody feels like YSI it, then love and affection will be yours.

*what the fuck is the point of creating something that is designed to be an easy to access CD compilation of recent popular tracks from your label, and then putting the most drool worthy song on the vinyl editon. At least the Total series, have the excuse of a) not being exlusively best of compilations, and b) the vinyl exclusives being being aimed at the DJ use - the isolee remix falls into neither catagory. Sooky behaviour is now over, and thanks again for the mix.

Jedmond (Jedmond), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 06:10 (eighteen years ago) link

Yes I agree entirely with those sentiments

Similarly annoying was how Booka Shade put one of the absolute best Memento album tracks ("Aint' Got Much To Lose") on the vinyl release only, though at least in that case I was able to track it down.

Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 06:36 (eighteen years ago) link

three months pass...
Okay, so it looks like there will be a collection of some of his previously 12" only tracks coming out. I only found out about it from the Kompakt mp3 store but it's gonna be Playhouse CD017 it appears. No clue as to a release date (here in the US anyway). So, here is the tracklist. Anyone with knowledge of any of these, please let us know your feelings on good choices, glaring omissions, etc. I only have the two full-lengths.

http://www.kompakt-mp3.net/cwMP3Shop/images/temp/6d9d4698b6627c88dcf3ef6093b423e5.gif

01 BLEU [05:28]
02 INITIATE II [06:04]
03 ROCKERS [05:35]
04 MONITOR [06:24]
05 SURFERS [06:27]
06 SIMONE RIDES [06:12]
07 KING OFF [05:35]
08 CITE GRANDE TERRE [04:01]
09 POISSON MORT [01:16]
10 I OWE YOU (RMX) [04:37]
11 LOST [09:30]
12 BEAU MOT PLAGE (FREEFORM REFORM PT.1&2) [10:34]

matt2 (matt2), Monday, 30 January 2006 16:58 (eighteen years ago) link

That's a bit disappointing - nothing from his "System" ep, or "Raum Einz" - still worth buying though.

Jedmond (Jedmond), Monday, 30 January 2006 18:08 (eighteen years ago) link

isn't the vinyl going to have more tracks? i thought there were going to be remixes of this stuff by other folks too? a bit disappointed by the missed tracks but it will still be great to have this on one cd.

biz, Monday, 30 January 2006 18:10 (eighteen years ago) link

Yeah, it seems the point would be to compile everything on cd, even it meant a 2x or 3xcd package. I'd buy it.

matt2 (matt2), Monday, 30 January 2006 18:29 (eighteen years ago) link

looks like all of the material on that cd is from 2000 and earlier. some of the tracks are unreleased i think. i agree that another cd or two would be great.

breakfast pants (disco stu), Tuesday, 31 January 2006 04:00 (eighteen years ago) link

This is now leaked

van igloo (van smack), Saturday, 4 February 2006 20:57 (eighteen years ago) link

This is now leaked

It's released.

jeffery (jeffery), Saturday, 4 February 2006 21:16 (eighteen years ago) link

there's also a promo (play120) containing remixes/edits

tracklist:
a1 - cite grande terre (lucianos luck of lucien edit)
b1 - lost (and then stripped by the glimmers)
c1 - djamel et jamshid (villalobos edit)
d1 - bleu (dixon edit)

willem -- (willem), Saturday, 4 February 2006 21:25 (eighteen years ago) link

i just got the promo. a really nice job everyone did too!

stirmonster (stirmonster), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 18:44 (eighteen years ago) link

Dang! Anybody know if these promo tracks will be available anywhere else? Or how a regular boy could get one?

matt2 (matt2), Thursday, 9 February 2006 16:54 (eighteen years ago) link

it should be out soon as a doublepack.

stirmonster (stirmonster), Thursday, 9 February 2006 17:50 (eighteen years ago) link

seven months pass...
can someone in the know talk about the system and raum einz twelves? what are they like? are they worth buying?

a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Saturday, 9 September 2006 17:34 (seventeen years ago) link

i only listened to them a couple times and they made very little impression. functional? not so melodic? maybe i'm not so "in the know" as my recollection is hazy.

jergins (jergins), Saturday, 9 September 2006 19:27 (seventeen years ago) link

i finally found them on 515k. will give impressions / links later

a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Saturday, 9 September 2006 19:40 (seventeen years ago) link

do

trees (treesessplode), Saturday, 9 September 2006 19:54 (seventeen years ago) link

okay so the eponymous track on system didn't grab me but the second track, criminal vision, is pretty great. it has a wormy bassline and bright keyboards - a lot like f(m)com by benjamin wild but not so dense or minimal.

a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Saturday, 9 September 2006 22:23 (seventeen years ago) link

it could be easily mixed with 808 the bassqueen

a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Saturday, 9 September 2006 22:24 (seventeen years ago) link

mixed into

a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Saturday, 9 September 2006 22:24 (seventeen years ago) link

the third track, inner echo, has a lot of reverb (no echo, though!) and is sort of dubby. sounds like the songs on rest but not as good. mssr. meuller is obviously still getting his shit together on this release

a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Saturday, 9 September 2006 22:28 (seventeen years ago) link

inner echo's drums sound like rockers's

okay, the a side of raum einz 12" (1997) is pretty good so far. really warm and queasy keyboards a la rest, but the drums are more bouyant, like on the western store record. maybe not the most cohesive thing he's ever done. it has this breezy five note ascending 1 2 3 4 descending 5 keyboard riff that screams seashore. where is that lebanese beach party thread?

also, this is just as detailed as anything he's ever done. there are so many sounds! it's almost too decadent but of course that is the perfect amount.

b side really wispy synth stuff... boring? yes. also trite. oh well. has a nice piano break near the end, though - sounds like end of dfa remix of relevee.

a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Sunday, 10 September 2006 03:11 (seventeen years ago) link

i love "raum eins"!!

breakfast pants (disco stu), Sunday, 10 September 2006 03:15 (seventeen years ago) link

the rare one that is a must-have though is "it's about".

breakfast pants (disco stu), Sunday, 10 September 2006 03:17 (seventeen years ago) link

is taht a fact

a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Sunday, 10 September 2006 04:15 (seventeen years ago) link

ooh it may be

a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Sunday, 10 September 2006 04:43 (seventeen years ago) link

v.v. excited to listen to these remixes

a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Sunday, 10 September 2006 04:43 (seventeen years ago) link

The Lopazz and Casio Casino Remix of "It's About" is still my favourite remix of an Isolee track.

Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Sunday, 10 September 2006 11:19 (seventeen years ago) link

thanks for the recommendation tricky, i really like this

a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Sunday, 10 September 2006 12:52 (seventeen years ago) link

lfam, can you YSI? now that all these fuckers are back, the network's slow as cold shit again.

trees (treesessplode), Sunday, 10 September 2006 14:08 (seventeen years ago) link

glad you like. it's one of my favorites for sure. there's something thrilling about that song. it has the rare appearance of vocals and then those loping broken electro beats along with his clever (and probably now expected) approach to structure and melody. so it's a bit novel for an isolee track, but it also has what he does best in spades. i hear lots of wearemonster in there.

breakfast pants (disco stu), Sunday, 10 September 2006 14:14 (seventeen years ago) link

have there been any singles from wearemonster?

a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Monday, 11 September 2006 19:21 (seventeen years ago) link

I don't think so. I remember it coming to my attention that there wasn't any when Sherburne included one of the tracks (my hi-matic?) in his year end top singles for '05.

struttin' with some barbecue (jimnaseum), Monday, 11 September 2006 19:33 (seventeen years ago) link

i could've sworn there was a sendspace link around here somewhere

a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Thursday, 14 September 2006 18:38 (seventeen years ago) link

~his~

No Wicked Heart Shall Prosper.rar (nakhchivan), Wednesday, 22 December 2010 05:46 (thirteen years ago) link

I've never loved the track Hermelin wholeheartedly, but Sleazy Bee sounds like g-funk made out of drool and slobber - and all the better for it, while Willy Skipper's gradual transmogrification into an oily acid belter marks the peak of Isolee's constant-mutation approach.

Jedmond, Wednesday, 22 December 2010 07:55 (thirteen years ago) link

If you ask me, the whole Hermelin EP is entirely ace

EDB, Wednesday, 22 December 2010 14:47 (thirteen years ago) link

one month passes...

Incredible Isolee mix on this weeks Resident Advisor podcast.

dsb, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 00:38 (thirteen years ago) link

Kind of underwhelmed by the new album, anyone have a different first impression?

skip, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 01:20 (thirteen years ago) link

I keep hoping that the version I grabbed is actually a fake

:(

Z S, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 03:38 (thirteen years ago) link

it's streaming here; http://3voor12.vpro.nl/luisterpaal/
I'm really enjoying it. Certainly not the hooks and sound palette as Wearemonster. I think he said in an interview he didn't want to repeat the 'indie' sound and wanted it to be more electronic.

mmmm, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 07:23 (thirteen years ago) link

Got it in the post a month ago, gave it a listen and struggled to get into it though I was getting over i particulaly bad bout of flu. Im up for giving it another whirl, I like the last EP he did on Diynamic

straightola, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 12:50 (thirteen years ago) link

was wearemonster really 'indie'?

just sayin, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 12:54 (thirteen years ago) link

'indie feel' is the phrase he used in interview here http://www.residentadvisor.net/podcast-episode.aspx?id=244 I think of Wearemonster having an influence on Four tet etc, so perhaps that is what he is getting at? Well Spent Youth and Rest feel more 'electronic' in comparison.

mmmm, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 14:28 (thirteen years ago) link

Wearemonster came out in 2005. four tet's previous album (before 2010) also came out in 2005, then he took a 5 yr break. i dont hear the influence, not to mention see how it's possible given that timeline ¯\(°_o)/¯

maybe if he was influenced by Rest?

Damn this thread seems so....different without ilxor (ilxor), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 14:40 (thirteen years ago) link

I think maybe he's responding to the relative crossover appeal of Wearemonster, and that he just means that this is something less accessible (not in the way that say, Schrapnel is to those not heavily into electronic music).

EDB, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 17:08 (thirteen years ago) link

one month passes...

I just heard Isolee's Kandy Beat off the Katapult compilation. Oogly Boogly! Either it's been completely mislabeled or it's Isolee doing a Luomo (as a variation on four tet) - right down to the breathy vocals.

Jedmond, Tuesday, 15 March 2011 00:05 (thirteen years ago) link

three months pass...

Well Spent Youth is great.

I'm so late to the party on these guys, and on minimalist/micro/whatever kind of house this is.

relentlessly googling hipster (Hurting 2), Thursday, 14 July 2011 05:34 (twelve years ago) link

Now I'm doubly confused: once by Kandy Beat and a second time by my Four Tet reference. The Luomo bit still holds.

Jedmond, Thursday, 14 July 2011 08:58 (twelve years ago) link

FWIW I think this is an album that gets a lot better in its second half. I mean I love the fake slap bass in Paloma Triste but other than that I think it really starts to pick up at One Box. Celeste and Hold On are great to and Transmission is kind of the standout of the record for me.

didn't even have to use my akai (Hurting 2), Saturday, 16 July 2011 02:38 (twelve years ago) link

one year passes...

Beginning of Fall is a good time to listen to Rest

has important things to say about gangnam style (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 2 October 2012 17:25 (eleven years ago) link

four months pass...

title track of the new ep is gorgeous

http://soundcloud.com/pamparecords/pampa013-isol-e-allowance-1

lex pretend, Saturday, 16 February 2013 10:33 (eleven years ago) link

Like the way the track ends as something else seems to be in the beginning.

Thanks - love that, been catching up w/Isolee and others since xmas.

xyzzzz__, Saturday, 16 February 2013 10:59 (eleven years ago) link

weird how it took so long to come out, he was on beats in space fucking ages ago playing new stuff. like a year or maybe two.

Ballboy to Afghanistan (LocalGarda), Saturday, 16 February 2013 11:06 (eleven years ago) link

new track sounds amazing btw

Ballboy to Afghanistan (LocalGarda), Saturday, 16 February 2013 11:10 (eleven years ago) link

man, allowance -- beautiful

space phwoar (Hurting 2), Friday, 1 March 2013 03:21 (eleven years ago) link

three-song thing showed up on Spotify -- is that the whole EP or is more coming?

space phwoar (Hurting 2), Friday, 1 March 2013 03:22 (eleven years ago) link

three weeks pass...

just realised allowance is so like booka shade.

Tioc Norris (LocalGarda), Friday, 22 March 2013 11:10 (eleven years ago) link

I'm hearing Allowance in lots of mixes used in different ways and it works so well every time, great track.

boxedjoy, Friday, 22 March 2013 12:11 (eleven years ago) link

It's got more than a bit of a 'Night Falls' vibe to it but at the same time I could never imagine Booka Shade making a track like 'Allowance' even when they were good. It reminds me of something earlier as well that I can't put my finger on, something late 90s IDMish.

Amazing track anyway.

Matt DC, Friday, 22 March 2013 12:41 (eleven years ago) link

Looks like it's a 3 track EP. Disappointed 'Wobble' wasn't a Skrillex cover tbh. 'You could do your memories' also has a prettiness to it.

rawr, Saturday, 23 March 2013 22:48 (eleven years ago) link

six years pass...

New 3-track out, p nice. I love the bass whomp on the first track.

longtime caller, first time listener (man alive), Wednesday, 3 April 2019 19:16 (five years ago) link

the kick whomp I mean

longtime caller, first time listener (man alive), Wednesday, 3 April 2019 19:49 (five years ago) link

rest is the best album ever made

jolene club remix (BradNelson), Wednesday, 3 April 2019 19:59 (five years ago) link

it really is though

longtime caller, first time listener (man alive), Monday, 8 April 2019 16:40 (five years ago) link

I bought it years ago based on hyperbole (or heartfelt sincerity!) about its greatness and never really got it.

Duke, Monday, 8 April 2019 21:22 (five years ago) link

It's definitely a classic dance full length for me, sounds so ahead of its time too. Can't believe that stuff came out 1999/2000. Funky squiggly digital shards, headphuq tech

brimstead, Monday, 8 April 2019 22:45 (five years ago) link

On the basis of this thread I'm listening to 'Rest' for the first time in maybe ten years and wow. I know 'Beau Mot Plage' has unimpeachable classic status already but people should really talk more about the rest of the album in the same breath as 'Alcachofa'.

Matt DC, Friday, 12 April 2019 11:23 (five years ago) link

It’s good but Villalobos is on another level (and not just on Alcachofa).

pomenitul, Friday, 12 April 2019 11:38 (five years ago) link

I've seen those photos of him gurning, you're right

brimstead, Friday, 12 April 2019 22:40 (five years ago) link

ok yeah yeah i know isolee "rest", last night i played a beau mot plage remix

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWCoQbabBRs

but really friends ... losoul "belong"!

the late great, Saturday, 13 April 2019 03:24 (five years ago) link

Belong is a wonderful album - I’ve been super into LoSoul’s 90s stuff lately. I mean, I aways was into it but have been finally buying those record in the last year. That said, I just got “Getting Even” last week, after long being hesitant about it - I was right, it’s not very good. But Belong though.

Anyways, Rest is good but I’ve never felt it compared to Wearemonster, which is definitely among my top albums of the 21st century.

ed.b, Saturday, 13 April 2019 18:04 (five years ago) link

Ginster 12" is pretty good. "Sudden Frost" is possibly the highlight.

Jeff W, Sunday, 14 April 2019 15:44 (five years ago) link

four years pass...

new album sounds really good in this hot weather we're having: crisp, bumpy and rumbling all at once

boxedjoy, Thursday, 15 June 2023 21:01 (ten months ago) link

I would def take rest over wearemonster, always felt like the latter’s acclaim was a little ott

xheugy eddy (D-40), Thursday, 15 June 2023 23:26 (ten months ago) link

agreed, I do like “today” off wearemonster a lot, though, it reminds me of flash and the pan or something

brimstead, Friday, 16 June 2023 00:02 (ten months ago) link

I actually listened to Wearemonster recently for the first time in many years and was mostly like yeah this bangs

jaymc, Friday, 16 June 2023 00:04 (ten months ago) link

Wearemonster is not as good as Rest, and yes some of the acclaim was more reflective of how Isolee's rep had grown in the interim (Rest and Vocalcity both had a lot of people playing catch-up between 2001 and 2003, but Isolee more than most probably got a boost from the crossover acclaim for Alchachofa as well) than of the album itself, but it's still pretty great, and its layered mutating disco sound really caught the moment, it feels a bit like a prequel to the first Lindstrom and Prins Thomas album that came out later in the year.

Tim F, Friday, 16 June 2023 02:50 (ten months ago) link

the packaging of “rest” is timeless and classic, that probably rubs off on how i hear the music (vs his other efforts)

they just reissued the holy garage remix single, which has 1996 isolee on one nice and 1996 losoul on the other, their remixes neatly encapsulate their dynamic

the late great, Friday, 16 June 2023 02:56 (ten months ago) link

I always liked Wearemonster better for whatever reason

But his face would not turn into hot Kirby (Evan), Friday, 16 June 2023 13:41 (ten months ago) link

I never got the ambivalence towards wearemonster, or the idea that it pales compared to rest. To me it’s such a high-water mark of my favourite dance-music sounds, whereas Rest is great but never had that kind of gut-level feeing. The Stefan Marx covers on isolee releases feel more classic to me too, compared to Rest. But Wearemonster also has the benefit of being released at a formative time for me, so I may be biased. But I also just love about everything isolee does and have huge respect for him, so I suppose I don’t really care which album is less good.

ed.b, Friday, 16 June 2023 14:02 (ten months ago) link

for me it’s something like this: isolee and losoul stand in front of a bubbling cauldron, asking themselves “what can we possibly add to improve this heady minimal house brew?” after some consideration, one of them says “i know, we’ll add a generous splash of post rock!”

and the soup was forever ruined

the late great, Friday, 16 June 2023 14:40 (ten months ago) link

"my hi-matic" is one of my fav tracks ever, it goes on a whole ass fantasy adventure without ever feeling like it's breaking minimal house kayfabe like some of the other tracks do

ciderpress, Saturday, 17 June 2023 04:30 (ten months ago) link


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