Bleep

"robin saville and antony ryan's releases as isan are characterized by simple rhythms, pop-inflected song structures, and strong, committedly analog melodies. originally from reading, england, the duo emerged from the electronica underground in the mid-'90s, at a time when groups like autechre and aphex twin were bringing increasing levels of abstraction and disjunction to electronic post-techno. dodging that approach, isan joined artists such as solvent, b. fleischmann, sweden's pluxus, and krautrock-electronica fusionists to rococo rot in making their music warm, inviting, and accessible. like many of those artists, isan (perhaps inadvertently) draw on the '70s and '80s electronic experiments of hans-joachim roedelius, jean-michel jarre, early new wave, and another green world-era brian eno. releases on indie-hybrid labels like static caravan, liquefaction empire, and foundary - among them several limited and hard-to-find 7-inches - earned isan a crossover audience from the start. the group's profile got a boost in 1999 when they were signed to electronica powerhouse warp records; their first release for the label was a remix of seefeel's "when face was face," included on warp's 10th anniversary release remixes." Titled 'meet next life' it represents a mild expansion of our sound in that it contains live percussion, bass and acoustic guitar and glockenspiel. live playing has put us in touch with a visceral component to our sound as well, although established listeners need not be afraid - the single digit melodies and other components of the isan world remain intact."