Iszoloscope- The Audient Void

Artist: Iszoloscope
CD Title: The Audient Void
Label: Ant-Zen
Reviewer: Matthew Johnson
Date: 4/16/06

Iszoloscope's Yann Faussurier has always distinguished himself from his contemporaries in the rhythmic noise scene by focusing on atmospheric tones and sounds over the more purely beat-oriented abstraction favored by many of his fellow Ant-Zen artists. His dance material is always eminently danceable, of course, but he seems to have released as many purely ambient albums as club tracks. His latest release certainly seems to start off that way with "The Audient Void," an extended arrangement of low, droning moans that eventually builds into a slow march punctuated by occasional bursts of orchestral noise. "The Sum Of Us All" continues the low-key creepiness with eerie samples and more unsettling drones, but gradually a rhythm kicks in, eventually building into a straight-up four-on-the-floor beat that, though still overpowered by the moaning ambience, would probably play well in the power noise clubs. By "Raudivian Device," though, Faussurier is ready to ditch the spooky soundscapes in favor of all-out dance assault; with its reliance on hard beats and well-placed samples, this track is reminiscent of nothing so much as a Terrorfakt track with the urban violence replaced by zombie-film clips. "Insubstantiality," "From Hollow" and "Unto Deeper Calling" are some of the hardest-hitting tracks Faussurier's ever done, adding frantic drum 'n' bass rolls to evil thrashing power noise, but it's "The Path Of Totality (Part One)" and "Heard Voices" that really highlight the creativity of the Iszoloscope experience. They're eerie, evocative, and unpredictable, alternating unexpectedly from soft ambience and warped speech samples to frenetic up-tempo drum machine patterns and squealing feedback, simultaneously showing off both Faussurier's morbidly meditative side and his wicked dance music attitude. Check this one out if you're ready for something that's equally challenging in the club and on your headphones.

Visit www.iszoloscope.net for more information on Yann Faussurier's music.