[NETHERLANDS | ANT-ZEN]
Since the beginning, a distinguishing feature of Iszoloscope has been the addition of rich layers of unexpected and intelligent elements over a solid core of industrial, hard-core, break-core and rhythmic noise. Founded in Canada as a collaboration between radio DJ’s Yann Faussurier and François Bénard in 1999, Iszoloscope became Faussurier’s solo project in 2001. Over nearly two decades, Faussurier has tirelessly crafted a style characterized by a wide range of influences, from industrial acts such as Numb, Converter and Gridlock, to video game and cinematic soundtitles. His music is at once unmistakable in sound, while also surprisingly unexpected in substance. Think pulsing, pounding soundscapes with melodic percussions and carefully placed breaks; dark, cinematic distortions building up to powerful, hard-hitting industrial rhythms. Experimental in nature and charged with energy, the music evokes a darkness, tension and atmosphere which immediately resonates in the listener’s mind. The name ‘Iszoloscope’ was based on John C. Lilly’s experiments on isolation and sensory deprivation, in which a theoretical ‘isoloscope’ could control all variables of sensory input into the brain. Likewise, Iszoloscope fans have grown to expect to be taken an immersive, experimental journey of introspection into a dark, complex world that only ends when Faussurier releases them. Now based in the Netherlands, the project has amassed an impressive oeuvre: 7 full-length albums on European labels Ant-Zen and Spectre, 9 successful tours in Europe and North America, several EPs and collaborations, a long list of remixes and compilations, and appearances at shows and festivals around the world, including a regular spot on the lineup at Germany’s Maschinenfest. In recent years, Iszoloscope’s live and studio lineup has also included Shane Whitbread, Guillaume Nadon and Frédéric Scarfone. ‘Pounding rhythms, ripsaw basslines and punishing beats at its heaviest and eerie chimes at its most restrained. At times brutal, at times gentle, but at all times dripping with atmosphere.’
