Broadcasting from somewhere deep in the noisy liveliness of Los Angeles, one may not expect to hear experimental electronic music met with lush, tranquil tones. The urban world feels confined to a snow globe at times, making it difficult to welcome foreign influences into its uniformity. It takes a more calculated approach to break these boundaries - thankfully we have recruited a rising star to help us persist.
At quite a young age compared to the sonic pioneers that move us, Iris Ipsum has already made a clear statement in our biosphere: they are bunkering down for the long run. Juggling music, visual art, and software design, they ensure to blend together and implement all of their crafts with each project. On the audio side, they are inspired by early electronic subgenres such as ambient, electronica, breakbeat, and everything in between. This curiosity led to their debut album “Pattern Language” landing on the esteemed Touched Music imprint last year. Sharing a platform with innovators such as Autechre, The Future Sound of London, and Plaid is an incredible feat, but their follow-up to the release flexes the potential for even more promising times ahead.
Since its conception, “Xtilde EP” was influenced by Iris Ipsum’s devotion to expanding in multiple mediums. Their visuals normally embody sculptures as a focal point, which also serves as a catalytic aspect of their sound practices. Utilizing field recordings and deep listening amidst the franticness of urban environments lays the foundation of their work; spending time in the California mountains and deserts capture the essence of what makes it unique. Tying two tangible realms together is their passion for creative coding - most of this project was produced using self-made Max for Live instruments and VST plugins.
“Xtilde EP” was continually written, building on a collective idea and meant to be enjoyed from start to finish. Though cohesive by nature, Iris Ipsum also allows the project to encapsulate different moods, rather than staying on a singular path. The EP begins on a high note with “Subspace,” an energetic jungle track that nicely fits bouncing drum breaks with a dazzling ambiance. “Loreti” slows the tempo down, introducing a change of pace for the rest of the project. From here, we are met by a clever contrast between pristine drum work that feels heavy yet clean, along with uplifting melodies and tonal vocal chops. This can be heard in “Voxi” and “Essa” with clear nods to trip-hop and electronica. The EP closes with its title track, slightly bringing the pace back up and adding more glitched-out sounds to the structure left by its predecessors.
A collective effort on all fronts, “Xtilde EP” is simply Iris Ipsum at their finest. Reminiscent of early 2000s video game soundtracks, the project brings worldbuilding to life in audible form. Having studied decades of fabled electronic music, we have no doubts that they will become a household name when discussing contemporary experimental artists for years to come.
- Satellite Era 2024
