ISOxo - Interview

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Talk to us about ISOxo.

ISOxo

ISOxo originated as just my music project, but I feel like it has evolved into so much more as the years have gone on. To me this project feels like an alter-ego in a way where I'm free to create and express myself without really giving a f*** about what others think.

I feel like I've been growing into my own skin more and accepting who I really am, and creating the whole ISOxo project has really helped out with that a lot.

Whether it’s the way I dress or the way I create art, I feel like it's very "me" now and its helped me find myself. I used to be such a shy, sheltered kid, but this project really allowed me to spread my wings.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

First and foremost, your live set @ Nightrealm The Finale was f**king amazing! I have seen few EDM sets (if any) in my entire life with that much energy. Can you talk about the performance?

ISOxo

First off, thank you so much! That was definitely one of the most fulfilling sets I've ever done. I cannot thank my fans enough for the support, it felt like the energy was nonstop throughout both nights I played there.

I'm really happy the way the entire show turned out at that venue, especially with the stage design. I really wanted to step away from the typical EDM DJ setup where there's just a DJ booth and a big LED visual wall.

It's cool and it definitely works for others, but I never really felt like it fit me. So instead, we opted for thematic set design pieces.

We had a huge banner backdrop with my logo on it (reminiscent of punk band culture), hanging chains from the ceiling, CRT TV stacks that played visuals, a catwalk stage that went out into the crowd area, and a live guitarist that played on certain cues.

The whole thing felt very immersive and that's the kind of experience I wanna give fans at a bare minimum. 

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Talk to us a bit about being on stage with Skrillex.

ISOxo

That was actually surreal as f***. It's crazy to say that the first time I met Skrillex in person was on stage and we did a B2B set together.

If you told 13 year-old me that was a thing that actually happened, I'd never believe you. I mean, Skrillex is literally the reason why I started making music and the first electronic artist I ever listened to. So yeah, I feel truly blessed to be in the position I'm in.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

You are one of the few DJs still producing trap music, and your approach to it is captivating. What sets your sound apart from your contemporaries?

Is it fair to say you've revitalized the genre?

ISOxo

Thank you again! I wouldn’t say I'm one of the only few DJs still making trap music right now, there’s a pretty live underground trap community that's thriving, but I will say I am one of the lucky ones.

With tech house and dubstep dominating the scene right now, I do think that trap music is very underappreciated, and it's hard to move up the ladder with a genre that's not super poppin', ya know? That never stopped me though, I truly just like making whatever feels fun to me.

I guess that’s my approach when I make music. As far as “my sound,” I really don't think there’s anything that really sets me apart from my peers. I'm really not that special.

But I do feel like there is a very special connection that the community has with my music and I'm very grateful for that.

Would I say I revitalized the genre? I honestly don’t know and I really don’t think it's my place to answer that. Music is always evolving and that's what I love about it, I wouldn’t even consider myself as a “trap artist” at this point but yea.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Talk to us about your single, 'dontstopme!' 

ISOxo

dontstopme! was the first single off of my debut album “kidsgonemad!” and I really felt like it was the right song to use as the lead single. This song to me encapsulates the energy of everything leading up to this moment.

It's hard hitting, angsty and very typical “ISOxo'' so to speak. This one has been an anticipated unreleased song for a few years now so it felt good to finally give it to the community.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Tell us a bit about your track, 'SHYPOP.'

ISOxo

This song was a super fun one to write. I had the honor to work with ninajirachi, one of my favorite artists in the scene, super talented producer / singer / artist overall.

We were in the studio together and she showed me a handful of her demos and one really caught my ear. The opening line was “oh I wanna be smarter, but I don’t know where to start, I wanna say things from the heart” and it really resonated with me because a big part of the album touches on insecurity and self reflection.

But yeah, we took those first few lines and wrote new lyrics and everything went upwards from there. 

ETHEREAL.PRESS

You just dropped your debut album titled, 'kidsgonemad.'

What can listeners expect from your new full length release?

ISOxo

Fans can expect from this album an expansion of the ISOxo “pallet” so to speak. This album is a lot more musically diverse than what I think people would have thought I would be putting out.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

You've made a massive festival run recently, can you talk to us about some of your favourite performances?

ISOxo

Man, there were so many great festivals I got to be a part of this year so its hard to choose my favorite, but the one that stood out to me the most was definitely Outside Lands.

I had a super early time slot at 2:00 pm on the last day of the festival on mainstage. I was fully expecting nobody to show up to my set, but it ended up being a record breaking moment. Festival staff and promoters told me that, in all of Outside Lands history, I had the most attendance at the mainstage for that time slot.

That's so insane to me. Also the energy felt like it was going nonstop from start to finish, the Bay Area really knows how to turn up.

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ETHEREAL.PRESS

Can you speak a bit about your art direction aesthetics regarding your music videos?

ISOxo

I feel like a lot of my visuals are heavily inspired off of punk and early rave aesthetics. I feel like this art direction really resonates with me because I'm a big advocate for individualism.

The punk and early rave scene were places where people could be unapologetically themselves without judgment and I think that's so beautiful.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

What's next for ISOxo?

ISOxo

I have a lot of things planned that I cannot speak about just yet, but it’s all very exciting and I can't wait for everyone to see.

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ISOxo Links: Instagram - Website