2013 and 1/3: The Best Albums of the 2010s (So Far)

Amon Tobin: ISAMAmon Tobin: ISAM (Ninja Tune, 5/24/11)

“Lost and Found”

Amon Tobin: “Lost and Found”

During his 15-year career, DJ and electronic artist Amon Tobin has transitioned from expert sampler and breakbeat artist to field-recording guru and sound designer. ISAM completes this move to synthesized and manipulated original samples, turning otherwise atonal sounds into instruments.

Tobin’s last few albums have been as heavy on ambience and abstraction as on piecemeal beats, and ISAM is no different. Melodies are interwoven into unsettling mixtures of timbre. There are cuts of recognizable instruments, such as guitar or bells, but they’re often just a layer in a greater sea of sound.

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