Bright fire orange cassette tapes. Instrumentals of the whole album on the b-side — originally exclusive to the tape.
J-Card album includes art elements exclusive to the cassette tape format.
Includes unlimited streaming of isomonstrosity: Johan Lenox / Ellen Reid / Yuga Cohler
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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about
JOHAN LENOX: 2020 was supposed to represent the end of old ways of doing things, as calls to take our previous system and, in singer Zacari's words, "burn that shit down" hit a fever pitch.
This piece of music was composed and recomposed more than any other part of the project. Pulling together the very unlikely contributions from seven different composers and artists, it embodies the chaotic process of construction that went into the whole album.
YUGA COHLER: This might be my favorite track. it feels like music from the future — the way the vocalists integrate with almost religious-sounding bells (that come from Ellen’s composition). The craft and precision in her writing give what could easily be seen as a dark song a sort of violent optimism. To me, it’s reminiscent of Italian Futurism.
ELLEN REID: “watch it burn” is where this project started. This track dives into the idea of collage and shows off the virtuosity of the International Contemporary Ensemble through delicate clarinet trills and precise percussion. The arrangement came into focus once I brought in vocal elements to sonically unite the varied textures. One of my favorite moments in the album is where all of the musical layers drop out except the delicate clarinet solo.
lyrics
it's quiet
too quiet
it's quiet
too quiet
no peace in my quiet of late
the silence has been violence of late, yea
that silence and riots at night, yea
and outside we riot at night, yea
set that shit on fire
set that shit on fire
watch it burn, burn, burn, yea
set that shit on fire
watch it burn, burn, burn
life is a stage you're not getting free
feel alive when i ride, tap into 3
feeling the wave, moving my feet, my vibe is a vibe, tap into the 3
playing the keys, glow in the dark, up in the wave
growing my wings, i'm growing my wings
growing my wings, growing my wings
i'll buy one for you
i'm yearning for your touch
still ain't heard from you
yea, i reminisce
i don't really miss it
this loneliness
has thrown all of my sense out the window
it's too quiet, i've been losing my mind
switch places cuz i'm not for real
set that shit on fire
watch it burn, burn, burn, yea
set that shit on fire
watch it burn, burn, burn
my soul is solar while my heart is polar
i miss my momma while i'm at the MoMA
mind is focused, living in the moment
who's the homies when the homies are homeless?
who's my people before the people?
who you see in the game? is you see-through?
who's my folks before the hoes and n--as for real?
set that shit on fire
watch it burn, burn, burn, yea
set that shit on fire
watch it burn, burn, burn
isomonstrosity is a pandemic symphony in rap and avant-pop. The three principals’ credits are unassailable. Ellen Reid won
the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Music. Johan Lenox studied composition at the Yale School of Music then built a career as a go-to producer for iconic pop artists (i.e. 070 Shake, Travis Scott, Lil Nas X). Yuga Cohler is a Juilliard-trained conductor and a software engineer....more
Dearest Arooj, firstly thank you. My brother died this year n what can be said about such loss n sadness. I saw n heard you at The end of the Road in England. I spent many years in India n love all the music, poetry of your heritage. Thankyou Arooj❤️ ben1769
Iggy Pop waxes poetic about beef jerky and gas-station living on this taut, one-off collaboration with the experimental hip-hop musician. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 7, 2019
