On the 4th VGM ISOS: Brandon brings a piece on "Hotline Miami" and the use of Techno in games. Tyler goes video with the wonders of rhythm games. And Ryan also goes video with a case on VGM being the future of Jazz. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Brandon's Pick: (12:55) " Hotline Miami and the Rise of Techno in Ultra-Violent Video Games" By Nina Corcoran Tyler's Pick: (30:04) "Are Rhythm Games Genius?" By filmotter Ryan's Pick: (53:44) "The Nintendo-fication of Jazz" By Adam Neely Thanks for listeni...
Jun 07, 2023•1 hr 17 min
On this episode of ISOS: Brandon brings in a piece about the devolution of Hip-Hop Media and Ryan brings an interview with film composer Justin Hurwitz. They also begin the Pod recognising the recent deluge of Media layoffs. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Brandon's Pick - (19:33) "How Did Hip-Hop Media Get So Bad?" By Israel Daramola Ryan's Pick - (40:49) "Justin Hurwitz Gives Everything to His Movie Scores, and He’s Not Going to Stop" by Katey Rich Thanks for listening! Be sure to help support the ...
May 10, 2023•58 min
On this episode of ISOS: Miki brings a oral history on Steven "Lenky" Marsden and how his "Diwali Riddim" owned 2003; and Brandon brings a book review-reporting hybrid on the rising numbers of touring artists suffering from burnout and other mental health issues. TIMESTAMPS & ARTICLES Miki's Pick - (6:06) "The Diwali Riddim: Creator Steven ‘Lenky’ Marsden Explains How a Beat No One Wanted Became the Sound of 2003" By J'Na Jefferson Brandon's Pick (22:22) - "‘Snorting your way through it catc...
Apr 19, 2023•44 min
On this episode of ISOS: Ryan brings a piece on sped-up remixes and Brandon brings a piece on narratives, using The Strokes as a foundation. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Ryan's Pick - (10:06) "The Rise of the Sped-Up Remix" by Reanna Cruz Brandon's Pick - (27:07) "The problem with "The Strokes changed everything" narrative about aughts indie" By Robin James Thanks for listening! Be sure to help support the show by sharing, rating, reviewing and reading the pieces talked about. Support the writers ...
Mar 22, 2023•42 min
On this episode of ISOS: Miki brings a trendy piece on how female artists in Hip-Hop have used TikTok to their advantage; Tyler brings a piece on why women keep working with Chris Brown and host Brandon brings a Q&A with Vic Mensa. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Miki's Piece: (1:40) " TikTok Is Making Space For Today's Women in Rap to Thrive " By Njera Perkins Tyler's Piece: (19:25) " Why Do So Many Black Women Keep Working With Chris Brown? " By Hanna Phifer Brandon's Piece: (33:41) " Vic Mensa...
Mar 08, 2023•59 min
On this episode of ISOS: Tyler brings a profile of SZA ( helmed by friend of ISOS Danyel Smith ) & Miki caps off with a profile on YoungBoy NBA. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Miki's Pick - (6:46) "The Secret Life, House Arrest And Rebirth Of YoungBoy Never Broke Again" By Meaghan Garvey Tyler's Pick - (29:47) "SZA’s Ruination Brought Her Everything " By Danyel Smith Thanks for listening! Be sure to help support the show by sharing, rating, reviewing and reading the pieces talked about. Support ...
Feb 22, 2023•56 min
On this episode of ISOS: Jashima brings a conversation starter about a Google AI making music; Ryan brings a profile on Japanese Breakfast and host Elliot brings a profile on Lil Yachty. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Jashima's Pick - (2:56) "Google AI Tool Creates Music from Written Descriptions" By Bryan Lynn Ryan's Pick - (18:34) "Japanese Breakfast Is Working the Pain Away" By Quinn Moreland Elliot's Pick - (32:13) "Lil Yachty’s Let’s Start Here. and the Case for Reinvention" By Marcus Shorter T...
Feb 08, 2023•53 min
On this all-profile episode of ISOS: Brandon brings a profile on Questlove, Ryan brings a profile on Billy Woods and Jashima brings a profile on Ice Spice ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Brandon's Pick - (3:19) "The Passion of Questlove" by Jazmine Hughes Ryan's Pick - (29:49) "Billy Woods Would Rather You Be A Little Uncomfortable" By Arielle Lana LeJarde Jashima's Pick - (40:56) "Ice Spice Broke Out With ‘Munch.’ Rap’s New Princess Is Just Warming Up" By Jon Caramanica Thanks for listening! Be sure...
Jan 25, 2023•1 hr 2 min
On this episode of ISOS: Host Miki brings a piece on pgLang founders Kendrick Lamar & Dave Free talk their next chapter; Tyler brings a piece on misogyny and "Alpha Male" fandoms and Brandon brings a piece looking back at 2022 within the scope of live music. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Miki's Pick - (12:27) Kendrick Lamar’s New Chapter: Raw, Intimate and Unconstrained by Mitchell S. Jackson Tyler's Pick - (33:48) It’s a New Year, Let’s Leave ‘Alpha Male’ Rap Fandom Behind By Andre Gee Brandon...
Jan 11, 2023•1 hr 12 min
On the final episode of ISOS for 2022, we're going dual with Ryan & Brandon with pieces on artists' ability to tour & how Woodstock 99, Alt-Rock radio & a bill link with contemporary right-wing media. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Ryan's Pick - (13:58) "Musicians like me can no longer afford to tour. Live music won’t survive unless the industry changes" by Rollie Pemberton Brandon's Pick - (32:21) "What 90s Alt Rock Radio, Woodstock 99, and the Telecom Act Have To Do With Contemporary r...
Nov 23, 2022•58 min
On this episode of ISOS: Brandon brings a piece rivalling the length of The Odyssey, profiling Weird Al Yankovic. Tyler brings a piece on Boldy James and Ryan brings a breakdown of the classic "ALL CAPS" music video. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Brandon's Pick - (5:32) "The Weirdly Enduring Appeal of Weird Al Yankovic" By Sam Anderson Tyler's Pick - (30:00) "For Boldy James, Patience is a Virtue" By Phillip Mlynar Ryan's Pick - (43:48) "How They Made the 'All Caps' Video" By Animation Obsessive Th...
Nov 09, 2022•1 hr 3 min
On this episode of ISOS: Elliot brings a piece on BTS' hiatus announcement; Miki brings piece on the rising Detroit rap scene and Tyler introduces a "Last Week Tonight" segment on tickets. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Elliot's Pick - (6:32) " South Korea stands to lose billions from making K-pop superstars BTS do military service" By Chloe Taylor Miki's Pick - (32:18) "THE PROMISE & PERSEVERANCE OF DETROIT RAP’S RISING STARS" By Neena Rouhani Tyler's Pick - (51:24) "Tickets" by Last Week Tonig...
Oct 26, 2022•1 hr 8 min
On this episode of ISOS: Host Brandon brings a piece on the "Creator Economy" and how it's turning into a new rat race. Tyler brings a piece on the return of Kelela; and Charlie brings an oral history of Coolio's "Gangster's Paradise". ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Brandon's Pick - (7:28) "The Rosy ‘Creator Economy’ Is Music’s Biggest Lie" By Tim Ingham Tyler's Pick - (31:59) "Grounded: the revival of Kelela" By Amber J Phillips Charlie's Pick - (47:40) "How Gangsta's Paradise changed the course of...
Oct 12, 2022•1 hr 3 min
On this episode of ISOS: Brandon brings a piece on music loops, host Elliot brings a retrospective on Kreayshawn and the "meme rap" era as a whole; and Miki brings a video where producer Kenny Beats talks on a multitude of subjects. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Brandon's Pick - (3:12) "How Music Loops Help Me Feel More Present" By Miguel Otárola Elliot's Pick - (20:28) "I Got The Internet Going Nutz: Kreayshawn and the 10th Anniversary of SOMETHIN’ BOUT KREAY’" By Jacqueline Codiga Miki's Pick - (...
Sep 28, 2022•1 hr 10 min
On this all-video episode of ISOS: Host Tyler brings a very meta essay on VGM as a whole and why modern compositions aren't as memorable as the compositions of old. Ryan brings an essay on positive & negative stress in games, with Celeste as a case study. And Brandon finishes off with a monologue on Hollow Knight lore... And there's also an essay to back it. I think, we'll never know. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Tyler's Pick - (7:26) "What Happened to Memorable Game Music?" By Game Score Fanf...
Sep 14, 2022•1 hr 6 min
During the recording of the most recent ISOS recording, Tyler, Ryan & Brandon thought it'd be fun to do some Nintendo Direct predictions. I thought it'd be fun to extract it from the episode and make it a bonus, right as the Nintendo Direct goes down. Episode drops the day after, I'll link here. But for now, enjoy some predictions.
Sep 13, 2022•7 min
On Ep.54 of ISOS: Brandon brings an interview with Black Though & Danger Mouse, host Ryan brings a piece about Whisper Networks & Miki caps things off with a piece on power players in music migrating to Miami. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Brandon's Pick - (2:08) "Black Thought and Danger Mouse break down Cheat Codes , their hip-hop two-hander" By Todd Gilchrist Ryan's Pick - (22:09) " ‘People haven’t taken me seriously’: where the music and media industries have failed, whisper networks ha...
Aug 17, 2022•1 hr 10 min
On this episode of ISOS: Miki brings an interview for recent Kendrick co-signee, NOT THE TWOS, Jashima brings a news piece on Kid Cudi changing artwork for his re-release of "A Kid Named Cudi", and Charlie brings a semi-review of Black Star's "No Fear of Time" that morphs into a love letter to RSS. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Miki's Pick - (7:35) "Meet NOT THE TWOS, The Artist Whose Debut Single Landed on Kendrick Lamar’s New Album" By Brenton Blanchet Jashima's Pick - (26:47) " Kid Cudi Calls Fa...
Jul 20, 2022•1 hr 15 min
On this episode of ISOS: Ryan brings a piece on Kendrick Lamar's Glastonbury headline performance. Tyler brings a conversation with multi-hyphenate Jackson Wang. And Elliot brings a video on Run The Jewels' second album. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Ryan's Pick: (2:24) "Kendrick Lamar's ground-breaking Glastonbury set meets the moment with an abortion rights battle cry" By Musa Okwonga Tyler's Pick: (21:06) "An Honest Conversation With Jackson Wang, The Magic Man" By Eric Diep Elliot's Pick: (39:0...
Jul 06, 2022•1 hr 1 min
On this episode of ISOS: Host Ryan brings a long read on streaming addiction, Brandon goes left-field with a piece on a Japanese psych-rock band and Jashima caps off with a look into Snoop Dogg's NFT empire. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Ryan's Piece - (6:51) "The Woes Of Being Addicted To Streaming" By Jeremy D. Larson Brandon's Pick - (25:34) "The fuzz, feedback and folklore of a mythic Japanese psych-rock band" By Matt Lajoie Jashima's Pick - (42:28) "Snoop Dogg Is Building A Crypto Empire, One ...
Jun 22, 2022•1 hr 2 min
On this episode of ISOS: Host Brandon brings a shining example of how to do a newsletter. Charlie brings an essay on the current UK Rap landscape. And Miki brings a retrospective on Eminem's "The Eminem Show" as it turns 20. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Brandon's Pick - (5:38) "#136: Decadence And Disenchantment" By Todd L. Burns Charlie's Pick - (22:06) "Amid a rash of cheesy samples, is UK rap running out of ideas?" By Will Pritchard Miki's Pick - (39:43) "On The Eminem Show, The Rapper Sharply ...
Jun 08, 2022•1 hr 2 min
On this episode of ISOS: Brandon brings a profile on redveil, host Miki brings a piece on the legend Chad Hugo & Tyler caps it all off with a piece on Bree Runway. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Brandon's Pick: (5:15) "First Look Friday: redveil is the DMV’s Next Great Hope" By Josh Svetz Miki's Pick: (20:17) "In Search of Chad Hugo" By Jeff Mao Tyler's Pick: (37:00) "Taking Flight: Bree Runway Interviewed" By Rahel Aklilu Thanks for listening! Be sure to help support the show by sharing, rating...
May 18, 2022•54 min
On this episode of ISOS: Host Elliot brings a video on Will Smith, Tyler brings a profile on PJ Morton, and Miki brings a piece he wished he wrote, covering Mastering Engineer Heba Kadry. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Elliot's Pick: (1:47) "TRAINWRECKORDS: Will Smith's "Lost and Found" By Todd In The Shadows Tyler's Pick: (18:29) "PJ Morton’s ‘Watch the Sun’ is a Full Circle Moment" By Jaelani Turner Miki's Pick: (31:21) "Meet Heba Kadry, Mastering Engineer to the Indie Stars" By Allison Hussey Tha...
May 04, 2022•48 min
On this episode of ISOS: Ryan brings a piece on Festival posters and the politics of space on them amongst artists. Host Charlie brings a piece on the concept of "Eco-Vinyl". And Elliot goes meta and brings a piece on the recent Rocky-Rihanna break up rumours. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Ryan's Pick - (2:01) "Size Matters: Inside the Politics of Festival Posters" By Ben Lindbergh Charlie's Pick - (23:07) "Addicted To Plastic? Eco-Vinyl And The Impact Of Our Listening Habits" by Jono Podmore Ellio...
Apr 20, 2022•1 hr 6 min
On this episode of ISOS: Ryan brings in a piece about deaf DJs. Host Elliot brings a video essay on Drake and The "Death of Hip-Hop". And Brandon caps off with a piece on the 25th anniversary of the untimely passing of 2Pac & The Notorious B.I.G. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Ryan's Pick: (2:56) "Frequencies I'd Never Felt Before": How Deaf DJs Are Revolutionising The Club Experience" By Becky Buckle Elliot's Pick: (19:08) "Drake and the Death of Hip Hop" By F.D Signifier Brandon's Pick: (36:33...
Apr 06, 2022•1 hr 3 min
On this episode of ISOS: Jashima brings a deep dive on the likes of 'Ye' & Snoop Dogg taking their music to new platforms, host Elliot brings an anniversary commentary of Kendrick Lamar's "To Pimp A Butterfly", and Ryan continues the video agenda, bringing a video on the song "We Don't Talk About Bruno" from Disney's "Encanto". ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Jashima's Pick: (1:45) "Are Artists Removing Music From Streaming For the Best Reasons?" By Andre Gee Elliot's Pick: (22:37) "Kendrick Lama...
Mar 23, 2022•58 min
On this episode of ISOS: Ryan brings a commentary on Epic Games acquiring Bandcamp. Miki brings a piece highlighting Stevie Wonder's production chops and Tyler brings an interview with EARTHGANG. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Ryan's Pick: (5:12) "Epic Games, Bandcamp, and fandom for the ‘me’ generation" by Mark Mulligan Miki's Pick: (23:55) "Stevie Wonder and His Dream Machines" By Jayson Greene Tyler's Pick: (41:18) "EARTHGANG's 'Ghetto Gods' looks for divinity in Atlanta's dichotomies" By Christi...
Mar 09, 2022•56 min
On this episode of ISOS: Host Ryan, Miki & Brandon bring pieces on producer Cash Cobain, the resurgence of Rave and a profile on Earl Sweatshirt. And if you're a regular listener, it's way too easy to guess who brought which piece. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Miki's Pick - (5:37) "I Made Beats With New York Drill Rap's Hottest Producer, Cash Cobain" By Abe Beame Brandon's Pick - (20:47) "Rave's Psychedelic Resurgence" By Maya-Roisin Slater Ryan's Pick - (36:20) "Free Thebe: Earl Sweatshirt Is...
Feb 23, 2022•59 min
On this episode of ISOS: Tyler brings an essay penned by Saba on ownership and independent business. Brandon brings an interview with Pink Siifu. And host Miki continues the video agenda, highlighting choreographer Sean Bankhead. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Tyler's Pick - (5:42) " Art, Ownership, and Business: An Essay " By Saba Brandon's Pick - (21:07) " Pink Siifu is one step ahead " By Thomas Hobbs Miki's Pick - (33:54) " Sean Bankhead on His Creative Choreography & Working w/ Cardi B &...
Feb 09, 2022•56 min
On this episode of ISOS: Miki continues the video agenda with a deep dive on "Quiet Storm" radio. Tyler brings a long read on Hip-Hop preservation and host Elliot brings a conversation starter on the odds to beat Jay-Z in a Verzuz. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Miki's Pick - (3:47) " Quiet Storm: How 1970s R&B changed late-night radio " By Vox Earworm Tyler's Pick - (29:08) " The Race to Save Hip-Hop’s Lost Eras " By Mosi Reeves Elliot's Pick - (49:49) " Can Anyone Beat Jay-Z At A Verzuz? We La...
Jan 26, 2022•1 hr 15 min
