On this episode of ISOS: Elliot makes his return with the news of The Grammys being postponed due to the Omicron variant. Host Tyler brings a piece that has Ari Lennox & Summer Walker succeeding in R&B but in different ways. And Jashima brings a profile on Moses Sumney. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS Elliot's Pick - (3:50) "2022 Grammys Postponed Due to Omicron Wave" By Justin Curto Tyler's Pick - (20:01) "Ari Lennox & Summer Walker: The Yin & Yang of R&B" By Robyn Mowatt Jashima'...
Jan 12, 2022•1 hr 2 min
To end the year, hosts of the various 5EPN podcasts come together to reflect on the year that has been 2021, the podcasts themselves and finish with a fun team exercise. To everyone that has listened to a 5EPN Podcast this year, on behalf of everyone in the 5EPN, we thank you for your listenership, your time and we hope we can join you as you begin your journey through 2022. The music was "Nothing But Luv" by aso. Thanks to Chillhop Music for the ability to use. Be sure to peep the other Podcast...
Dec 31, 2021•1 hr 10 min
In this episode of ISOS: Brandon brings a piece on mental health in Punk & Metal circles. Host Ryan continues the video agenda with one on the Ringtone era. And Jashima brings a critique of a Drill Rap episode of "Law & Order: SVU". ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Brandon's Pick - (3:02) " A Look At Punk, Metal, Extreme Music And Mental Health " By David Konow Ryan's Pick - (17:47) " How Ringtones Dominated the Music Industry " By Mic The Snare Jashima's Pick - (30:57) " The Drill Rap Episode...
Dec 08, 2021•45 min
On this episode of ISOS: Brandon brings a piece on Maxo Kream behind his new album drop "Weight of the World". Host Charlie brings a piece on Olivia Rodigo and her historical connection to Classical music. And Miki brings a retrospective on Incubus' "Morning View" turning 20. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Brandon's Pick: (4:54) " On 'Weight of the World,' Maxo Kream's world expands amid personal tragedy " By Christina Lee Charlie's Pick: (20:03) " ‘Nothing in music is ever new’ says Olivia Rodrigo....
Nov 10, 2021•1 hr 2 min
On this episode of ISOS. Charlie brings stats on the current Streaming landscape. Ryan brings a piece on the introverted Ka. And Tyler brings the deep dive profile on Adele. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Charlie's Pick - (2:02) " ‘Odds are against you’: the problem with the music streaming boom " By Mark Sweney Ryan's Pick - (25:41) " The Last Underground Rapper " By Sheldon Pearce Tyler's Pick - (44:37) " Adele, Reborn: The British Icon Gets Candid About Divorce, Body Image, Romance & Her “Sel...
Oct 20, 2021•1 hr 5 min
It has been two years since ISOS began. So to celebrate. Brandon, Charlie, Jashima, Miki & Ryan come together for a little trivia where only one can win. Place your bets before you hit play. (Charlie hosts. Had to make it fair for the others.) And of course, an obligatory thank you to everyone that has tuned in so far. To another year. Thanks for listening! Be sure to help support the show by sharing, rating, reviewing and reading the pieces talked about. Support the writers & everyone t...
Oct 11, 2021•58 min
On this episode of ISOS: Jashima brings the first Podcast to the Podcast, Miki brings a piece on a producer who made a big break on a Drake cut & Ryan brings another video essay, this time on the music of Studio Ghibli film "Spirited Away". ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Jashima's Pick - (5:51) "The Business of Hip-Hop" By Hip-Hop Raised Me (Podcast By DJ Semtex Feat. Dan Runcie) Miki's Pick - (19:28) "How a Beatles-Obsessed Producer Helped Drake Make His Latest Gloomy R&B Hit" By Elias Leig...
Sep 22, 2021•54 min
On this 2nd edition of ISOS' VGM series: Tyler brings a piece on the way music shapes how we play video games. Ryan continues his video agenda with a piece on the concept of "indeterminate music". And host Brandon lightens the mood with a piece on apocalyptic soundscapes. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Tyler's Pick - (4:54) "How music shapes the way we play video games" By Kellen Beck Ryan's Pick - (18:15) "The Double-Edged Nature of Video Game Music" By Sideways Brandon's Pick - (30:56) "Soundscape...
Sep 08, 2021•53 min
On this episode of ISOS: Miki brings in a personal essay from Christina Lee, (Peep our interview with Christina here) intertwining with Bbymutha's "Muthaland". Ryan brings another video essay, this time on how André 3000 writes about love. And host Soma brings in a retrospective on Amy Winehouse. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Miki's Pick - (5:33) "Bbymutha's 'Muthaland' Is Teaching Me That Status Isn't Everything" By Christina Lee Ryan's Pick - (23:07) "How Andre 3000 Writes About Love" By Polyphon...
Aug 25, 2021•1 hr 5 min
On this episode of ISOS: Tyler brings in a profile on Isaiah Rashad off the back of his new album "The House Is Burning". Brandon brings in his own profile, covering The Weeknd. (Vs Abel Tesfaye) And host Ryan brings a video essay on Mac Miller's "Circles". TEXTS & TIMESTAMPS: Tyler's Pick - (3:56) " Isaiah Rashad Was Always TDE’s Secret Weapon — Now, He’s Ready to Own It " By Cydney Lee Brandon's Pick - (18:23) " The Weeknd vs. Abel Tesfaye " By Mark Anthony Green Ryan's Pick - (45:09) " Ho...
Aug 11, 2021•1 hr 14 min
On this episode of ISOS: Host Charlie brings in a piece on Whitney Houston's relationship with America. Miki brings a review on SAULT's new album "NINE". (Fun Fact: As of the day of this episode dropping, you have 66 days to spin until it leaves DSP's) And Brandon brings in a conversation starter about why albums are so damn bloated. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Charlie's Pick - (7:55) " Whitney Houston, American girl " By Constance Grady Miki's Pick - (26:36) " SAULT: NINE Album Review " By Taris...
Jul 28, 2021•1 hr 9 min
On this episode of ISOS: Soma brings a dreamy profile on Norweigan Alt-pop artist AURORA. Miki brings a lengthy piece on Gucci Mane and Tyler gets a conversation-starting piece on the state of modern R&B. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Soma's Pick - (9:52) " 'Inspired By The Light And The Dark' Clash Meets AURORA " By Jessica Fynn Miki's Pick - (28:49) " How Gucci Mane Rebuilt His Life — And Started Building the 'Walmart' of Record Labels " By Neena Rouhani Tyler's Pick - (47:40) " ‘Real R&B...
Jul 14, 2021•1 hr 9 min
On this episode of ISOS: Jashima brings an enlightening piece on MF DOOM and his battles with US Immigration. ISOS debutant Soma brings a review of Dean Blunt's new record "Black Metal 2". And host Miki brings a poetic piece on record collections and the trio talk about the vinyl they hold most dear. TIMESTAMPS & ARTICLES: Jashima's Pick - (12:45) "Untangling MF DOOM’s Lifelong Struggle With the U.S. Immigration System" By Noah Yoo Soma's Pick - (27:29) "The Fear Goes On: Dean Blunt’s Black ...
Jun 30, 2021•1 hr 8 min
On this special episode of ISOS, Miki, Jashima and Ryan interview Danyel Smith! Danyel is a legend of music journalism. She is the former EIC of Vibe magazine, the former culture editor at ESPN’s The Undefeated and the former editor of Billboard. Her writing has touched such publications as NPR, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. Right now, she’s working with Spotify and The Ringer, hosting a podcast by the name of Black Girl Songbook. Danyel spoke to the team about this new venture an...
Jun 16, 2021•1 hr 5 min
What would a Pulitzer Prize for Hip-Hop journalism look like? Brandon, Miki and Ryan dig into the answer on this episode. After having dissected the Pulitzer’s relationship with Hip-Hop last time out, we turn our attention to what the Pulitzers see as great music journalism. Each member picked a previous Pulitzer winner to research and to analyse what made their work worthy of the biggest prize in journalism, before seeing how the current landscape of Hip-Hop journalism matches up. RESOURCES: Mi...
Jun 02, 2021•1 hr 54 min
SAROS are a musical collective who have never met in person. Through the Internet, they have fostered personal friendships and deep musical understandings which form the basis of their musical movement. In this interview, Ryan looks to get to the core philosophy of this movement by documenting their journey to this point and where they hope to go from here. Thanks for listening! Be sure to help support the show by sharing, rating, reviewing and reading the pieces talked about. Support the writer...
May 22, 2021•1 hr 31 min
In our interview with Yoh Phillips last year , we discussed the possibility of winning a Pulitzer Prize for Hip-Hop journalism. Over the next 2 episodes, we will be breaking down what both Hip-Hop and journalism are in the eyes of the Pulitzers to determine what such a win would look like. In the first part of the series, we focus on Hip-Hop by taking a look at the only rap album to win the Pulitzer for music, Kendrick Lamar’s "DAMN." By looking at the selection process and the relationship betw...
May 19, 2021•1 hr 41 min
On this episode of ISOS: Miki brings in a technical piece all about Solange's recording engineer Mikaelin "Blue" Bluespruce and the equipment she uses to record. Host Brandon brings a piece on the recent litany of deaths that have happened in Hip-Hop. And Ryan brings in a piece about Academy Award-winning "Sound of Metal". ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Miki's Piece - (14:58) " The Recording Gear, Sage, and Airbnbs Behind Solange's Modern Classics " By Keith Nelson Jr Brandon's Piece - (31:03) " Rap...
May 05, 2021•1 hr 30 min
On this episode of ISOS: Miki introduces a piece on Genre and how the litany of subgenres and the loose lines between them all are starting to blur the more mainstream genre labels. Ryan brings in a piece on fanbases and how their propensity to be toxic lives as long as the artist who 'leads' those fanbases say nothing about it. And lastly, Jashima, making her hosting debut, drops a newsletter centred around NFTs & the potential for Hip-Hop's use of the booming format. ARTICLES & TIMESTA...
Apr 21, 2021•1 hr 10 min
To hype you up for SauceFest, you’re about to hear 6 short interviews that we think really highlight how unique and incredible these emcees, producers, musicians and singer/songwriters are that we’re platforming on SauceFest. You’re about to hear from Donnie Durag, Fika, Imp, Nora Toutain, Otis Mensah, and STORRY. We weren’t able to connect with Abhi the Nomad for the podcast, but you’ll be able to check him out at the show. Enjoy the episode! TIMESTAMPS: Donnie Durag - (2:08) Fika - (23:33) Imp...
Apr 03, 2021•1 hr 50 min
On this episode of ISOS: Tyler, making his hosting debut drops a personal piece on a relatable relationship with video games. Ryan comes through with a video essay on the "invisible" sound design of "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild". And Brandon caps off the episode talking about the unique elements of the soundtrack to "Persona 5". ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Tyler's Pick: (11:13) "Video Game Music: A world to escape to" By Dylan Yono Ryan's Pick: (32:59) "'Invisible' Sound Design in Bre...
Mar 24, 2021•1 hr 23 min
On this episode of ISOS: Host Brandon brings in a profile on pop superstar Dua Lipa. Tyler brings in a piece on "Japanese City Pop" that has been the latest abstract genre to swell in Internet popularity. And Miki brings in an interview with upcoming versatile British-Nigerian artist Odeal. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Brandon's Piece - (8:03) "Dancing in the Dark - How Dua Lipa ignored the trends, turned herself into a 'female alpha,' and delivered the modern disco classic we didn’t know we neede...
Mar 10, 2021•1 hr 12 min
In another bonus episode of "In Search of Sauce": Ryan, Miki and Brandon interview a staple of Hip-Hop Journalism, Navjosh! The founder of the legendary HipHopnMore blog. Navjosh has been reporting on Hip-Hop news and interviewing influential figures in the industry for over a decade. He spoke to the guys about the inception of the blog, the challenges of running an indie publication and the controversy that can come with reporting on celebrity news. Thanks for listening! Be sure to help support...
Feb 26, 2021•1 hr 41 min
On this episode of ISOS: Host Miki brings an interview with Mustafa The Poet ahead of his debut project "When Smokes Rises". Tyler brings an interview with R&B duo VanJess, coinciding with their EP "Homegrown" that dropped in the past week. And Jashima brings a piece talking about Questlove's directional debut "Summer of Soul". ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Miki's Pick: (8:18) " Mustafa’s Meditative Songs of Mourning " By Rawiya Kameir Tyler's Pick: (27:53) " VanJess Perfected Their Own R&B...
Feb 12, 2021•54 min
On this episode of ISOS: Jashima brings a piece on TikTok and how the Music Industry is getting real cosy with the booming platform. Ryan brings a piece on UK artists and how the end of Visa-free travel threatens their livelihoods. And host Miki brings an interview with Your Old Droog. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Jashima's Pick - (14:58) " How More TikTok Stars Can Succeed in the Music Industry " By Dan Runcie Ryan's Pick - (32:58) " Solidarity Beyond Borders: Why Artist Visas Are More Than A Bre...
Jan 29, 2021•1 hr 17 min
With the recent news of MF DOOM's passing, there wasn't really anything that hosts Brandon, Miki & Ryan wanted to talk about. So, all three pieces are about MF DOOM in one way or another. So strap in for some catharsis. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Miki's Piece - (14:09) " Hip-Hop Needs No Other Supervillain After MF DOOM " By Craig Jenkins Brandon's Piece - (38:26) " Hero vs. Villain: 'Rhymes Like Dimes '" By Blockhead Ryan's Piece - (57:04) " Engraved, Not Unmarked: The Legacy of MF DOOM " B...
Jan 15, 2021•1 hr 24 min
If you listened to The 5EPN Special last week, you know that there was more that we recorded past the 20 minutes on the Special. So, as promised, here is the extra recording, continuing on from the Special cut. Enjoy! Regularly scheduled programming is back next week. Thanks for listening! Be sure to help support the show by sharing, rating, reviewing and reading the pieces talked about. Support the writers & everyone that helps make this show possible. If you’re an independent writer and wo...
Jan 08, 2021•34 min
In this special episode of ISOS, everyone from the 5EPN, including Brandon, Jashima, Miki, Ryan & Tyler come through to talk to Charlie about the year 2020 in this two-hour Special. You will get words from the ISOS gang as well as hosts of the other 5EPN shows. If you like what you hear from other shows, go peep their work! Support the Network. But apart from that, kick back and enjoy! TIMESTAMPS: Diggin' In The Digits - (4:20) Same 12 Notes - (34:25) "What's Good?" - (1:12:12) In Search Of ...
Dec 31, 2020•2 hr 7 min
On this episode of In Search Of Sauce Ryan, Brandon and Miki interview music journalist Thomas Hobbs! Thomas is a freelance extraordinaire having written for The Independent, The Guardian, the BBC, Okayplayer, Vice, Dazed and so many more. The guys discuss Thomas’ new podcast, Exit The 36 Chambers, as well as how he navigates the journalism industry as a freelancer. Thanks for listening! Be sure to help support the show by sharing, rating, reviewing and reading the pieces talked about. Support t...
Dec 18, 2020•1 hr 55 min
On this episode of ISOS, Ryan brings in a piece on the MP3 and how it may be more important than any other modern form of audio. Jashima brings a piece on recent voice chat/conference/platform Clubhouse and the reverberations it's already made. And host Brandon brings a piece on IDK going to Harvard to teach a crash course on music business that gives a lot more than meets the eye. ARTICLES & TIMESTAMPS: Ryan's Pick - (4:27) " The MP3 At 25: How A Digital File Dynamited The Music Industry " ...
Dec 11, 2020•1 hr 4 min
