Lately I haven't bought many albums but Amon Tobin is one musician I'm still interested in listening to and his new release elevates his work to a new level artisticly.
While ISAM lacks some of the variety of Tobin's last album it reminds me of his early work in the cinematic vibe and surprising shifts of mood. There's the trademark whizzing sounds but the drum breaks aren't as manic. It's quite refined and coherent as a body of work though.
Previously I've been a bit dismissive of fancy CD packaging, sometimes it seems like the fancier the cover the less one should expect of the contents. But now I know better because the new Amon Tobin album gives purpose to such cosmetic detail.
The deluxe packaging for Tobin's new album ISAM uses a hardcover booklet to house colour reproductions of a collaboration that harkens back to times of yore when one would listen to a whole album and marvel at its artwork.
The record label Ninja Tune have produced a lovely document to package Tobin's album and it's really made me rethink the demise of buying a physical record. Ninja Tune also released a beautiful package for their 20th anniversary the other year and I really like their focus on creating a tactile listening experience.
