An Electronic Hero: “Isoipstar” has epic otherworldly aspirations!
“Isoipstar” is a 3 track EP by the Italian musical project An Electronic Hero. “Isoipstar” is a neologism created by Federico Foria alias An Electronic Hero, merging the word ‘isoipsa’ (from the greek hypsos “height”), which means, a contour line, that is a line joining points of equal elevation above a given level, and the word ‘star’. Federico Foria is a civil engineer that has played music since he was a child. The solo project An Electronic Hero was founded in 2014, with two EP’s in its discography (An Electronic Sphere and Isoipstar) and more than 1 million plays, 20 festivals and some important prizes, especially for the two video clips of the singles: Sun (An Electronic Sphere) and After Universe (Isoipstar).
It’s not that An Electronic Hero, has pitched a tent in the ’80s-revivalist camp. It’s as if music of “Isoipstar” is being unearthed from the 1980s and early 90’s, and somehow repackaged and taken in new directions with the help of today’s technology.
The style employed on this EP feels like the front end of a burgeoning trend. Federico Foria has a keen sense for melody, which paired with his entrenched connection to electronica and techno sounds, creates something akin to a form of classic British new wave.
The opening song, “Earth 1989 ft. Dying Seed, Mariax”, is a thick, pumping slab of electronic pop with enough dark and light shades to make Brian Eno blush. The atmosphere is also helped by the vocals which are reverberating and powerful, yet ethereal enough to send chills down your spine.
The song is full-on retro electronic, offering tantalizing, opposites-attract marriage of electronic fuzz with soaring melodies and lilting robotic voices. In places it may remind one of flamboyant space rock a la Muse.
But nothing tops the instantly infectious slow-burner “Fireworks feat. Que Da Wiz, Mariax”, which for me is the best track of the bunch here. Plodding big synth drums and the singing, in a voice that’s warm, searching, and powerfully affecting, drives the melody that will bury itself into your head and deep into your soul.
“After Universe feat. Erich Hollaway, Que Da Wiz & Mariax” rides on emphatic, booming bass-driven soundscape and a larger than life baritone spoken voice. The track is further embellished by layers of tricky vocal harmonies which keep the listener glued to the aural tropes.
There’s no mistaking that “Isoipstar” has epic otherworldly aspirations, but it’s heights are easily climbed because An Electronic Hero always remembers to bring the clever hooks which are subtle enough not to overwhelm and present enough to catch your attention.
Throughout, he changes the tempo and shifts the mood often enough to keep the proceedings interesting, and at times jaw-dropping. All-round the recording is a thunderously tightly woven production. The EP includes many features: Eric Hollaway, Que Da Wiz, and Mariax but all the music, the lyrics, the melodies, the recording and the mastering is performed by Federico Foria.
OFFICIAL LINKS: YOUTUBE – SOUNDCLOUD – FACEBOOK
I bother you in the past for the quality of the music, you have turned the point. Great work, Fireworks is really a masterpiece (TOTALLY). Max respect, master.