!N_K°L/\B is a new and innovative series bringing together pioneering, established and emerging artists and composer-producers to collaborate in various studios and pop-up locations. Founded in 2019 by composer-producer Katia Isakoff and powered by Women Produce Music and its supporters, each series sees a new guest pioneer and group joining her.  Together, they embark on the journey of making an album through improvisation and exploration of the studio as an instrument. The mission: to build a global network through musical collaborations – one album and city at a time: join us!

MAKING WAVES WITH SUZANNE CIANI IN FOUR MOVEMENTS 

Isakoff pulled off quite a coup attracting the pioneering Buchla maestro Suzanne Ciani to the project. The first collaboration, “Making Waves With Suzanne Ciani”, was presented in space-filling quadraphonic sound for the invited audience at British Grove Studios.

Electronic Music Magazine, 2020

 

The first IN_KoLAB series was hosted in July, 2019 by British Grove Studios. The group spent two days recording and filming what would become a four movement piece called IN_KoLAB Making Waves with Suzanne Ciani.  In December 2019, the group returned to British Grove Studios for an intimate and immersive playback launch in quadraphonic. The album and accompanying short will be released in 2022 and plans are in motion for the next series.

I am honored to be part of Katia Isakoff’s latest initiative to catalyse the role and visibility of women in the recording studio.   Noticing a lack of female presence in the professional arena of producing, she is not just lamenting this fact, but taking action to prime the pump that will release a flow of future talent.  Brava!

Suzanne Ciani, 2019

 

Katia Isakoff is a composer and multi-instrumentalist producer whose performances and productions first appeared in the Add N To (X) album Loud Like Nature (Mute Records).  She has since collaborated on numerous albums and projects including John Foxx and Steve D’Agostino’s Evidence of Time Travel which was composed and produced at her London studio.

Having contributed synths and co-mixed EOTT, she went on to join them for a live concert performance at Electri_City Conference Dusseldorf, adding Moog Theremini to the sonic architecture of this ever evolving and expansive Karborn graphic novel, which premiered with a live performance at the British Film Institute UK and Sonic Acts Festival, Amsterdam.  She has since spent much of her time between London and Berlin where she continues to compose and produce.

 

Inkolab is, in essence, the culmination of every idea, hope and vision I have explored whilst considering how to move the conversation forward and tell our story. The answer was, and is, where it’s always been – in music – in the studio – through collaboration, friends and community.  No words can express how grateful and thrilled I am to have made our inaugrual journey with Suzanne Ciani as our sonic guide; and to be sharing this experience with Anil Aykan and Marta Salogni. This really was a dream come true; experimenting and producing music which features the Buchla and Moog sound with Suzanne at the helm – in quadraphonic – was an immersive sonic adventure and I’m enormously proud of the results –  it’s hauntingly beautiful and the gift of a successful collaboration – our first IN_KoLAB.

Katia Isakoff, 2019

 

Emerging composer performer Anil Aykan a designer and member of the minimal electronic duo Fragile Self, who recently released their debut self-titled album. Anil’s increasing need for a collective experience and social communication through art led her to a double life between visual arts and music. She is currently exploring the sound spectrum and potential of beats as well as human voice to express both the subconscious and extreme states of mind. 

 

IN_KoLAB was a life-changing experience; during the two days  at British Grove Studios, I went through the most intense feelings, both emotionally and creatively – I certainly came out of it a new person.  It was an honour having the chance to work with very experienced and professional musicians, producers and engineers at this amazing historical studio, but it was also an intimidating and challenging process.  It took a bit of time to find my way around, but I chose to embrace the feeling of the unknown and  rose to the challenge of being out of my comfort zone.  As a result I made many new discoveries which will stay with me forever. Certainly the playback session was one of the most memorable parts of the collaboration, sharing the outcome with the other creative minds and significant representatives of the music industry was very rewarding. Also standing shoulder to shoulder with such inspiring women in front of our audience was an important symbolic moment. 

Anil Aykan, 2019

 

Marta Salogni who, when not in the studio producing, mixing and engineering, can be found performing with her new quintet Melos Kalpa using tape machines, loops and delays. Credits include Bjork, M.I.A, Holly Herndon, Factory Floor, Goldfrapp, FKA Twigs.

 

It was such a powerful experience to collaborate with Suzanne, Katia and Anil at British Grove Studios.  I felt the freedom to be able to compose and improvise with my tapes alongside three artists I admire, using the studio as an instrument, seamlessly building soundscapes and architectures –  guiding and guided.  The sounds were flowing with such spontaneity.  It felt like our collaboration and sounds were so natural – that it was all meant to be no matter what.

Marta Salogni, 2019