Julian Isorena a.k.a. ISOxo burst onto the scene in late 2019 with the release of glitchy trap slapper “Radial” with best bud and collaborator Knock2, among the first batch of tracks ever released on RL Grime’s newly founded label Sable Valley. Radial was an instant hit – immediately incorporated into setlists and rinsed by all the big names in trap and bass music.
ISOxo’s subsequent release came in the form of another collab, this time with heavy hitter Peekaboo. “Powermove” was released in early 2020 right before the pandemic hit full blast, another banger delivered to cement Julian’s status as a rising star.
As the EDM world moved into live-streaming and virtual festivals with the pandemic in full swing, many artists who previously hadn’t played the big stages yet were able to showcase their performance skills to the world. For ISOxo, this generated even more hype and anticipation for what would be possible once nightlife returned. With virtual sets for Insomniac, Brownies & Lemonade, and RL Grime’s Halloween IX, it was made clear that not only was ISOxo a talented producer but also an incredible performer with the DJ skills to boot. These sets also featured tons of unreleased IDs, flips and remixes.
In April 2021, his biggest collab to date was released. ISOxo and the trap don himself, RL Grime – “Stinger” marked a level-up in the game. Things were about to get serious; anticipation in the community was ramping up as nightlife in the US was making a comeback, shows and festivals returning. The collab with RL signified big things were on the horizon for ISOxo.
July 2021, the first solo single drops on Sable Valley. ISOxo – “Aarena” accompanied by a full-fledged music video (a first for the label). The trap community gave its full support, anticipation hitting a fever pitch.
September 2021, ISOxo’s debut EP “Nightrealm” is announced and released within a week. Aarena was indeed a tease (and included in the 5-track EP). The trap community goes bonkers! ISOxo is hailed as the future, EDM is having a trap renaissance and ISOxo is leading the way. The EP is everything we wanted, and more. It’s a world of its own, it’s lush, cinematic. It hits all the right grooves and harmonies to drive mosh pits while also providing the space to breathe and reset before flailing those trap arms again. The vocal samples are perfect. The sound design is incredible. Everything falls into place. An absolute journey.
ISOxo’s headline debut and Nightrealm EP premiere is immediately announced for Los Angeles. Within a day, the initial venue is sold out and the promoter decides to upscale to a venue 3x the original size. The new venue, Teragram Ballroom – also gets sold out. October 16, 2021 is a historic day. The energy is electric. The crowd is chanting all the vocal samples. The mosh pits are wild. Flosstradamus and RL show up as special guests. This mad kid from San Diego has made his dreams a reality.
//www.instagram.com/embed.js
(cont. page 2)
