Isis Graham Music: Recent Episodes
Esette
Also known as Isis Graham. Twitch.tv/esettemusic
Notoriously resilient and innovative, Esette’s unyielding work ethic, paired with over twenty years of music industry experience, have made her a household name in Western Canada. As one of the guiding forces of cultural phenomena such as The Alberta Electronic Music Conference, Girls on Decks, and Substation Recordings, Esette (aka Isis Graham) is equally comfortable behind the decks or behind the scenes.
Graham first began throwing raves in 1998, witnessing the height of Calgary’s renegade party scene with events that drew as many as 1600 people. In 1999 she began DJing, and after local bylaws brought about the end of raves the following year, she brought her sounds to some of the most notable Western Canadian venues of the last two decades, appearing at legendary spots like the Embassy, Cherry Lounge, Habitat Living Sound, 9910, The Hifi Club, Open Studios, Beaumont Studios, Gorg-O-Mish, Bloom, and the Night Gallery. She’s been invited to play notable festivals like Bass Coast, WMC, Decibel, Think! Festival, Shambhala and ADE.
In 2003 Graham was invited to become a founding member of Girls On Decks, a group dedicated to increasing the visibility of female & non binary DJs in dance music. Together with the other members, Graham showed her ability to incite critical change by giving numerous women DJs a platform to develop, an initiative that still remains today.
Since 2007, Graham has developed her catalogue as a producer with a string of releases on Supremus Music, O*rs, Substation Recordings, RF and Nordic Trax and more. Her 30-plus releases have received support from artists like Maceo Plex, Fred Everything, Giom, Luke McKeehan, Animal Trainer, Vanilla Ace, Seth Troxler, Jamie Jones, DJ Heather, DOZA, and Pezzner. From 2013-2018 she worked as A/R with the Calgary based, Canadian content label Substation Recordings. She is also a co-founder in Calgary's first producer based listening event series, Studio Social, which aims to connect producers outside the studio space and foster collaboration and social awareness.
Graham is a co-founder, curator and production manager of the Alberta Electronic Music Conference, a growing boutique gathering of electronic music masterminds and up-and-comers which takes place at the National Music Centre in Calgary annually in November. The 2019 event featured over 60 panels, workshops, artist talks and mentorship opportunities for emerging artists as well as an immersive nightlife program. In 2019, Isis won the Avenue Magazine "Top 40 Under 40" award for entrepreneurship and innovation for her work in Calgary.
Esette’s knack for launching boundary-breaking initiatives and movements bleeds into her identity as a performer. Ever-changing and effervescent, her multifaceted approach and raw passion are contagious, a testament to the tenacity and zest she wishes to share with those around her.
In this episode, lighting and sound technicians Dan Derksen & Michelle Sparksman reveal what it's like to work behind the scenes of big event production. Both Dan and Michelle work for Calgary's premier sound company PK Sound and typically spend their summers touring around at major events. All of that has changed since Covid-19 and I touch base with them via Zoom to see what's going on in their worlds.
This podcast is also available on iTunes, Spotify, Podbean and wherever else you get your podcasts!
The first release for Deus and a long-awaited return for Isis, Palma is a slow-burning track designed for late nights.
The Balearics are known as a mecca for electronic music, fostering some of the most legendary DJ's, clubs, and party series like Cafe Del Mar, Cream, and Space. After seeing the beauty first-hand, we understood why our community calls this nook of the world "home" for the summer. We visited Palma de Majorca in the fall of 2018 for a week of sunsets, tapas & sightseeing. We returned to the islands exactly one year later, this time to the hustle and bustle of the Ibiza clubland, but we thought it best to name this track as a tribute to the historic, tranquil and colorful town - Palma.
The artwork for this release was done by James Tollefson aka Stalemate Photography. Mixing and mastering done by Kloves.
Download the OAK feat zZenith "Breathe" EP for free via the Noctilux Collective! A lovely set of tracks with the heart in mind.
www.noctiluxcollective.com
Enjoy a free download of Matt Caine's "Baby Blue Eyes" remix compilation by Matt Caine, Isis Graham & Krystle Love B.
Follow @mattcaine @krystleloveb @isisgraham
Enjoy a free download of Matt Caine's "Baby Blue Eyes" remix compilation by Matt Caine, Isis Graham & Krystle Love B.
Follow @mattcaine @krystleloveb @isisgraham
Enjoy a free download of Matt Caine's "Baby Blue Eyes" remix compilation by Matt Caine, Isis Graham & Krystle Love B.
Follow @mattcaine @krystleloveb @isisgraham
Graham has risen to become one of the central architects of Calgary’s house music scene. Her collection of hand-curated parties, and routine appearances at some of the city’s most culturally significant nightclubs, have helped set the tone for Calgary’s dance music landscape. Her original productions have been equally as influential, landing her appearances at nationally renowned festivals like Sled Island and Bass Coast.
On her latest EP You, Graham teams up with other equally influential Calgary artists to turn back the clock, channeling the early 90’s rave stylings of artists like The Orb, A Guy Called Gerald, and Sasha. The original version of the song delivers an ambient, acid and trance-tinged classic sound with a modern twist.
Graham’s frequent co-collaborator Matt Caine, who also has releases on Substation, takes the original in a melodic direction with heavy, resonating synth pads.
Wax Romeo, the name behind the Hifi club’s hugely successful Celevrate parties, draws on his disco background to give his rendition a smooth synthwave-inspired ambiance.
This release marks the first Substation appearance of Chordlust, an artist with roots in the Toronto scene. His captivating minimal remix is a testament to why he could easily become one of the most visible artists in the Canadian mid-west by the end of the year.
This EP signals a return of one of the most significant, yet seldom explored eras of dance music history. This, combined with the introduction of Chordlust, and the eclectic team of remixers, makes this EP a must-have for house music historians and new fans alike.
Drawing from acid-house inspirations like never before, Matt Caine's Substation debut EP from last year is still one of his most prolific releases to date. Naturally this remix pack has been curated with the same amount of passion and features some of Substation's top producers as well as some fresh talent to add to our growing roster of Western Canadian artists. Crime Boss was our top selling track in 2014 and these remixes certainly live up to the hype!
BUY ON BEATPORT, JUNODL & TRAXSOURCE JUNE 1
Follow the remix artists: Substation Recordings @substationrecordings Matt Caine @mattcaine Jon Delerious @jondelerious Isis Graham @isis-graham Enno Karr @ennokarr Michelle C @djmichellec James Carignan @jamescarignan