Booking Enquiries: isntses@gmail.com
ISN'TSES - AUDIO VISUAL PERFORMERS
Harsh Fun
The duo crafts an audacious and exhilarating sonic landscape that draws inspiration from a fusion of genres, including squat techno, dance music, noise, dark wave and industrial elements. Their creation is a unique amalgamation of these influences, resulting in a sound that is both fierce and amusing.
A striking aspect of their performance lies in their choice to incorporate unconventional elements like lightsabers and other toys. This deliberate inclusion serves as an act of rebellion against the often intimidating or austere discourse and aesthetics associated with harsh noise. Rather than diluting the intensity, their intention is to subvert expectations. By interweaving these unexpected props into their presentation, they reshape the narrative, challenging preconceptions and introducing an unexpected layer of “harsh fun”.
This subversion goes beyond mere surface-level alteration. It's an act that transforms the context, inviting the audience to reconsider their preconceived notions about the relationship between aggression and amusement. Through their innovative approach, they create an environment where the boundary between rebellion and entertainment blurs, prompting a fresh perspective on the ways in which art can confront, reshape, and ultimately redefine established norms.
Their music explores a variety of themes encompassing but not limited to:
Sonic Exploration: Within the sonic realms and sound waves, a spirit of rebellion emerges as they break free from conventional musical boundaries. Their noise-music-beat fusion serves as a testament to the boundless possibilities of sound, a declaration that artistic innovation knows no limits.
Intergalactic Heroism: Their narratives of intergalactic heroism transcend the ordinary, reflecting a yearning for heroism in the face of cosmic adversity and a communication with something that often seems bigger than themselves. These stories mirror the struggles faced by individuals within our own world, connecting the galactic, the otherworldly and the personal in a space opera of resilience.
Paganism: Their compositions evoke the ancient rhythms and mystical energies associated with paganism, embracing the connection between humanity and the natural world. Through their music, they rekindle a reverence for traditions that often stands in contrast to modern societal norms. Drawing on Lisa's ancestral link to the mystique and potency of masks, coupled with Tim's vague fascination with the warlike and shamanic rituals of the Vikings, the duo delve into the metamorphic aspect of wearing costumes. This allows them to practice a dual identity on stage, delving into a realm of transformation.
Freedom of Expression: The duo's work serves as a sonic manifesto for the freedom to voice dissent, to challenge oppressive structures, and to stand firm against the silencing of individual perspectives in the face of the prevailing norm. Their soundscapes become a rallying cry for the power of unrestricted self-expression.
Amidst these themes, the elements of political anger sharpen the edges of their compositions, giving their performance a sense of urgency and defiance. Their music becomes a vessel for not only artistic expression but also for the articulation of dissent, a sonic testament to the need for change, the power of the collective voice and the freedom of the individual against oppressive structures and authoritarian dogma.
In addition to their personal DIY instruments they have designed and manufactured two psychogeographic synthesiser circuits: the Fort Processor, a touch and light controlled instrument and effects unit, and the Chernobylizer, a touch and power-starve controlled noise synth which won Award of Merit at Maker Music Festival 2021.
Isn’tses in Action :
Isn’tses have performed recently at Gate Festival, C.Rockefeller Centre for the Contemporary Arts, Mayhem Night, Electropixel Festival, Raw Power, Renaissance Alternative Music Festival 2022, Baba Yaga's Hut, DISSOLVING BOUNDARIES, Sonic Electronics Festival 2019, Hackoustic Presents, coding in GE> 2018, Fort Process 2018, Baba Yaga's Hut New Years EEE Party, Liminality (Cacophony, Gallery 46), No Format Gallery, Festival Bergerie #3, France, Modern Panic VIII, Dronica, Woodland Gathering, Bunker Theatre, SOTU Festival Amsterdam.
They played live on Resonance FM (Bad Punk, The Wrong Show, Bermuda Triangle Test Transmission), Cashmere Radio Berlin and were played on Graham Dunning’s NTS Radio show “Fractal Meat on a Spongy Bone” Isn'tses have released recordings as hand-crafted cassette editions including “Punctum” and “Ultimate Problem of Documentation”. They were featured in catalogue and cd compilation for 3 Years of Dronica and artist compilation for Sonic Electronics Festival.
"London-based duo of Lisa McKendrick and Tim Drage, have a wicked sense of humour and a unique visual aesthetic, dressing in bespoke sequinned costumes which make them look like displaced grapplers from an obscure Japanese indy wrestling division. Mere eye candy they ain’t, mind: Punctum, their third self-released cassette, is an epic 90 minutes of obscurely crafted analogue machine gurgle – “an album of mysterious origin”, the sole description on the Bandcamp page, may not specifically refer to its methodology but certainly could." - Noel Gardner, The Quietus
“you can’t replicate that signature sound you have....so dense and full of detail and movement....a different use of space...really tight and immediate and close” - Bermuda Triangle Test Transmissions, Resonance FM
Contact: isntses@gmail.com
Instagram @lisa_mckendrick
Harsh Fun
The duo crafts an audacious and exhilarating sonic landscape that draws inspiration from a fusion of genres, including squat techno, dance music, noise, dark wave and industrial elements. Their creation is a unique amalgamation of these influences, resulting in a sound that is both fierce and amusing.
A striking aspect of their performance lies in their choice to incorporate unconventional elements like lightsabers and other toys. This deliberate inclusion serves as an act of rebellion against the often intimidating or austere discourse and aesthetics associated with harsh noise. Rather than diluting the intensity, their intention is to subvert expectations. By interweaving these unexpected props into their presentation, they reshape the narrative, challenging preconceptions and introducing an unexpected layer of “harsh fun”.
This subversion goes beyond mere surface-level alteration. It's an act that transforms the context, inviting the audience to reconsider their preconceived notions about the relationship between aggression and amusement. Through their innovative approach, they create an environment where the boundary between rebellion and entertainment blurs, prompting a fresh perspective on the ways in which art can confront, reshape, and ultimately redefine established norms.
Their music explores a variety of themes encompassing but not limited to:
Sonic Exploration: Within the sonic realms and sound waves, a spirit of rebellion emerges as they break free from conventional musical boundaries. Their noise-music-beat fusion serves as a testament to the boundless possibilities of sound, a declaration that artistic innovation knows no limits.
Intergalactic Heroism: Their narratives of intergalactic heroism transcend the ordinary, reflecting a yearning for heroism in the face of cosmic adversity and a communication with something that often seems bigger than themselves. These stories mirror the struggles faced by individuals within our own world, connecting the galactic, the otherworldly and the personal in a space opera of resilience.
Paganism: Their compositions evoke the ancient rhythms and mystical energies associated with paganism, embracing the connection between humanity and the natural world. Through their music, they rekindle a reverence for traditions that often stands in contrast to modern societal norms. Drawing on Lisa's ancestral link to the mystique and potency of masks, coupled with Tim's vague fascination with the warlike and shamanic rituals of the Vikings, the duo delve into the metamorphic aspect of wearing costumes. This allows them to practice a dual identity on stage, delving into a realm of transformation.
Freedom of Expression: The duo's work serves as a sonic manifesto for the freedom to voice dissent, to challenge oppressive structures, and to stand firm against the silencing of individual perspectives in the face of the prevailing norm. Their soundscapes become a rallying cry for the power of unrestricted self-expression.
Amidst these themes, the elements of political anger sharpen the edges of their compositions, giving their performance a sense of urgency and defiance. Their music becomes a vessel for not only artistic expression but also for the articulation of dissent, a sonic testament to the need for change, the power of the collective voice and the freedom of the individual against oppressive structures and authoritarian dogma.
In addition to their personal DIY instruments they have designed and manufactured two psychogeographic synthesiser circuits: the Fort Processor, a touch and light controlled instrument and effects unit, and the Chernobylizer, a touch and power-starve controlled noise synth which won Award of Merit at Maker Music Festival 2021.
Isn’tses in Action :
Isn’tses have performed recently at Gate Festival, C.Rockefeller Centre for the Contemporary Arts, Mayhem Night, Electropixel Festival, Raw Power, Renaissance Alternative Music Festival 2022, Baba Yaga's Hut, DISSOLVING BOUNDARIES, Sonic Electronics Festival 2019, Hackoustic Presents, coding in GE> 2018, Fort Process 2018, Baba Yaga's Hut New Years EEE Party, Liminality (Cacophony, Gallery 46), No Format Gallery, Festival Bergerie #3, France, Modern Panic VIII, Dronica, Woodland Gathering, Bunker Theatre, SOTU Festival Amsterdam.
They played live on Resonance FM (Bad Punk, The Wrong Show, Bermuda Triangle Test Transmission), Cashmere Radio Berlin and were played on Graham Dunning’s NTS Radio show “Fractal Meat on a Spongy Bone” Isn'tses have released recordings as hand-crafted cassette editions including “Punctum” and “Ultimate Problem of Documentation”. They were featured in catalogue and cd compilation for 3 Years of Dronica and artist compilation for Sonic Electronics Festival.
"London-based duo of Lisa McKendrick and Tim Drage, have a wicked sense of humour and a unique visual aesthetic, dressing in bespoke sequinned costumes which make them look like displaced grapplers from an obscure Japanese indy wrestling division. Mere eye candy they ain’t, mind: Punctum, their third self-released cassette, is an epic 90 minutes of obscurely crafted analogue machine gurgle – “an album of mysterious origin”, the sole description on the Bandcamp page, may not specifically refer to its methodology but certainly could." - Noel Gardner, The Quietus
“you can’t replicate that signature sound you have....so dense and full of detail and movement....a different use of space...really tight and immediate and close” - Bermuda Triangle Test Transmissions, Resonance FM
Contact: isntses@gmail.com
Instagram @lisa_mckendrick
Live at IKLECTIK
