Ishivu - Gryning / Skymning
Gothenburg wunderkind Ishivu has a reputation that outstrips his young age. From lighting up the blogosphere with his early electro agitations, through the seamless transition to hotly-tipped house creations, Ishivu has left a lasting impression in a handful of years. Now well and truly on-the-rise, the artist also known as Liam J. Cohen is garnering heavyweight attention for his quirky, daydreamy and vividly impressionistic approach to house.
This restless Swedish youth and his tendency to stray from the beaten path brought him to the attention of fellow Swedish house cat, NIBC of Trunkfunk Records. Ishivu’s deeper than deep “Nangilima” for Trunkfunk showcase EP Marble was directly followed by his debut record Spell #1. Grounded at the point where novel and experimental intersects, Ishivu’s Trunkfunk transmissions are all underpinned with deep understanding of music genealogy.
Holding down a DJ residency with Gothenburg nightlifte institution Yaki-Da – where he also curates club and cultural programmes – has impacted on Ishivu’s performance instincts. Paying little regard to genres, his sets weave from raw Theo Parrish beats to AFX acid meltdowns, and through a plethora of personalized edits sourced from an extensive library of soul-rooted music .
Both in front of a crowd and in the studio, Ishivu is unafraid to sample all shades of the sound palette in pursuit of true free-form expression. The next stop for this up-and-comer is Gryning/Skymning EP with Trunkfunk Records; capturing the essence of dawn and dusk as much in its contrasting atmospheres as in the native tongue of its title, Gryning/Skymning provides an aural analogy of a uniquely Nordic wilderness, with the help of Matt Karmil and Shakarchi & Stranéus on remix duties. As 2015 progresses, Ishivu will make a home for himself with hyped Stockholm label Omena Records, headed by DJ Tooli of Local Talk acclaim, where he will rub elbows with the likes of HNNY, and further continue his atypical yet promising musical evolution.
