Undrscovered: RN ISMO on Detroit, Minimalism and Building the World Around ISMOS
For RN ISMO, stripping music back does not mean reducing its impact.
The Detroit-based DJ, producer and ISMOS founder has built his sound around raw percussion, hypnotic rhythms and the belief that a carefully placed element can carry considerably more weight than an overcrowded arrangement. It is an approach informed by his hometown’s electronic music history, but increasingly shaped by his own desire to test how far a groove can travel with relatively little surrounding it.
“I’m drawn to music that does more with less, where every element has a purpose and the groove carries the record,” he explains. “I like to explore different sounds, but the groove is always at the center of what I do.”
That philosophy runs through his exclusive Undrscovered mix. Rather than constructing a succession of obvious peaks, RN ISMO wanted the set to evolve patiently, allowing individual grooves to establish themselves before gradually pulling the listener somewhere else.
“I enjoy building sets that have a natural progression rather than constantly chasing the biggest moment.”
The objective is movement without predictability.
“I want people to feel comfortable within the groove but occasionally be challenged by what comes next.”
That relationship between DJ and dancefloor goes back to what first attracted him to electronic music. Growing up around Detroit gave ISMO direct proximity to one of dance music’s most significant musical cultures, but it was the communal potential of the music that initially fascinated him.
“I was fascinated by how a DJ could take a room full of strangers and create a shared experience without anyone needing to say a word.”
From there came the desire to understand why certain records worked, why particular grooves could become so infectious and, eventually, how he could use those principles to communicate something of his own.
“Production and performance became form of expression for me. That curiosity continues to drive everything I’m doing today.”
The mix captures where that curiosity has led him. One particularly important inclusion is ‘Snow Leopard’, RN ISMO’s contribution to the first ISMOS various-artists compilation, ABSTRACT VOL. I.
The track distils much of his current production thinking: strong fundamentals, minimal construction and unconventional details orbiting a groove allowed to do most of the work.
It also exists within something considerably larger.
Released in September, ABSTRACT VOL. I brought ten artists together across eight tracks, including Enzo Fazz, GS5, Well Kept US, Falco (US), Zapo, Govan Jones, Andy Arcade, Line.y and Finn Forte.
Rather than asking everyone to reproduce the same narrowly defined sound, ISMOS used minimalism as common language. Rhythm, texture, movement and space became the framework within which each producer could present their own interpretation.
For ISMO, the compilation represents an important step in defining what his label can become.
“It reflects my approach to production: keeping the fundamentals strong, experimenting with unconventional elements and allowing the groove to do most of the talking.”
ABSTRACT VOL. I subsequently reached number one on Beatport’s Garage / Bassline / Grime releases chart, but ISMO was equally interested in taking the project outside the conventional release cycle.
An accompanying event in Detroit combined performances with live painting and immersive visuals, turning the compilation’s ideas around perception, individual interpretation and creative connection into something physical.
“Seeing an idea evolve from a collection of records into an experience that people could actually participate in was incredibly rewarding.”
It is a significant development for an artist whose other milestones already include playing Movement Detroit and releasing through labels including KMS and Repopulate Mars.
Movement carries particular meaning.
“Growing up around Detroit’s electronic music culture and eventually contributing to it as an artist is something I really appreciate.”
Yet building ISMOS has increasingly given RN ISMO another perspective on what establishing a career actually involves.
The creative work remains fundamental, but running a label has exposed the less visible infrastructure surrounding it: releases, relationships, events, audience development and the constant challenge of making something distinctive within an oversaturated musical landscape.
“It’s taught me the importance of patience, consistency and building genuine relationships rather than simply chasing the next opportunity.”
It has also changed how he discovers music.
Beatport, Bandcamp and SoundCloud remain regular digging grounds, particularly smaller labels and artists developing distinctive sounds, while the ISMOS demo inbox and relationships formed through the label continually introduce him to music he might otherwise miss.
Genre is secondary.
“I’m more interested in whether a track has something unique about it and whether I can find the right moment for it in a set.”
That mentality is reflected throughout the Undrscovered mix. It is less concerned with demonstrating allegiance to a tightly defined minimal sound than showing how different records can coexist when the groove connecting them is strong enough.
The same idea increasingly governs his productions.
“Sometimes a really strong bassline, an interesting percussion pattern and one unexpected sound are all you need to create something memorable.”
For ISMO, minimalism therefore becomes less about austerity than intention. Every sound needs a reason to occupy the space, but those boundaries still leave room for influences from elsewhere in electronic music.
He summarises the wider ISMOS philosophy simply: “expression outside your comfort zone, inside your groove.”
That phrase also provides a useful description of where RN ISMO appears to be heading.
Following ABSTRACT VOL. I, plans are developing to extend the compilation through recorded DJ sets and additional content, while new productions and collaborations continue behind the scenes. More importantly, ISMO wants the label to operate as something broader than a pipeline for releasing records.
“We started with a compilation and eventually created an entire physical experience around it.”
Over the coming year, he intends to continue developing that relationship between music, visual art and community while pushing his own productions into unfamiliar territory.
It brings his story back to the same thing that first attracted him to electronic music: the ability to build connections between people through sound.
The tools around that idea may now include a label, compilations, immersive events and an expanding network of artists, but the fundamental principle remains remarkably simple.
“Ultimately, I want people to associate RN ISMO and ISMOS with music that encourages them to experience something outside their comfort zone while staying connected to the groove.”
For his Undrscovered mix, that is exactly where he begins.
