Isabella Koen

Assistant Professor

Affiliated Departments

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Isabella Koen is a sound artist, DJ, and producer best known for her hard-driving, all-hardware live sets, and off-kilter releases. Her practice developed in the belly of underground art and performance spaces and incorporates the dual role of artist and researcher. Her sound is rooted in broad-ranging experimentation while simultaneously extracting known sonic signifiers from classic rave, hard techno, trance, and drum 'n' bass. She currently lives in Providence, Rhode Island, where she co-runs a monthly collective listening group. She enjoys focusing her work around facets of psychedelia, psychoacoustics, self-reflective writing, and nature.

Koen has released work on international labels, such as Peder Mannerfelt Produktions, Mama Told Ya, iDEAL Recordings, and Osare! Editions, to name a few. Past tours have traversed most of Europe and the US, playing clubs and festivals, such as Norbergfest, Draaimolen, Tresor, Strom Fest, Basement, and Kaiku, among others. She has played alongside artists such as DJ Stingray, Severed Heads, Errorsmith, Herrensauna, Christoph De Babalon, and Caterina Barberi, among others.

As a hardware gal, her current setup consists of the Elektron Octatrack mk1, Elektron Rytm mk2, and the Access Virus C.

Courses Taught (4)

DJ Techniques for EDI Players and Music Producers

ISEL-250

Hardware Performance Studies

ISEL-260

Producing Music With Ableton Live

MTEC-213

Performing Electronic Music with Effects

MTEC-310

Career Highlights

Specializes in Elektron gear and hardware
Curated music for the Museum of Fine Arts' first 24-hour event
Cofounder of Sound Affects
Keynote speaker on "Creating a Live Hardware Set" at Carnegie Mellon University
Collaborated with Rachel Devorah Wood Rome

Education

School Name

Massachusetts College of Art and Design

State or Province

Massachusetts

Degree

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Field of Study

Art

Date Degree Received

2019

In Their Own Words

I want my students to feel confident in their creative expression, to take risks and nurture their artistic practice to the fullest. It's important to me to create a space that bolsters students' experimentation and critical thinking around performance and music. I strive to bring real-world situations into the classroom as well as to create a bridge from the studio to the stage.

Having come up through underground and DIY show spaces, I have a strong understanding of what it means to come from community-run venues, all the way to large-scale festivals and clubs. I have released numerous records via a diverse selection of labels all around the world, and I have worked with artists producing, remixing, and mentoring. My career as an artist directly informs my teaching in that I am able to provide connections for students with other artists and labels working in the techno and experimental electronic music field. My education in art has taught me strategies for creative problem-solving in real time, as well as conceptual approaches to a generative sound praxis and a rigorous studio commitment. These, in combination with my love for creating an inclusive teaching environment, contribute to my pedagogical and performance practices as a whole.