No longer lit by the bright ambient light of our CDJ's, this week on CENTER BOOTH we plunge into the dark abyss for our very first live hardware set, and who better to break us in than the legendary Providence-based artist Isabella Koen, a veritable mastermind of the craft. Not only is she known for her crushing live sets in clubs around the world, including at Basement and Nowadays here in New York, Tresor and Draaimolen Festival abroad, just to name a few, she's also a literal Professor of Electronic Production and Design at the esteemed Berklee College of Music in Boston. And if that wasn't enough hats to wear, she's also set to open a new listening bar called Piccolo in Providence, bringing further richness to a city already brimming with talent and creativity.

For her set at CENTER BOOTH, she works with a rather concise sibling-setup of an Elektron Octatrack mk1 and an Elektron Rytm mk2, utilizing a diverse range of propulsive programmed rhythms to wade through thick sonic sludge. The result is a powerful, triumphant sound that never fails to throw crowds into a frenzy. We're in awe of this one, totally confounded by her unique ability to weave together an intricate array of dissonant sounds and somehow make it make complete and utter sense. The experience of seeing it in person is baffling and heroic, garnering a response that is both guttural and genuine. It's an honor to have her grace our stage, and to give you a taste of this inimitable East Coast artist.

For further listening, check out her excellent releases on Peder Mannerfelt Produktions, iDEAL Recordings, Rank+File, and Synthetic Pleasures.