Dancing Astronaut’s Breakout Artists of 2022: ISOxo and Knock2
by: Zach Salafia
Dec 13, 2022
Annually, the designation of Breakout Artist is often reserved for a singular particular person who rode a meteoric ascent throughout the collective zeitgeist’s radar that 12 months, and captured a stage of ubiquity they hadn’t beforehand achieved—the artist whose 12 months was outlined by their level-up, so to talk. In 2022, there was no scarcity of artists to contemplate on this class, however for the primary time in current reminiscence, two names continued to come back up, each inextricably interwoven, and but each individually up subsequent. Being nearly unimaginable to say one with out the opposite, this 12 months, each ISOxo and Knock2 declare Dancing Astronaut‘s Breakout crown(s). A steadfast case could possibly be made for both producer, however when contemplating both’s breakout candidacy, the 2 selectors’ lockstep frequency this 12 months made essentially the most compelling case for a shared designation this 12 months.
ISOxo and Knock2 have been sonically joined on the hip, going again to 2019 when the duo launched their collaborative single “Radial” on RL Grime‘s Sable Valley imprint. The 2 rapidly adopted up with the launch of a back-to-back combine sequence ISOKNOCK 1: THE RAID, and from there, they had been off to the races. Being nominated as Dancing Astronaut Artists to Watch in 2021, that nod would instantly pay dividends within the type of two stellar debut EPs, ISOxo with Nightrealm and Knock2 with the 2HEARTs EP.
Within the wake of their dueling EPs, the 2 appeared decided to proceed to outdo themselves on the discharge radar in 2022. ISOxo kickstarted his marketing campaign with “REDloop“—a searing ID that appeared in RL Grime’s “Halloween X” set on the Hollywood Palladium. Then got here a heavy entice edit of Boombox Cartel, Kaaris, and Mr. Carmack‘s “Chargé.” And each tracks completely exemplify his distinctive manufacturing potential to seamlessly fuse collectively high-octane entice with gritty house-driven parts. One in every of our most-sought IDs of 2022, “Angels Touchdown” with FrostTop laced the summer time collectively for ISOxo earlier than closing out this 12 months with a pointy outing on NIGHTMODE titled “inhuman” and a G Jones collaboration on “Say What.”
In the meantime, this 12 months Knock2 honed a steadiness of each his signature bass-house aptitude and a imply penchant for entice stylings on cuts like “PARANOiD,” “gettin’ hott” on NIGHTMODE and “JADE” on Sable Valley, garnering help from RL Grime on his “Halloween XI: Useless Area” set in October. Moreover, Knock2 shared a shock “dlux” version of 2HEARTs that included a bonus minimize “my luv” and a remix of “murdah” by Asdek.
However Knock2’s pièce de résistance got here in July with the discharge of the VIP mixture of his hit unique “dashstar*”—an simple, licensed competition anthem. Most impressively is that from DJ Snake and Afrojack to Wooli, Blanke, Tchami and Malaa—with Martin Garrix, Audien, The Chainsmokers, and Kill The Noise in between—among the most revered tastemakers within the trade have supported Knock2’s work. At simply 23, such a large ranging seal of approval is sort of the feat of excellence. And to have music able to being performed out by among the greats in genres spanning from progressive home to dubstep is a testomony to the common enchantment of what Knock2 is cooking up. The cherry on prime got here with a debut on the Billboard charts with “dashstar*.”
Each artists made waves within the stay setting as effectively. In his competition debut, ISOxo notably had a double serving units at HARD Summer time and hosted a stage takeover of his personal: ISOxo Presents: NIGHTREALM. It featured a rigorously curated lineup alongside Dancing Astronaut Artists to Watch Aleko, FrostTop, and Villa together with established veterans like Flosstradamus, JAWNS, and Mr. Carmack.
Knock2 additionally made his competition debut at EDC Las Vegas as a part of NIGHTMODE’s label takeover this 12 months. Holding a major slot subsequent to Kx5‘s debut efficiency, Excision, and A-Trak, Knock2 nonetheless managed to pack out the Rynobus into the walkways. Then got here the Brownies & Lemonade-backed ROOM202 debut headline present in Los Angeles, which kicked off a run of headlining exhibits throughout the 12 months and finally an adrenaline-pumping homecoming present in San Diego.
Particular person accomplishments apart, what ISOxo and Knock2 managed to attain collectively makes their joint case untouchably ironclad.
This 12 months followers received not one however two ISOKNOCK mixes. The debut stay iteration—and third installment within the sequence—of ISOKNOCK got here because the shock nearer to ISOxo’s HARD Summer time takeover, and they didn’t disappoint. A packed-out Corona Electrical Seashore Stage appeared on as the 2 tore the NOS Occasion Heart down with their uncanny stage presence and a collaborative batch of beforehand unheard remixes.
ISOKNOCK reappeared as help for RL Grime’s “Halloween XI: Useless Area” present on the Kia Discussion board. It’s uncommon to have the ability to dominate golf equipment and ignite stadiums with the identical music choice, and but ISOxo and Knock2 make it look effortlessly simple. What’s extra—on that October evening, earlier than Grime’s hallowed altar, the pair’s catalog received fairly a bit greater. With out warning, the duo dropped a collaborative remix album niteharts on streamers roughly quarter-hour earlier than they took the stage that night. The uniquely conceptual Sable Valley-backed LP finds the 2 particular person artists placing their very own contact on the whole lot of the others’ five-track EP, for a complimentary fusion of sounds that spotlights ISOxo and Knock2 apparent chemistry.
It’s powerful to pinpoint only one factor that makes ISOxo and Knock2 stand out from so a lot of their friends this 12 months. On the root of the pair’s particular person and joint success is a real friendship that began as a bond between likeminded individuals working in the direction of the identical aim. No time for rivalries. That sort of wholehearted camaraderie additionally appears to increase to the remainder of the San Diego Waterboys—Aleko, FrostTop and RemK—an uplifting group of buddies that may’t assist however make you smile on their manner up by way of the ranks. It’s no accident that each single member has now earned a nod as a Dancing Astronaut Artist to Watch.
The cultural significance of what ISOxo and Knock2 have achieved inside dance music can’t be understated both. Their music has turn into actually unescapable within the scene. Knock2’s “dashstar*” serves as a major instance, however the identical may be stated about so many tracks from the pair’s collective discography. Tracks like ISOxo’s “murdah” remix have been rinsed by ILLENIUM, NGHTMRE, Flosstradamus, Trivecta, and Final Heroes to call a number of, whereas “Beam” has turn into a staple in Madeon’s Good Religion DJ units and “gettin’ hott” will get help by the likes of Alison Wonderland, Zeds Useless, Moore Kismet, Afrojack and others. The checklist of high-profile producers supporting ISOxo and Knock2’s music goes on in perpetuity.
And that’s to say nothing about Knock2 and ISOxo’s stay exhibits. The high-octane music matched with feverishly charged crowd vitality is one factor, however the ardour and stage presence these two producers encapsulate is basically one thing else. Be it ISOxo’s costume adjustments, the calls to motion on the mic, or the quite a few particular company you’ll be able to count on to pop up at their exhibits, the vitality is about to 11 from core to perimeter, locked in for the whole lot of the expertise.
The very best half although—issues aren’t about to decelerate in 2023. ISOxo not too long ago introduced his debut album KIDSGONEMAD! with a theatric curtain drop after back-to-back sold-out nights at The Fonda in Los Angeles. He’s additionally set to play Electrical Forest and Extremely for the primary time within the coming months. Each are sitting on a bevy of unreleased cuts together with ISOxo’s bout with the entice king himself RL Grime and Knock2’s collaboration with fellow low-end royalty, NGHTMRE, which can be underway. From relative unknowns to 2 of the most well liked commodities in dance music in simply a few years, 2022 proved that there actually isn’t any restrict on the potential for what these two San Diego boys are able to.
With out additional ado, congratulations to Dancing Astronaut‘s Breakout Artists of 2022: ISOxo and Knock2.
Featured picture: Tylor Vi
Classes: Options, Music, Information