Richard BodinISTA caught my attention a couple of months ago with their single “Crusher”. It opens with a subdued synth line before progressively building into louder, juicier bass and guitar riffs. The energy somehow reminded me of ACME by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. While JSBX explored blues territory, ISTA blends funky grooves, blues riffs, and punk-distorted intensity.
From Coast to Coast
Following this discovery, I found out that ISTA emerged from a project that began on the American West Coast before moving East in 2019, when Rex Costello and Ollie Hart joined producer Sam Cohen, who has previously worked with artists such as Joseph Arthur and Norah Jones. From there, the band evolved into a fuller line-up featuring Evan Eubanks, Diona West, Chloe Golding, and Dan Rico.
ISTA released their self-titled debut album in 2023 to strong acclaim. Today, the band returns with their sophomore effort, In Sound To All — a title that carries a certain eponymous quality, since ISTA itself is an acronym for “In Sound To All”. If the first album was a colourful blend of disco-infused funk and psychedelic flourishes, this new effort injects sharper electronic textures and a rawer punk edge.
Psychedelic Disco Funk with a Garage-Rock bite
The album opens with a bang as “Gods In Heat” explodes through a loud bassline driven by a twitchy synth riff. The vocals and bass sound deliberately distorted, giving the track a punky edge, while the chorus leans into more psychedelic territory with clearer melodies and layered backing vocals. It is a strong opening statement and immediately grabs the listener’s attention.
ISTA does not let go of that rough intensity on the following track, “Megawatt”. A distorted bass launches the song before being joined by a bluesy riff and a tight funky beat. It further establishes the album’s identity and confirms the first impression I had with “Crusher”: an exciting fusion of psychedelic disco funk with a garage-rock bite. The first side of the album keeps that momentum flowing throughout. Definitely my kind of jam.
“Waves”, which closes the first side, offers a more contemplative and exquisite pause in the middle of the record. It opens with shoegaze-like guitars before transitioning into shimmering electronic textures reminiscent of Moon Safari-era Air, constantly shifting between moods across the track.
The Concept Suite
The second side of the record almost feels like a concept suite, with each track segueing seamlessly into the next. The sequence begins with the funky single “Aim For The Heart”, which flows into the short instrumental “Mt Em 45”, transitions into “Funkyluminati”, and concludes with the jazzy, hypnotic “Human Nature”. Across these tracks, ISTA explores looping structures and electronic textures while blending disco, funk, jazz, and psychedelia into something immersive and fluid.
Final Thoughts
In Sound To All is an excellent second album by a band that seem display an interesting chemistry. It evolves constantly between disco, funk and punk, and balance perfectly analogue warmth with electronic textures. ISTA never settles into one sound for too long, and that restless creativity is precisely what makes the album so engaging. It will definitely remain in rotation for a while.
