Isambard Khroustaliov is the alias of electronic musician, composer and sound artist Sam Britton. Sam trained as an architect at the Architectural Association in London, but now works across the borders of music composition and performance, sound design and installation, software development and research. He holds a PhD in electronic music and composition and has been a resident composer and researcher at IRCAM in Paris and STEIM in Amsterdam. Sam has also worked with the London Sinfonietta as part of their Writing the Future commissioning scheme and with Aphex Twin on his Remote Orchestra project.
Since 1997 he has recorded and released music for a number of independent electronic music labels in the UK, Europe and the US (PAN, Temporary Residence, The Leaf Label & Output Recordings) and performs internationally with his various groups, solo and in collaboration with numerous improvising musicians and ensembles.
Notable past collaborative work includes a suite for two improvising musicians and autonomous electronics entitled ‘Long Division’ and ‘Fake Fish Distribution’; an album in 1000 variations, created using generative and parametric software techniques. An anthology of composed work entitled ‘Ohka’ (released in 2009) built on his work with various soloists using live electronics, encounters which are also documented over the course of several critically acclaimed duo albums.
With Will Worsley, Sam is also the co-founder of the audio production company Coda to Coda. whose work has been awarded internationally and spans the worlds of art, gaming, fashion, TV, and film, through commissions for original soundtracks, installations, recordings and soundscapes.
“Truly innovative” – BBC Late Junction
“Oddly recalling free music experiments of the late 60s by Spontaneous Music Ensemble if time-warped to a post- rave warehouse ritual on the Moon. Fearless” – Electronic Sound
“abstract flicker, controlled tone and daring extended strategies … it’s all going on.” Jazzwise
“This is music of fracture that somehow manages to move in continuous sweeps of sound.” – Future Music