The Honduran artist talks about the rise of reggaeton, the dark side of beauty standards and her new album, Vanity.
In the past decade, reggaeton has taken the world by storm, expanding from beyond its origins in Panama and Puerto Rico to become an undeniable global force. Yet, within this massive cultural explosion, few artists are navigating the sound with the distinct, subversive energy of Isabella Lovestory.
Originally from Honduras but shaped by a formative migration to the US and the liminal spaces of the internet, the Montreal-based artist has developed an aesthetic she calls a "plastic fantasy"—a hyper-stylised world of bootleg luxury and cinematic flair.
In this Exchange, she talks to Resident Advisor's Chloe Lula about her new album, Vanity, which she calls a response to her obsession with the "dark side of beauty standards." She also discusses her place within the wider reggaeton landscape; her efforts to reclaim and feminise a historically male-dominated genre; the financial erasure of women in the scene; and how her experimental approach challenges the self-seriousness of electronic music. Listen to the episode in full. -Chloe Lula
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The Honduran artist talks about the rise of reggaeton, the dark side of beauty standards and her new album, Vanity.
In the past decade, reggaeton has taken the world by storm, expanding from beyond its origins in Panama and Puerto Rico to become an undeniable global force. Yet, within this massive cultural explosion, few artists are navigating the sound with the distinct, subversive energy of Isabella Lovestory.
Originally from Honduras but shaped by a formative migration to the US and the liminal spaces of the internet, the Montreal-based artist has developed an aesthetic she calls a "plastic fantasy"—a hyper-stylised world of bootleg luxury and cinematic flair.
In this Exchange, she talks to Resident Advisor's Chloe Lula about her new album, Vanity, which she calls a response to her obsession with the "dark side of beauty standards." She also discusses her place within the wider reggaeton landscape; her efforts to reclaim and feminise a historically male-dominated genre; the financial erasure of women in the scene; and how her experimental approach challenges the self-seriousness of electronic music. Listen to the episode in full. -Chloe Lula
The first-ever live recording from an elusive icon of dubby electronic music.
Lore is an underrated quality. Neuroscientists have mapped that music elicits similar feelings in the brain to when we satiate cravings, but what about the psychological impulse that drives listeners of a certain disposition toward everything they don't know?
It's tricky to put your finger on, but artists able to conjure intrigue without overhawking the backstory can really cut through—just ask SAULT, [ar:pi:ar] or Gerald Donald. Then there are those who don't try whatsoever. These are the ones who stay in mind the most.
In 2001, a striking 12" called Ship-Scope emerged through Chain Reaction, credited to Shinichi Atobe, with no other info available. Okay, mulled fans, this is probably a cat-and-mouse game dreamed up by someone on a label with a fine line in foggy obfuscation. Vainqueur on a wind-up? Another Moritz 'n Mark alias?
But no: Atobe was real, and really had posted a demo to Hard Wax. It was that simple. Then he went back to his day job—until, after 13 years of silence, an even better follow-up emerged.
From the near-perfect Butterfly Effect onwards, Atobe has built up one of the most revered catalogues in underground circles. A steady clip of elegant, transportive dub techno and deep electronics has arrived on Demdike Stare's DDS, complimented by the launch of his own label, plastic & sounds, earlier in summer 2025.
Atobe has also made strides into the public domain, DJing intermittently, as well as performing live for the first time in 2023, gracing WWW at the tender age of 52. It's that debut 2023 show heard on RA.1009: a hypnotic yet comparatively pumping set full of unreleased Atobe material you won't find anywhere else.
Contact with Atobe, as you might anticipate, is glacial: since we first reached out, the RA Mix has changed name, look and rolled over into its second millennium. Still, patience pays off. This is a one-off we're stoked to run. – Gabriel Szatan
@shinichiatobe
Find the interview at https://ra.co/podcast/1028
RA Podcast
The Honduran artist talks about the rise of reggaeton, the dark side of beauty standards and her new album, Vanity.
In the past decade, reggaeton has taken the world by storm, expanding from beyond its origins in Panama and Puerto Rico to become an undeniable global force. Yet, within this massive cultural explosion, few artists are navigating the sound with the distinct, subversive energy of Isabella Lovestory.
Originally from Honduras but shaped by a formative migration to the US and the liminal spaces of the internet, the Montreal-based artist has developed an aesthetic she calls a "plastic fantasy"—a hyper-stylised world of bootleg luxury and cinematic flair.
In this Exchange, she talks to Resident Advisor's Chloe Lula about her new album, Vanity, which she calls a response to her obsession with the "dark side of beauty standards." She also discusses her place within the wider reggaeton landscape; her efforts to reclaim and feminise a historically male-dominated genre; the financial erasure of women in the scene; and how her experimental approach challenges the self-seriousness of electronic music. Listen to the episode in full. -Chloe Lula
