Ray Nelson   -   ASA ISO

Gaz Whelan - Drummer - Happy Mondays:-

X: Yogi-G & The Family Tree

"EVERYONE.  If you like electronic music please go check out this fella’s music...it’s f**kin' ace!!"

BBC Introducing Lincolnshire  Presenter Hannah Fletcher: “[Ray Nelson]…producing really good, really chilled out, really nice music.  So this next song to be honest, is the reason why I wanted to do this little chilled out section of the show because it’s so good and I feel like it just needs a perfect space to live in.”  [plays Song for Craig]  “...I love that…so much….it’s so, so good”.

The music of Ray Nelson and his EDM/Dance project ASA ISO, offers an immersive, genre-crossing experience that seamlessly blends progressive electronic music with rock, ambient, and modern classical elements.  His albums are  self-contained works that create a listening journey of imagination, allowing the listener to draw upon their own emotions to accompany the music.

Encompassing in their soundscapes, rhythms and melodic meanderings - intelligent, imaginative, thought-provoking,  creating a place where music, meets science, meets art...where the listener is immersed in sound and story.

“All my work is conceptual...I write concept albums. Everything being inextricably linked, I can’t write any other way...wouldn’t want to. There are connections between all of us and everything we do, which affects other living things including the planet, which in turn, ties us into the Universe.  Being alone (as far as we are aware) in the Universe, we are the only beings that bring meaning to it, being the 'meaning-making machines' that we are.  In this sense, I feel that I write about the big things in life...the ‘larger’ themes. There are like-minded people out there that understand these concepts and want to listen to this type of material.  Hopefully, listeners will appreciate the instrumental music that I create and be taken on their own journey with it”.

Ray Nelson

Operating as an independent producer and composer, Ray Nelson crafts largely instrumental, conceptual music. His work is deeply cinematic, often described as a meeting point between music, science, and art. His style incorporates elements of pop, rock, jazz, and minimalist vibes into sweeping, progressive electronic foundations. 

ASA ISO

ASA ISO is an alias and side project created specifically for immersive listening. This project shifts focus into the realm of Electronic Dance Music (EDM). It encompasses genres like trance, fidget, and ambient/chill-out music. The music retains Nelson's knack for atmospheric and progressive production but gears it heavily toward rhythm, club environments, and electronic beats.

You can stream all original albums like Music for Film, Empire, Of Stars, Probability Wave, Darkest Before The Dawn & if This, Then That, on the platforms of your  choice or sample them from the Music page.

Check out some of the Videos from YouTube or follow a Link of your choice.

An analysis of the music of Ray Nelson & ASA ISO reveals a highly conceptual, structurally complex body of work that sits at the intersection of progressive electronica, science fiction, and classical arrangement.

1. Sonic Architecture and Instrumentation

• Layered Textures: Builds dense wall-of-sound soundscapes by stacking vintage synthesizers, digital pads, and driving electronic rhythms.

• Organic Fusion: Blends synthetic elements with acoustic instrumentation, frequently incorporating progressive rock guitar riffs and orchestral string arrangements.

• Dynamic Contrast: Utilises a push-and-pull dynamic, transitioning sharply from sparse, ambient minimalism to explosive, climactic crescendos.

2. Structural Composition

• Non-Traditional Forms: Rejects standard verse-chorus pop structures in favour of through-composed, long-form musical journeys.

• Leitmotifs: Employs recurring melodic themes across albums to anchor complex concept pieces and provide a sense of narrative continuity.

• Rhythmic Complexity: Shifts frequently between time signatures, using intricate percussion patterns to create a feeling of forward momentum or sudden tension.

3. Core Thematic Concepts

• Scientific Metaphors: Translates advanced physics and computing concepts into musical form, as seen in releases like Probability Wave and If This, Then That.

• Cosmic Isolation: Explores the psychological weight of space exploration, tracking themes of human insignificance, curiosity, and technological evolution.

• Duality: Juxtaposes cold, mechanical electronic precision with deeply emotional, human melodies to highlight the tension between humanity and technology.

4. Production Aesthetic

• Studio-as-an-Instrument: Produced out of The O Studio, the mixing style prioritises deep stereo panning, spatial reverb, and high-fidelity separation of instruments.

• Cinematic Scaling: Mastered with a wide dynamic range, giving the independent, self-released catalog the massive, expansive feel of a big-budget Hollywood sci-fi film score.

Influential Musical Styles:-

All music…is good music, no matter what part of the world it’s from, what it’s played on, how it sounds or who it is. 

The input of a living human into any kind of instrument - stringed, skinned or holed - acoustic or electronic, is the basis of civilisation and therefore fundamental to the communication of emotion that flows from it.

Influential Artists:-

To name but a few and in no particular order...David Bowie, Mike Oldfield, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Genesis, Gary Numan, It Bites, Rush, Vangelis,  Japan, Tom Waits, SAHB, Bach, Mozart, The Jam, Nine Inch Nails / Trent Reznor, The Police, Steve Jansen, Richard Barbieri...