Tony Cummings quizzed London-based I AM ISAAC about his many years in EDM
Continued from page 1
Tony: What happened after the Bedingfield tours?
I Am Isaac:
My time with Daniel was cut short three months from what I was told
and I had just bought a house - very bad timing! So suddenly I was
broke and looking for work. I had all my eggs in one basket - flying
around the world deejaying and nothing waiting for me in the UK. Sure,
I got some good gigs when I got back and even did some more abroad but
it wasn't enough at all. I even started my own gardening company to
bring in some money as trying to find work was crazy hard. Eventually
I got my old job back in Facilities at a large insurance company and I
was in this job for three more years before I had built up enough
music work to go back to music full-time. It was a humbling time and
also helped me to really understand who I was and what my gifting is
and what I want to do with my life.
Tony: What are some of the studio projects you have worked on down the years?
I Am Isaac: As
mentioned before many remixes were shelved as bigger name producers
always got the placement - also their mixes were much better than mine
99 per cent of the time! I did remixes for Mark Morrison, Sophie Ellis
Bextor and later on Adele. One mix that did escape to the public was
my remix of "James Dean" - which was a surprise to me as I thought it
was not my best mix by far, but I guess somebody liked it! When you
spend so much time and passion for a project to never have it released
it's quite frustrating and I went on to start to make my own music and
released an album with a female singer, Kelli-Leigh, under the name
KI. The album was called 'Before We Breathe' -
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kimusic
Tony: I believe
you had some problems in your personal life.
I Am Isaac: In 2003 after I finished touring with Daniel I attended a church course that dealt with the past and also transformation. This was a very good time for me as it gave me the knowledge and insight to really leave the past behind and discover who I really am. In those three days I quit smoking which was a habit from the past. I also realised I had been hiding behind the turntables and had never been myself but rather who I thought people wanted me to be. I had a burst of self-confidence and also experienced the presence of God in my life in a very powerful way. However, I was soon following my flesh again and my prayer life and church life took a back seat as I was falling in love and wanted to meet my wife. Quite quickly I had several relationships, broke several hearts and then fell for the singer I was working with. However, there were many issues underneath the surface of what seemed like a perfect relationship. Three years on and I was married with this lady; two years later we were divorced. I was devastated and was going to church praying, seeking God but also the smoking and alcohol crept back in. At this time I was pointing all my fingers at my ex-wife and it took God nearly a whole year to bend those fingers back and show me how I was to blame.
It was an amazing humbling time and God even told me to meet with my ex and make a formal apology and accept the responsibility. During this time God also showed me my luke warmness and that I had to be 100 per cent with him not 50 per cent. I made this decision on the 9th September 2012. Now although I don't always get it right, I am very much in awe of God and my need of him and his forgiveness and to be lead by his Spirit and not my own ideas or desires. I am now happily married again with an amazing woman of God (Proverbs 31) and have a beautiful baby girl. I love God more and more and he is the reason for my life and what it is today.
Tony: Why the name I Am Isaac rather than Izzy B or Isaac Butcher?
I Am Isaac: I felt for many years I had been trying to be something or someone other than the real me and in Sept 2012 when I gave God my life 100 per cent the name just seemed right, because after all, I am Isaac.
Tony: What sticks in your mind about recording 'The Trumpet Shall Sound' album?
I Am Isaac: The best memory is from the track "Samba de Trompeta". I made this in two days but more precisely in four hours, which is crazy. Sometimes songs just come out and these are my favourites. It's a club track and I played it in a Latin venue the following night and everyone loved it, in fact I was sure they danced more to it than other more commercial songs - or maybe I'm biased. On the track "Elohim" I had originally sung the vocal idea/melody using a mixture of tongues and doo's, daaas and be boo ba ba, etc, and so it was very funny and quite hard to then replace with lyrics yet keeping the rhythm that I had grown to love. So far the most popular tracks on the album have been "The Trumpet Shall Sound", "Samba de Trompeta", "Never Far" and "Horns Of Jericho". Some people said they were surprised to hear me singing. I said I was as well! I'm sure the whole album is not everyone's cuppa tea but as the tracks are fairly eclectic in style I hope there is something that everyone can enjoy.
Tony: I understand you are working on a new album of which the last track on 'The Trumpet Shall Sound', "When I Survey", is a taster. Tell me a bit about the new album.
I Am Isaac: I can't tell you much but it will be a very chilled album and great for relaxing.
Tony: Give me a spiritual lesson you have learned down the years.
I Am Isaac: Involve God in everything and always seek truth in every area of your life. We are consumers and our culture drives this home so be careful what you consume because this can and will affect your spiritual capacity. From the things you see to the food you eat, the devil has come to steal and destroy but Jesus came to give you life. My biggest lesson recently and the most life transforming lesson has been about food. As a result I have more energy for God to use and I'm never sick. I feel so alive and so young and want to see others set free in this way too. I am launching a company in 2015 which will help people with this. I'm also training to run 100K later in 2015 to raise money for the charity Feed The Hungry.
The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.