Izaak Schlossman Unmasked as Topdown Dialectic Artist, Ending 15-Year Mystery
Updated
Updated · Pitchfork · Jul 6
Izaak Schlossman Unmasked as Topdown Dialectic Artist, Ending 15-Year Mystery
1 articles · Updated · Pitchfork · Jul 6
Summary
Izaak Schlossman has been identified as the sole artist behind Topdown Dialectic, resolving 15 years of speculation over whether the project was a collective, a process or even algorithm-driven.
Seattle roots in the Aught crew, multiple aliases and Schlossman’s later move to San Francisco—where he formed synth-pop band Loveshadow—helped fuel confusion about who made the music and where the project was based.
Topdown Dialectic first built its cult through anonymous clear-cassette releases of washed-out dub techno, with tracks fixed at five minutes and no packaging or artist information.
The project later landed on Brian Foote’s Peak Oil label, where records routinely sold out within days and online debate intensified with each repress.
The reveal arrives alongside False LP A, a 2xLP mixing 2013-2016 archival recordings with newer material that pushes the project’s already abstract sound even further.