Thunderheist's Isis Explains Break-Up: 'We're Not Oasis'

Canadian electro-rap duo Thunderheist shocked fans and critics alike earlier this month when they announced their imminent break-up via the group's Facebook page.

In the posting addressed to fans, DJ Grahm Zilla and MC Isis -- who had announced a hiatus less than a month previous -- stated that their upcoming shows in Las Vegas, Vancouver, Victoria and Seattle would be their last. "This time its REALLY OVER," read the grammatically confusing post. "Its been a great run. But its time to say goodbye."

While they kept the details of the break-up vague, both members announced they would be focusing on solo projects in the coming year.

Now, Spinner can exclusively reveal that the dual factors of exhaustion and creative control are what led to the group's premature demise.

"I need a break,"Isis tells Spinner. "The last year alone we played almost 200 shows, so that's pretty much every day. You want to slow things down and recoup and now I'm getting a chance to do that."

Despite only releasing one eponymous album, Thunderheist had spent much of the previous three years earmarked to be the breakout stars of the fledgling electro-rap movement championed by superstars like M.I.A.

Started as an online collaborative project between the Montreal-based producer and the Toronto-bred rapper, the sum quickly grew bigger than its individual parts and soon the group became a fixture on the Canadian music scene.



Through incendiary live-shows and the success of the 'Jerk It' single -- prominently featured in Mickey Rourke's comeback film 'The Wrestler' -- the duo managed to build a wave of blog-hype that caused immense pressure to perform and promote rather than simply create. Coming from the creative hotbed of mixtape culture, both Isis and Zilla began to find the trappings of being in a formal group too much to handle. In October, both announced they would take the year off to work on solo projects.

"Before Thunderheist there was just me, so it's nice to have a chance to have a bit more creative control. Being a Leo, I need all the control I can take," Isis explains with her typical vigour, though she's quick to point out that her and Zilla "don't hate each other, we're not Oasis."

While news of the break-up has been hard to swallow for fans of the band, a recently announced Juno nomination has reinvigorated interest in the group. Though she acknowledges the unease of the nomination's timing, Isis hints that fan love could always cause a Tinkerbell-esque resurrection.

"When the news got out there, people were bummed and it's flattering to know that people appreciate us," says Isis with a devilish smile. "With all that love you never know, we might come back."