Glad that he took the time out to grow as an artist, he presents us with the first track off of his album, set to be released later this year. The track is called "The First", appropriately, and conjures up sounds influenced by latter-day Bonobo and Massive Attack. The track is intended as a summery "feel good" tune, and includes a shimmering gospel vocal sample, euphoric pianos, beautiful textural strings, a bouncy sax and the classic trip-hop breaks. It's dancey enough to get you moving, but downtempo enough to listen to seated with your eyes closed. "The First" started as a simple piano loop, a piece of audio recorded off of SONLIFE's phone. There was a section in the recording that SONLIFE listened to over and over again, which he pitch-shifted and distorted until it formed the foundations for the track. It's one of the first sounds we hear as the song eases in from ambience. SONLIFE was also assisted by friends who leant their instruments and their playing to the track; Emma Barnaby on strings, Sam Leach on piano and Ed Bernez on percussion. The track is an amalgamation of samples, original composition and live instrumentation. 

The First is available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.

Out now on Chris Coco's DSPPR label - https://chriscoco.bandcamp.com/track/the-first

Artwork by J.G. Marshall - https://www.instagram.com/j.g.marshall/

Me (SONLIFE) - https://www.instagram.com/sonlifeproducer/

The First

For On Wings, SONLIFE blends a 90s Trip Hop sound with contemporary electronic/ambient twists and hints of Jazz. The beat shuffles as a soulful vocal sample floats ethereally over the top. All the while cinematic synths swirl and pop up in different parts of the track. The first half of the tune almost serves as a crescendo for the second, setting the scene and building us up for a more “live” ending - punchy acoustic drums kick in, reminiscent of Beak>, the sounds from the first half continue over the top but this time it feels like a live band at a dimly lit venue, similar to that of the Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds scene in Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire with a dreary crowd swaying to the beat.
The B-Side to On Wings is a track called She Misses You. An epic ambient number with deep reverberating piano chords and swelling cellos (played by SONLIFE friend and collaborator Emma Barnaby). The track was originally an option for SONLIFE’s debut film score for the short film Echoes, and when director Harley Cameron-Furze went with a different track, SONLIFE decided to build on it and put it on his album. She Misses You recalls the work of Tim Hecker and William Basinski, but with live elements, making us feel like we’re in the room with a band playing it. The vocal sample with the two actors from the film, Eva Bradley-Williams and Max Reinhardt, provoke a multitude of possible scenarios, “She misses you.” “I miss her too.” - it could mean anything and it is intended to be interpreted as anything.

SONLIFE is gigging with his 7 piece live band. They recently played Brainchild Festival’s DIGS night at the Fox & Firkin in London. The band is very much its own thing, they take the songs in their electronically produced form and rearrange them to suit a live show, with a mix of instruments and samplers/electronics. The band is comprised of musicians who play with WOOM, Orlando Weeks, Levitation Orchestra and King Krule.

Over the years, SONLIFE has worked closely with his friend, artist/illustrator Jack Marshall aka J. G. Marshall, who is known for all of the album artworks for King Krule and his own band Horsey. Jack is behind the artwork for On Wings / She Misses You and will be behind the artwork for SONLIFE's album.

On Wings

The B-Side to On Wings is a track called She Misses You. An epic ambient number with deep reverberating piano chords and swelling cellos (played by SONLIFE friend and collaborator Emma Barnaby). The track was originally an option for SONLIFE’s debut film score for the short film Echoes, and when director Harley Cameron-Furze went with a different track, SONLIFE decided to build on it and put it on his album. She Misses You recalls the work of Tim Hecker and William Basinski, but with live elements, making us feel like we’re in the room with a band playing it. The vocal sample with the two actors from the film, Eva Bradley-Williams and Max Reinhardt, provoke a multitude of possible scenarios, “She misses you.” “I miss her too.” - it could mean anything and it is intended to be interpreted as anything.

SONLIFE is gigging with his 7 piece live band. They recently played Brainchild Festival’s DIGS night at the Fox & Firkin in London. The band is very much its own thing, they take the songs in their electronically produced form and rearrange them to suit a live show, with a mix of instruments and samplers/electronics. The band is comprised of musicians who play with WOOM, Orlando Weeks, Levitation Orchestra and King Krule.

Over the years, SONLIFE has worked closely with his friend, artist/illustrator Jack Marshall aka J. G. Marshall, who is known for all of the album artworks for King Krule and his own band Horsey. Jack is behind the artwork for On Wings / She Misses You and will be behind the artwork for SONLIFE's album.

She Misses You

This is the second digital single from SONLIFE’s self-titled debut album, out November 17th on Vinyl and in December on digital platforms.

SONLIFE is an 8 track LP that spans genres from Downtempo to Jazz, and is an amalgamation of live instrumentation, field recordings and samples. A lot of the tracks on the album started out as very simple ideas; repetitive, single, distorted loops - “very odd and rough ideas conjured up in the middle of the night in my early twenties”. He originally imagined the project being an experimental solo project in 2015, trying out new sounds and genres. The tracks were back under wraps for a few years when he took a break from making music, and when he returned, they were all reimagined with a brand new life.

The album has heavy influences from the likes of Massive Attack, “Black Sands”-era Bonobo, Portico Quartet and the more dance orientated musicians such as Overmono and Mount Kimbie.

SONLIFE currently has a live show and will be gigging around the release of the album which releases November 17th, 2023

Piecebypiece ft. Plumm

Thanks for listening! You can buy the LP here: https://sonlife.bandcamp.com/album/sonlife

The album is the proverbial musical journey, made to be listened to from beginning to end, then flipped over for another spin.

SONLIFE is an 8 track LP that spans genres from Downtempo to Jazz, and is an amalgamation of live instrumentation, field recordings and samples. A lot of the tracks on the album started out as very simple ideas; repetitive, single, distorted loops - “very odd and rough ideas conjured up in the middle of the night in my early twenties”. He originally imagined the project being an experimental solo project in 2015, trying out new sounds and genres. The tracks were back under wraps for a few years when he took a break from making music, and when he returned, they were all reimagined with a brand new life. 

The album has heavy influences from the likes of Massive Attack, “Black Sands”-era Bonobo, Portico Quartet and the more dance orientated musicians such as Overmono and Mount Kimbie.

Blue Whale's Theme

Cosmik

The Quiet ft. James Mollison

Lovers/Grain ft. James Mollison

Beginner's Theme

Official remix for Chris Coco from the EP "Music For Imagination" available here:

https://chriscoco.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-imagination

Thanks for listening!

Music As A Foreign Language SONLIFE remix - Chris Coco

SONLIFE is a British/Turkish music producer from South East London. His name directly translates from the Turkish words OĞUL (son) and CAN (life), it is a part of his identity which has often gone unknown to many of his friends and people around him, as he has spent most of his life using nicknames. He used to play and produce in Trip Hop outfit Haraket (also a Turkish word for "movement") and when the band split, he took time out of producing. He is also close friends and collaborator with Jacob Read aka Jerkcurb, the two made "Midnight Snack" and "Morpheus' Arms" together.  SONLIFE has just finished his first solo LP, set to be released on Chris Coco’s Disappear label on November 24th 2023.

SONLIFE

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