Those of you who like your D&B on the deeper, melodic and more experimental side should by now be fully aware of the output of Sonorous Music. If you aren't, read this article & go listen... you're sleeping and need to keep your game up!
 
Heavy support from the likes of LTJ Bukem, Break, Marky, Fabio, Randall, Lenzman, Marcus Intalex, Data, Loxy and Sabre is testament to the quality and the consistent release schedule that makes Sonorous a heavyweight contender; a must-have for those who appreciate drum & bass that pushes boundaries and tunes that expand the ever evolving drum & bass envelope.

Kmag took some time out with Sonorous mastermind Hayze to delve deeper into its history and discover his ideas for 2010.

Can you give us a quick overview of yourself, Sonorous and how it all started?
I manage the day-to-day running of the label including the A&R, promotion, website, store and more – all aspects.  As well as the label I work with GRAM Agency booking gigs for the likes of Lomax, Zero T, Sabre, Eveson, SPY and more.  

Sonorous started when I had been making tracks myself for around three years and it got to the point when one or two tracks were getting some label interest. A friend at Nu Urban [Sonorous Music's distributor] had suggested setting up my own imprint, at the same time I was talking to a number of producers and getting sent a lot of good music.

 

At the time I thought there was a lot of music getting released which didn't need to be or with some more work could have been so much more. I didn't want to be put in that box so thought my music could wait, and so still motivated to launch the label the first release came from Atlantic Connection. I had been talking to Nathan for quite a long time and he had always armed me with solo material and Westbay tracks for my gigs – he seemed a natural choice with the quality of music he was and is still making.

From then on we've had Lynx, Brother, Saburuko, Mixmaster Doc, Bungle, Atom, Dan Habarnam, Random Movement, Whizz & Daze all feature on vinyl releases. As well as the vinyl there are also the digital and alternative outlets which have had releases from Sinistarr, Vice Versa, Bop, Oak, ICR, Submorphics and more. People have tried to pigeonhole the label but its output is just good music, and with the amount of talented producers out there the possibilities are endless.

What have been the high points of 2009 and how do you plan on expanding in 2010?
Furthering the sound and name of Sonorous Music in general but one of the big 12"s came out earlier in the year from Bungle, the single got a great reception all round and really managed to crossover into a lot of different DJs sets.

 

It's also been good pushing new talent as well with Brother, Bop, Sinistarr and Atom. Atom has a very unique and killer sound, he's been working very hard over the last year or so and the results are really paying off.

Tell us a bit more about the experimental side of things...
I like a lot of music and it's not all drum & bass so the alternative side is for all things non-dnb if you were: dubstep, techno, house, breaks, downtempo, whatever. The three releases so far have had a wide scope of electronic music and I want this to continue as we go on.

You have a Sonorous Digital album coming, what can we expect?
The album so far has a wide selection of tracks from Atom, Mixmaster Doc, Edward Oberon, DLR & Octane, Whizz, HLZ and more and has a release date of February / March 2010. One or two of the tracks may feature on a limited vinyl run but the main focus of the project is the digital side.

What are your views on the whole digital / vinyl arguments, is this really such a sticking point now?
Personally I think a lot more people on the label side of things have opened up to it and seen that it's a market that can't and shouldn't be ignored. As a DJ I prefer vinyl but I think with tools such as Serato and vinyl Scratch you get the best of both worlds. Also, not everyone that likes the music is a DJ who buys vinyl, and if the digital stores weren't there where would they buy the tracks?

 

It's also opened up another avenue to release tracks and maybe be slightly more open to the style or directions of the music. The Sonorous Digital outlet has also been excellent for introducing some of the newer artists to the scene such as Atom, Bop, Will Miles and Brother.

What's the future for Sonorous?
Continue releasing good music from new and established artists from all corners of the world, on all formats. 2010 is looking like it will be our best year yet with the digital album, The Siren Sires continuing, tracks from Atom, Nymfo, Bal, Dan Habarnam, Mixmaster Doc, Sinistarr, Random Movement, Survival, a very exciting new project from DLR & Connect, HLZ, a return to the label for some of the artists that featured in the beginning, and some hush-hush remixes too!

 

Any last words?
Shouts to Colin Kmag, J-Science, Messy MC, LSB (the A1 Engineer), Tom/Illistrate, Tobie Tera, Danjah Andy, Phil @ Nu Urban, Sinistarr, Dekosa, Ulterior Motive, Bournemouth Cru, FD, Nymfo, Atom, Bal, Mr Habarnam, Submorphics, Ike Release, Mixmaster Doc, Random Movement, SMJ, DLR, Whizz, Daze, Kemo, Sun & Bass Cru, Bare Mag, and everyone that has supported the label.

 

Words: Jon Swan

Download Hayze & MC Messy's Kmag mix here

Tracklisting

1. Nether - Beating Me (31 Records)
2. June Miller & Rolling Maffia - Bright Eyes
3. Jubei - Patience (Metalheadz)
4. dBridge - Inner Disbelief (Exit)
5. Atom - The Plot
6. Bal - All City (Brand:Nu)
7. Ulterior Motive – Harbour
8. FD & Keza – Cougars
9. Spectrasoul - Wedgehead (Critical)
10. Icicle & Noisia - Driftwood (Shogun)
11. SPY - Moon Patrol (Metalheadz)
12. Ulterior Motive – Dependant
13. Dan Habarnam - Radio Hanoi (Sonorous)
14. Random Movement - Psychedelic Drainpipe (Innerground)
15. Influx Datum - Meant Love (HQ)
16. Bachelors Of Science - The Ice Dance [Lenzman Remix]
17. HLZ - Lowalk (31 Records)
18. All Thieves - Stars [Zero T Remix]
19. Whizz & Daze - Transit Zone (Sonorous)
20. Ulterior Motive - Yogurt Brainwave (Subtitles)
21. Edward Oberon - Kid Rio (Sonorous Digital LP)
22. dBridge - 5th Floor (Exit)
23. R Kive - The Future
24. Espionage - Futuriod (Reinforced)

 

• Hayze
,
• Sonorous
,
• MC Messy

Related Links:

• Sonorous Music Podcast Volume 1
• Free Ulterior Motive Mix
• Noisia: Split The Atom Vinyl Track Listing
• Mixmaster Doc Announces New EP
• Noisia Split The Atom LP Track Listing

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