Rich textures, ominous tones, mercurial moods — these are the hallmarks of electronic composer and producer Sonaris. Though the Colorado-based beat maker isn’t yet a household name in his hometown, he’s developed quite a following around the world with both original compositions and remixes. Blogs love him. Downloaders love him (in fact, has had nearly 60,000 downloads and his piss-take on Rebecca Black’s “Friday” is nearing 4,000 plays). And — as indicated by his inclusion on last year’s Beta Nightclub “Homegrown” compilation — DJs love him.
Though Sonaris doesn’t perform around town, he certainly is prolific. is stuffed full of free downloads of his originals and remixes. You can also download his full-length album, , from iTunes. He also helps manage , an electronic dance music label that also offers heaps of free downloads, including a bunch of great Sonaris tracks. His voluminous output has earned Sonaris mentions on some respected electronic music blogs, including and .
There’s probably no better way to get a grip on Sonaris’s uniquely compelling electronics than to steal “Pandemonium,” a track he just released a few days ago. Beginning with atmospheric sounds that stop short of musique concrete, “Pandemonium” soon introduces a dirty bass and beat that will be familiar to dubstep fans. Before the track can devolve into testosterone-fueled dancefloor cliches, a delicate piano break interrupts the party and turns the aggression inward as an intricate synthesizer arpeggio turns pirouettes on top of the heavy beat. “Pandemonium” is a moody, unpredictable track, that balances intellectual engagement with sensual seduction. Steal it and hear for yourself. Then jump over to to download , as well as some of Sonaris’s other killer tracks (we recommend as your second course).
Please note that downloads offered via Steal This Track are intended to whet your appetite, and are NOT CD-quality recordings. If you want those, please support the artists by buying their music and/or seeing them live.
If you’re a band or musician ready to expose your fresh sounds to the readers of Reverb, email your tracks — along with any interesting facts about them, as well as a photo or album art — to Eryc Eyl for consideration.
Eryc Eyl is a veteran music journalist, critic and Colorado native who has been neck-deep in local music for many years. Check out for local music you can HEAR, and the for stories about Denver musicians doing extraordinary things. Against his mother’s advice, Eryc has also been known to . You can also follow Sorry, Mom.
