The First by SONLIFE

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. SONLIFE is also close friends and collaborator with Jacob Read aka Jerkcurb, the two made "Midnight Snack" and "Morpheus' Arms" together. The last couple of years have been a creative high for SONLIFE - after taking a few years out from producing, he revisited many of his old tunes which he worked and worked until he got them to a place he was happy with.

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.

Over the years SONLIFE has worked closely with artist/illustrator Jack Marshall, who is known for all of the album artworks for King Krule and his own band Horsey. Jack is involved in doing the artwork for "The First" and all of the forthcoming releases from SONLIFE's album. The album will include 9 tracks, with a few features from singers straight out of the thriving music scene of South East London. It is set to be released on Chris Coco's (known for BBC Radio 1's "Blue Room" show + his own radio show "Melodica") "Disappear" label, which predominantly acts as a platform to launch emerging artists.

The album itself is a first for SONLIFE - and feeling his sound is now ready for the world to hear, promises it will be the first of many.

SONLIFE is a British/Turkish music producer from South East London.

His name directly translates from the Turkish words OĞUL (son) and CAN (life).