It was a special time releasing ASIP's first digital series a few years back. The Places Series played home to many ambient artists first 'release'; went on to define the wider ASIP community; and in many instances helped some of the artists get a little more exposure for their great work. The fact I'm writing this post about Sonae, makes me proud to have started it, and proud of where the artists have pushed themselves to in the past few years.
Sonae is one of those unique sounding artists whose work grabbed me from the start. An experimental mixture of close sounds, piano and subtle electronics, which gracefully came together in her debut album last year titled Far Away Is Right Around The Corner, on Monika Enterprise. Now, Sonae returns with a remix EP, enlisting another ASIP steward in Markus Guentner, alongside Mimicof, Dirk Markham, and Cétieu.
Dirk Markham transforms the calm of Überwindung into a sparkling and energetic experimental piece. The underlaying pulses of Not The Moon may be an obvious choice for Guentner, but as with all great remixes, it's the respect for the subtleties that make the biggest impact. Cétieu takes a page from Sonae's detailed sculpturing to transform the bulbous, glistening I Know A Fish, into a microscopic dive, living on the surface of the harmonic, shimmering metallics. And lastly, composer and sound sculpter Midori Hirano (Mimicof) treats us to a dramatic and dynamic take on Hot Summerday, rounding out a superb sound-detail-oriented remix EP.
There's no doubt this release features a finely curated roster, obviously chosen to accentuate, not disrupt, with their takes on Sonae's vivid sound designs.
We're lucky to bring you the video for Mimicof's remix below, created by Alisa Berger.
Sonae - Far Away Remixed is now available digitally on iTunes/Beatport/Bleep etc.
Sonae - Far Away Remixed tracklist:
1. Überwindung - Dirk Markham Remix
2. Hot Summerday - Mimicof Remix
3. Not The Moon-Markus Guentner Remix
4. I Know A Fish - Cétieu Remix
