Scottish trance DJ and producer Sonar Zone is taking the electronic music scene by storm with his unique sound and electrifying performances. Known for his high-energy sets and captivating stage presence, Sonar Zone has amassed a dedicated following around the globe.
But it’s not just his live performances that have fans talking. Every two weeks, Sonar Zone streams the latest trance tracks connects with the Twitch Trance Community.
Sonar Zone’s talent and dedication to his craft have also earned him recognition in the industry. He’s one of the managers at Reason II Rise record label, and his upcoming release, “The Return,” on Deepsink Digital Records is highly anticipated by fans of all kinds of electronic music. The track is set to drop on January 28th, and it’s sure to be a hit.
His live performances have also taken him to some of the biggest clubs and festivals around the globe, including Detroit, Atlanta, the Netherlands and Scotland. He has played in packed crowds in Edinburgh, The Mash House, The Liquid Rooms, Magnetic Festival at the Biscuit Factory and many more.
But that’s not all. Sonar Zone has also made a splash in the world of virtual events, performing on Nowhereworld Virtual events using Unreal Engine, offering fans a unique and immersive experience. These events have allowed him to reach even more people with his music and showcase his talents to a wider audience.
With his skill and versatility, it’s no surprise that Sonar Zone has become a sought-after performer in both the physical and virtual realms. Don’t miss the chance to experience his high-energy sets and top-notch production, whether it’s live on stage or on a virtual event. January 28th was the release of his highly-anticipated track, “The Return.”
With his talent and dedication to his craft, it’s clear that Sonar Zone is one to watch in the world of electronic music. Keep an eye out for his new release and don’t miss the chance to see him live on his Twitch stream or at a venue near you.
1-Dimitris: 2023 just started but it will be cool to let us know how was 2022 for your career. Let us know about achievements or goals achieved that you are proud of.
Sonar Zone: Last year (2022) I spent a lot of my time working on Reason II Riser label. I also did a remix of a track by Jhonny Vergel - Atalaya and commissioned a remix release of my original track
'Resonate.'
2-Dimitris: Do you have already some concrete plans for 2023 and if you are allowed to announce them to our readers please tell us what you are preparing for us in the coming months regarding releases and performances in gigs/festivals.
Sonar Zone: This year (2023) started with the release of my new track 'The Return' 0n 28th January. This is the first original track I have released in over a year as I have been busy as a husband, father and at my full-time employment. There will be a remix release of The return coming out soon, so watch this space. I also have started work on a new track which should be out in the summer of this year.
3-Dimitris: It would be fantastic to talk about your latest release The Return. Please tell us how this track came about and what was the idea behind it.
Sonar Zone: The Return was my first original release in about 12 months. It took along time to get it to completion due to work commitments, but I am really pleased with the end result. I wanted to created an uplfting track but with an emotional breakdown. The vocal sample "Gazing at the ocean. I dream of your return. My heart and my soul. Dream of your return" is not only about people wanting to meet friends and loved ones but also it has a deeper more spiritual meaning where I believe God will come back and end all the wars and fighting, hunger and pain.
4-Dimitris: How long it took you to produce it and can u describe the production process in simple steps?
Sonar Zone: This track probably took the longest for me to produce, but I feel it was worth the time as this is my best production yet. I started off with a chord progrsseion I really liked and then built the melodies around that.
5-Dimitris: Did you had any particular difficulties accomplishing that particular track or any specific production challenges.
Sonar Zone: The main issue I had with this track, is the same as most producers, Constantly tweaking things and never totally sure it's 100% finished :-)
6- Dimitris: Which music composition software or hardware you prefer and why? What is your opinion of the latest movement to produce music with more analogue equipment and with less or without any digital software?
Sonar Zone: I use FL Studio 20 for my productions. I find this is a great DAW to use and they are constantly putting our great new upgrades to it.
7-Dimitris: Do you prefer instrumental dance tracks or you adore vocals? Please explain to us your position and if in your latest production you have vocals tell us how did you choose the specific singer and if it was great to work with her/him?
Sonar Zone: I love all trance, whether it is vocal or instrumental.
8-Dimitris: If you really like to produce vocal tracks which vocalist/singer or lyricist on electronic dance music you aspire to work with?
Sonar Zone: Wow, this is a tough question. There are so many amazing vocalists, all with their own unique styles. To name a few though... That Girl from South Africa, Haliene, Emma Hewitt, Katty Heath, Natalie Gioia, the list goes on...
9-Dimitris: Do you believe that artwork on your latest track is good and do you believe that artwork can attract listeners or record buyers? Can you mention the best artwork of a track ever released?
Sonar Zone: I really like the artwork for this release and I do think the artwork can attract people to the tune if they are scrolling through social media/Beatport and see a nice piece of artwork. I really like the artwork for Mark Sherry - Take Me although there are a lot of great art on Kearnage label as well.
10-Dimitris: In which label your latest release The Return is? Tell us your opinion about that particular label and your connection with them.
Sonar Zone: The Return is released on Deepsink Digital which is run by DJ and Producer Karl Forde from USA. I have been friends with Karl for a long time and played at a music festival alongside him in Detroit.
11-Dimitris: Do you have your own record label? if yes tell us when did you set it up, the reasons behind this decision and your top 3 releases on the label so far plus 2 or 3 releases that we should have our eyes and ears on from your label.
Sonar Zone: I am one of the team at Reason II Rise Records, since our launch we have had so many great release. The most recent was a collab with Ronski Speed, Bixx and That Girl which did really well, and our latest release from Angelus - Roll the Dice has just been released. Looking forward to seeing that hitting the dance floors.
12-Dimitris: Are you planning to complete an album or mix compilation soon? if yes please give us all the details about regarding tracks and how will look and sound like?
Sonar Zone: Reason II Rise has launched a REASON II RISE - BEST OF 2022 which is available NOW at beatport and will no doubt be releasing a Best of 2023 nearer the end of the year.
13-Dimitris:How much time do you spend promoting yourself in your social media and you see this as essential tool for self promotion and getting bookings too? Which social media is the one that seems to work better for you?
Sonar Zone: I spend a lot of time on social media. I find it's hard for fans to see my messages on social media though as there are so many adverts and spams my messages can get lost. I use a service and Bandsintown which I find really good for direct connection with my followers and I also find fans connect well on Instagram.
14-Dimitris: Do you have your own radio show/podcast/twitch stream or Vlog(video blog)? If yes please give us a comment about it and how long it take you to prepare for it and if you are always excited to produce it?
Sonar Zone: I stream twice a month on a Thursday on Twitch and have almost reach 1k followers. I have been working hard on getting a good visual experience for my Twitch followers and really enjoy putting the graphics/video loops etc together. I stream live from the utility room in my house with a green screen and the second I put my headphones on and see the visuals on the stream I feel like I am actually live on stage <3
15-Dimitris: Please share your most funny and most serious incident that happen to you during your DJ performance?
Sonar Zone: A while back while in US and I was still using a controller and laptop...I had my computer plugged in with an adapter as I have a UK plug socket. The adapter was under the DJ booth and as it was so big it wasn't properly connected, so half way through my set the laptop ran out of charge. Fortunately the MC of the event manage to keep the hype while we got the plugs all in properly.
16-Dimitris: Do you have an agent that organize your performances and gigs or are you taking care of them? If you do have one agency please tell us what is so special and you work with them.
Sonar Zone: I don't currently have an agent so do all my own management and bookings.
17-Dimitris: Please note for all the new talents that read this interview to get some inspiration from you any technical tips in relation to your DJing or music productions. Also any piece of personal or music business' advice that has helped you to progress even further and is worth telling to the new upcoming talents.
Sonar Zone: The first piece of advice is to never give up. Keep making the music you love and don't try and copy other styles that may seem more popular. Stick to what you love to produce. For dj'ing just keep practicing and when you are performing.. always remember to smile. If the crowd see you are enjoying it and feeling the music, you can take them on the musical journey with you.
18-Dimitris: Is there a club classic that you would like to remix or rework in 2023? Do you attempt often to do your own bootlegs of classics?
Sonar Zone: There are so many great trance classic from way back and it's good to see a lot of producers reworking them. I haven't made any bootlegs but would like to do some of that this coming year.
19-Dimitris: Vinyl sales are rising and there is strong demand for vinyl releases? What is the reason behind that trend and do you see it as a positive development?
Sonar Zone: It's interesting to see vinyl sales making a come-back and of course there is something special about putting on a track on the turntable however I don't think it will ever become as popular as before because digital media is much more versatile and can be played anywhere but yeah, great to see more vinyl released.
20-Dimitris: Many artist right now attempt to come closer to their fan base and use the meta verse in order to offer exclusive content to their most dedicated followers. Do you have any plans to do the same and what is your opinion about this plan to grow on metaverse?
Sonar Zone: I have a vr headset and have enjoyed playing about with it, but I don't think the technology is quite there yet for a fully immersive trace experience. I have been working with Nowehereworld doing virtual events. They use the latest Unreal Engine software to create amazing 'worlds' and stages to perform on.
21-Dimitris: Do you believe that music genres or styles are still relevant today? What is your opinion about hybrids and artists attempting to mix influences from various genres in their tracks?
Sonar Zone: When I first starting clubbing music was just called 'rave' and the night had all styles of music from Italian piano, breakbeat to techno and everyone just enjoyed the night. Now there are so many sub genres it has kind of split the music scene.
22-Dimitris: Finally tell us if you are able to make a leaving out of your music business (DJ/producer/label owner/teaching or mastering tracks) and if not what other jobs are you doing in order to make a decent leaving?
Sonar Zone: Unfortunately, I don't make a living from my dj/producing so have a full-time job as a conference centre manager.
Dimitris: Your message & wishes for Flux Bpm Online readers.
Sonar Zone: Great to be able to share some of my background with all the readers at Flux BPM and would like to thank you and Dimitris for all your love and support.
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