Contributing Writer
Founded by multi-instrumentalist and producer Tooker and tech marketing executive Jay Kurahashi-Sofue, SONARA Records is a label centred around artist growth and free-form musical exploration—featuring deep electronic elements, with organic instrumentation and modern production unifying the output.
Say the founders, “We invest deeply in artist development, employing holistic, industry-leading strategies tailored to each individual’s unique journey. SONARA cultivates space where deep music and deep connections can bloom. Music is a force of love and transformation. Each release is an invitation to tune in—to yourself, to the community, and to something greater.”
Tooker is a former member of the acclaimed DJ duo KMLN. Over the past 15 years, he has explored everything from high-energy sounds to deep, personal grooves, often incorporating live percussion into his performances at events such as ADE, BPM Festival, Burning Man, and Woomoon Ibiza. He contributes the sublime ‘Coda,’ which features Kenyan singer-songwriter and celebrated contemporary benga musician Winyo, who says the song is a celebration “of life, of harvest, of community. In my language, ‘JANGOLO’ is the entertainer, the one who brings joy as music is playing and people are united in happiness.”
The track has deep and warm mid-tempo drums providing the foundation for majestic synth patterns and swirling cosmic keys. It’s a widescreen, artfully realised sound with the delicate, spiritual vocal infusing it with real soul and making it perfect for the more tender moments in the night. An instrumental without the vocal and an extended mix are also featured.
Then it’s to boundary-defying David Mayer, whose multicultural upbringing, spanning Spain, Norway, and ultimately Berlin, colours his distinctive approach to music. His always-deep mix of house and techno has appeared on labels such as Connected Frontline, Objektivity, and Keinemusik, and here he collaborates with fellow Berlin talent Nico Stojan. Stojan is a seasoned artist, former resident at Bar25 and regular at top-tier spots like Hï Ibiza and Robot Heart, all while heading up the cultured Ouïe Records, which he co-founded with Acid Pauli.
Between them, Mayer and Stojan cook up ‘Nano,’ a track born out of a spontaneous, pressure-free session during the pandemic. Nico Stojan began the track at home, letting ideas flow naturally, while David Mayer later added layers and refined the arrangement to give it more depth and space. Fittingly, Nico recalls taking a long, meditative bike ride in the countryside during its making – a moment that mirrors the track’s sense of openness and flow. It is a pensive, deep house sound that initially invites inward reflection with its forlorn synth leads. As more sparkling and rousing sequences take over, the mood grows more optimistic with real hope and beauty in the keys.
David Mayer, Nico Stojan, & Tooker – Coda EP is out now on SONARA – Buy HERE.
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