After the debut of “Rush” at ABGT600, SØNIN chatted with us about his history with Anjunabeats, the single’s origin, and what’s coming next.
Finland’s Anton Sonin has a storied career in the music industry, but it all started with trance nearly 20 years ago. “As a kid, I got a computer and decks, and started collecting records and just experimenting,” he told EDM Identity when asked about how he started.
After being signed to Be Yourself Music, “which was founded on the grounds of ID&T Music back in the days in the Netherlands,” he said, Sonin got his first big break when Rank 1 remixed his track “Undone.” “It was supported by Tiësto, Armin [van Buuren], and others back then,” Sonin recalled. “I ended up working in the same studio with Super8 & Tab. Miika Kuisma and Joonas Hahmo were there as well. The studio was called HelsinkiVibe Studios.”
It was there, that he got to know — and started collaborating with — Miika and Janne of Super8 & Tab under the SØNIN alias. “Black is the New Yellow” was one of those early collaborations, and it was signed to Anjunabeats in 2010, thus starting his longtime relationship with the label.
In the time that followed, Sonin expanded his experimentation in music making and began producing for other artists. “I did my first major acts; I produced for Universal Music Group when I was 19-20. Then, I kind of ended up on that road, working on pop acts here in Scandinavia,” he said. “I did some dance acts back then too. I produced some stuff for R3HAB, I co-produced the TENANSKE’s album on Armada, and worked with Yotto on both of his albums. For the second, Growth, I was a bit more involved in writing and production.”
It wasn’t until COVID that Sonin turned his focus back to a solo career as SØNIN. “I had really different career plans,” he remembered. “I was signed with Warner, and my focus was on building my songwriter and producing career internationally. I spent a lot of time in London, and then everything stopped and there were no more international sessions. I couldn’t travel anywhere for two years, and I just had a lot of time making music.”
We were in front of this unknown situation because nobody had experienced anything like that before. In a way it was a blessing, where you just made something purely for yourself without this pressure of, “who will play this or where do I sign this record?” It was just, in that way, making music in the purest form. I made something for myself that made me happy in the first place.
SØNIN
It was also during COVID that Sonin’s relationship with Above & Beyond‘s Paavo Siljamäki grew. “Obviously, the Finnish electronic music circles are quite small, so we kind of crossed our paths several times, but I got to really know him better at ADE 2018,” he said. “During COVID, I spent a lot of time at his place because he was in Finland. We had those hangarounds with other producers like Marcus Schössow from anamē and Leon Bolier [BLR]. We just made amazing food, did music, and hung out.”
The freedom to create without pressure while surrounded by other talented artists sparked joy and creativity in Sonin. “I did the first SØNIN tracks, and I didn’t even have any plans to sign or release them,” he said. “Back then, I was just switching management deals to Onno van Kemenade, who was an A&R at Armada Music, and he had a connection with Gareth [Jones]. He just sent the tracks to him, and the rest is history.” Sonin returned to Anjunabeats on November 15 with the highly anticipated “Rush” with BLR and Brieanna Grace.
Stream SØNIN, BLR and Brieanna Grace – “Rush” on Spotify:
What started as a bootleg remix of an Ariana Grande track for Instagram would then become the melody and chords for “Rush.” “This record came together in bits and pieces over a year in different studios from Nordics to Holland to the United States,” Sonin explained. “I had this instrumental for several months and obviously needed a new vocalist for it.” After receiving the initial demo from Brieanna Grace, Boilier and Sonin knew they had to collaborate on the track.
“At that point, I was so fed up with the instrumental,” Sonin added with a laugh. “I had listened to it so many times, I thought maybe it would be cool to get some fresh ears to it. Leon did his thing, and that club mix was the first version we did of it. What we did represents, for me, the true essence of trance music.”
The collaboration reminded Sonin of his pop days, where “the creative process is more teamwork.” He went on to explain, “I like that part from that world. Many times I feel like in the dance scene, people are just at home or ending up finishing the whole song alone. I notice I kind of repeat my manners if I just work by myself for months. For me, making music is a social thing. I enjoy being in a room with people, and getting the best out of each other, motivating and pushing everyone in the room to work at their best levels.”
This showed in “Rush,” catching the ears of Above & Beyond, who debuted the track at ABGT600. It was one of two non-A&B tracks in their entire set and became a highlight for many fans.
“Obviously it was a big honor for us. We knew that there would be a lot of music they want to play, because they have a lot of their own music and material on the label that deserve as much attention,” Sonin said. “I spoke with Paavo about the song when they were working on the set, and he was saying, ‘This sounds like a really classic record.’ That felt good because I looked up to Paavo for so many years as a musician.”
From the outside perspective, this might seem to some like a full-circle moment. But for Sonin, making music was always about finding balance, making something with which he feels happy, and not tailoring to one label.
“If it fits Anjunabeats, that’s great. But if it doesn’t, it’s not the end of the world for me, because I’ve been making music for such a long time. All my adult life I’ve been making music, so in a way I don’t feel this pressure. I’m happy if people are happy, or enjoying my music and listening to it,” he explained. “At the end of the day, you need to work with people who are super excited about you and your music, rather than getting obsessed with signing to a certain label.”
This mentality of easing the pressure and focusing on creating tracks he loves continues to resonate with Anjunabeats, though. Sonin was featured on Anjunabeats After Dark events leading up to ABGT600, even reconnecting with label mainstay Oliver Smith for b2bs. Pointing to another seemingly full-circle moment, Sonin explained that one of the first Anjuna records he bought was by Smith & Pledger, so when he collaborated with the London duo on 2023’s “Passion” it felt “really amazing.”
Their b2bs were highlights of the past tour for any who were lucky to catch them. “When we’re DJing together, 80% of the music we play is our own. We play a couple of surprise things here and there,” Sonin said. “The sets have been really fun and I think it’s been working out great because we share, in a way, the same DNA or aesthetic in the music.” In terms of the future for Sonin and Smith, he teased that “there’s a lot of new music in the pipeline.”
As for dance music overall, Sonin is optimistic for the future. “I think the whole dance scene is in this big revival moment. Obviously, when you have something running for 25 years, it’s a challenge to stay relevant for all that time. There’s not many brands that are on top of their game for 25 years like Anjuna,” he said. “Now, when there’s a new generation who are into their own thing — because many times people who are 18-19 don’t want to follow trends that are set by someone who is in their 40s — it will shift many things in the industry. There’s a lot of cool stuff coming from those 18 year olds now. It’s really exciting for me.”
What excites Sonin most is the resurgence of UK trance sounds reminiscent of the ’90s and 2000s, but with a modern twist. He says artists like KI/Ki, Ben Hemsley, and Hannah Laing are ones to watch. “That was like the music I listened to when I was a kid, so it’s kind of nice to hear that aesthetic coming back,” he mused. “Everyone wants to experience this certain era of their life again through music.”
These new artists are shaking up the scene through their music, but Sonin believes that there’s something else to be learned from them. “For the record labels as well, what I’ve been saying to many people is try to keep a beginner’s mindset where you get excited about many things and not to get too cynical,” he said. “Not getting excited about things anymore is usually how you get left behind. I think anything great rarely comes from this cynical environment.”
After chatting with Sonin, it’s clear that his efforts to find balance and create for himself are paying off. As mentioned, he’s been touring internationally and getting to share his craft with larger audiences. Looking back on this year, a highlight was getting to play Fabric in London, which he described as “such an iconic venue that felt really special.”
“All of the shows have been quite good,” he said. “I’ve been feeling just lucky to be able to do this for a living and as a profession, and get a chance to tour and people want to hear my music.”
With a rigorous tour schedule, he’s still trying to find ways to stay balanced on the road as well, fitting in gym sessions and maintaining healthy routines when he can. He’s noticed the tides turning toward healthier tour lifestyles throughout the scene, which has also been a benefit. “One thing that is getting more common is that people go to raves and parties sober, even in artists’ spaces as well. A lot of DJs like staying sober and embracing a healthier relationship with the culture and the industry.”
As for his personal life, Sonin has turned back to another hobby from his youth, programming, to cultivate balance in his interests. “I did that more when I was a kid, but I’ve just been building stuff. No plans for any career in that field, but maybe I will do some plugins or something,” he laughed. “Some of it has been helping with music stuff a bit, but it’s just been for fun. I just dive into something through trial and error. I’ve always been a practical learner.”
And for the future of SØNIN, plenty of new music is coming, and he has a lot of exciting shows to announce. “So I think I’m just trying to do next year, even bigger and better than the previous one,” he said. He embarks on his first shows in Asia next spring, but with so much more on the horizon, keep an eye on his socials to be the first to know.
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