SONANAUT: Sinking Upwards

Sonanaut

Sinking Upwards

© 2007 IVSI Records (786851054958) (format: CD-R)

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Ambient - chillout - downtempo. Mood orientated and rhythm driven soundscapes exploring the three worlds of melody, space and tension, based on Sonanaut’s experiences of New York. “A soundtrack album to the listeners movie”.

notes

Sonanaut is the project of New york based Simon Smart a Welshman by birth. Simon spent most of his career in london and moved to New York in 2005. He has worked in the US and Europe as a recording and mix engineer, with artists and for TV and film soundtracks. A significant volume of his work was done at London’s Abbey Road Studios

As a composer he’s written music for commercials and documentaries and his work includes the UK Channel 4 Station Ident

Simon’s first album as Sonanaut was released on IVSI Records at the end of 2007. It’s a collection of works based on his response to his life in New York. Though it’s an ambient chillout album it’s very personal reflecting thoughts about people, some he knows and some he doesn’t.

The album was chosen to be a sonic exhibit at an exhibition called ‘Sonic-Self’ at the Chelsea Art Museum in New York.

Major musical influences include Steve Reich, FSOL, Bela Bartok, Bill Evans, Lyle Mays, Claus Ogerman, Claude Debussy, Massive Attack and Deep House.

reviews

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  • Sonanaut-Sinking Upwards
    author: Ian C Uren

    This is one sexy album! I love the beautiful dream scape of 'Reasons' and the moody fender rhodes and the subtle flute on 'Judith's way'. There is a great mix and use of electronic instrumentation like in the juxtaposition of the treated electric guitar behind the melody of the classical guitar refrain of 'Carbon'. I loved the hypnotic rhythm and choral chants in 'The Twins' and then the beautiful minor chord changes in 'David' a piece of music that had me lost in contemplation and total relaxation. The album ends with the equivalent of an electronic requiem in 'From Now On' and sent goose bumps all the way down my back. A superb work indeed and one I'd highly recommend, even if electronic sound scapes are not your bag, I'm sure you'd love this after a hard day at the office!

  • SINKING UPWARDS
    author: JOHN SAUNDERS

    As with all Sonanaut music, it's well thought out, there's no "I'll slap that bit in there because it's what other people do!", every peice is passionately blended with the correct noises for the mood. When I listened to this album, I decided to do it without the track titles visible, so that I could experience the music with absolutely no preconceptions. 'Sinking Upwards' takes me through a whole range of emotions, Fear,paranoia,excitement, loneliness and more that isn't always possible to put into words. The track 'Carbon' gives me a feeling of intense sunlight, and the nylon guitar evokes the heat of a desertscape, where as 'Within This City' gives me a sense of suspended isolation, and I feel a stranger in this city. 'David' gives me the feeling of flying over devastation,searching for life with the occasional movement of something to give hope, only to be dashed by the knowledge that it was only wishfull thinking.' I Can Feel you' gives me the sensation of being in a waiting room, uncertainty and expectation of what you fear most. All in all, this album is a treat for the senses, any ambient lover not moved by this wasn't listening and ought to give it another go. I have every respect for Sonanaut, so much so that I have him as one of my top friends on my Carphead myspace page. Simon you are a genius!

  • Sonanaut "Sinking Upwards"
    author: Tigafish_db

    this Album has a really succeeded Effect: it's slowly, downtempo and at the same time fully present, opening the view to the forthcoming. Just like the title of this Album, the Sound often seems to go deeper and down until there are some Lights on the Way getting brighter and coming closer to lift the ambience again. It becomes easy to imagine the Feeling you have walkin' through a City, maybe on a Boulevard, when it's Night, it rained and the Streets are wet so that the Lights reflect. Just like in Slow mode some Cabs drive on and away, and you're even goin' your way - these Pictures go through my mind hearing the Sounds that are slowly coming and going theire way, too, just to come to another meeting Point and melt in Tristesse so beautifully... On the second Part of the Album there are really calming, dream-away-lovin-Tracks and my favourite ones are "Within this City" and "from now on", but "Judith's Way", "don't you know" and "David" are also tasting very good! "i can feel you" inevitably reminds me of Arts of Noise and "Induction" has a very specially dubbed Athmosphere - just check them out for yourself! i think, it would be a pleasure, to hear the Tracks in full length and maybe i'll get this CD when i need a still and calmy Feeling again. the Feeling for me is like a mixture of Boards of Canada or FSOL, combined with a dubby and rythmical feeling like you can find in Thievery Corporations' Style, unless it's a throughout instrumental Album, that has a really smooth and moody Sound.dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd.Point. i would like to praise Sonanaut and also everyone else who shares it's feelings and thougts with us in this Peaceful and Harmonic Way and last but not least i want to thank all the people who are joining the Harmony hearing these Ways! Peace

  • Running To Lose and Running To Find
    author: ChineseRaven13

    The things in life that affect us so much, we run away from and gravite towards. All of our fears that we don't face, and even the ones we do-we are always running . . . Driving away, singing away, crying away, laughing away, writing away, drawing away, typing away, working away, sleeping away, the most passionate expereriences in life are always too far and sometimes yet too close. We are all interconnected to one another but sometimes keep running because of fear. And in that that fear, there is so much compassion that when once found, we will all be naturally. Feel as if we are "Sinking Upwards" to a better understanding of one another. For a better life, a better place to run to.

  • a worthy journey
    author: timbretronics

    The depth of this work becomes more apparent each time one listens. Intriguing emotional ambient layers carried forward by an artful array of rhythms from lounge to downtempo with tastful hints of dub to cool jazz. Well thought out and obviously inspired. It should easily take the listener on a journey to far off unimagined places....in first class!

  • author: timbretronics

    I like music that takes me to unimagined places. The content in "Sinking Upwards" takes me to places i've never dreamed of, and in first class. A truly superb blend of intriguing ambient layers laced with cool rhythms from lounge, to down-tempo, to dub and on into outer space. There is plenty of depth that allows a listener to come back time and again, each time finding new sub-melodic timbres sprinkled here and there. A perfect soundtrack for that wonderful Sunday morning moment with a good cup of brew, when there is nothing planned and the whole world seems at hand. Impressive and inspiring.

  • Sinking Upwards
    author: Marc Yeats: avante garde classical composer

    Gripping, deep, orchestral and expressive - just a few adjectives which spring to mind in describing this album. All the tracks are approached from a colouristic point of view by not mearly using the same sound generations throughout; colours shift as the orchestrational approach to the music develops. Material unfolds slowly and steadily, much of it with an harmonically modal feel, creating great beauty and expressive power. These harmonies, carried by strong and clear melodic writing imparts the music's emotional heart deep into the listener creating an intense yet laid back musical experince. All tracks are motivated by inventive and appropriate rhythmic backing, never obtrusive, these percussive pads serve to bring a very contemporary feel to the melodic content delivering a listening experience firmly rooted in the twenty-first century but which has, on occassion, a surprisingly 'classical' feel about it, this due to the rich, lush, orchestral nature of the tracks and the attention to great melodic writing supported by inventive and sensetive harmoies - all fabulous qualities to draw from classical music - qualities that are all too often lacking in so many contemporary albums. Sinking Upwards is a must listen - if you don't find t least one track there to touch you, I'd be surprised. Highly recommended!

  • sinking upwards
    author: Plamen De Reu

    i am happy to stuck on this album. it's a successful combination between fine electronica and profound ambient sounds. let's just call it conceptual. it both gives you the perception of being underwater and at the same time it's like a weightless rambling in deep space. but not in that well-known boring way most artists do today. it's alive. just find it out.

  • Beautiful and thought provoking!
    author: Brian Ripple Effect

    Sonanaut and myself made contact through myspace.com, and i was blown away by the quality of the tracks that he had posted on his page. Suffice to say that the full-lenght album does not disappoint me. This is basically everything that is good about ambient/electronic/techno music, gorgeous, beautiful melodies, nice beats, well constructed and well produced tracks. Highly recommended!!

  • Great music!!
    author: DC Project

    I really like this kind of music. The artist here is really good. I can just sit back and close my eyes and travel.. to places of make believe. Relaxing. I highly recommend this CD!

  • :]
    author: eddo

    my review is for this album is cool,good,deep and smart.

  • outstanding
    author: the f-project

    I had a hard week at work and friday evening had a comment on myspace page asking to review this album. At first i thought o god not another album its just gonna be like all the rest... I have to say i take it back.. I have listened to this album for the past hour and can't find anything wrong with it. It fills every emotional space in my mind and more even though not all tracks are my bag i still enjoyed it this will be getting played in my house for sure top stuff

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