Loop present ‘Echoes Of Home’, the eagerly-anticipated new album from one of NZ’s fastest-rising electronic producers, Sanoi. Drawing inspiration from his homeland Germany, with a particular focus on the organic house and techno scene of Berlin, Sanoi has meticulously crafted Echoes Of Home to reflect his diverse influences.
‘Echoes Of Home’ finds Sanoi challenging conventional music production norms, steering clear of familiar tropes and techniques. The result is eight carefully curated tracks with a rich tapestry of ambient layers, recorded sounds, and melodies that range from quirky and playful to nostalgic and melancholic. The finely crafted drums take centre stage, emphasising the unique groove that defines Sanoi’s distinctive sound.
“Echoes of Home is a step in a different direction from my previous work. I have tried to challenge my usual approach, and move away from my old writing habits. With this album, I tried to challenge that impulse and not take the easy route. The sound of the record is driven by foley textures and organic percussion, with mellow pianos here and there. I like to use naturally occurring sounds and recordings to find the rhythm of the world around me. This album is all about writing and creating beautiful and interesting music, and I am very happy with the result” – Sanoi
The album traverses warm, bouncy & melodic house music, with touches of deep-house, techno & organica. While largely instrumental, the album’s centrepiece is a collaboration with Christchurch artist Beacon Bloom on the track Silver. Both artists previously collaborated on the popular single Club Jesus, once again featuring Ryan Ferris’ delicate yet strong vocals. The final track on the album, Moon Boy offers a few moments of quiet as the journey draws to an end with just Sanoi & his piano.
Created at his home in Auckland, and road-tested across multiple live performances across NZ & Australia over the past two years, Echoes Of Home sees Sanoi’s composition & production step up another level. Available on limited edition vinyl, the digital release also includes an eclectic collection of four remixes from acclaimed New Zealand artists micronism & Paige Julia, alongside German producers Gabriel Ananda & Fabian Krooss.
The album will arrive alongside a range of bespoke visual content created by Sanoi alongside innovative local technology company Disguise. Utilised all over the world, Disguise are a visual company who create content for the likes of U2, The Rolling Stones, Beyoncé, Pink! and Ed Sheeran, plus for live events including Coachella and Formula 1. Sanoi & Disguise have been working for over a year on a visual accompaniment for each track on the album, which will be released alongside the album itself, showcasing two New Zealand artists who are leaders in their fields.
Over the past five years, Sanoi has become an integral part of the growing underground house and techno scene in New Zealand, all the while expanding his international presence with releases on labels Bar 25, Stil Vor Talent, Magician On Duty, and Zehn Records. Sanoi’s music has already gained support from student radio stations in New Zealand and has caught the attention of tastemaker DJs worldwide.
WWD: You currently live in New Zealand, and have done so since 2015. What do you like about your current surroundings and local music scene compared to the one in Germany where you were previously based?
I love the smaller size of the music industry and the variety of musicians and artists I get to interact with because of that. It’s really cool to be able to hang out with Drum & Bass, Pop, Indie & House heads on the same table, and you all know each other and are inspired by everyone’s work.
WWD: In an interview with Electronic Groove from 2021 you described how your previous album ‘SANOI’ was self-titled because the album is “a sort of musical self-portrait”. How would you describe your new album ‘Echoes Of Home’?
“Echoes Of Home” was a step in a different direction. I wanted to try new things and get out of my comfort zone and focus on things that I believe the first record was missing, or that I was not able to do at that time. The overall vibe of the new record is much more positive and uplifting, but also deep and full of thoughts.
WWD: Are we right in saying that ‘Echoes Of Home’ compared to your previous output has a more “dreamy” and relaxed sound? How would you describe the difference between this album and your other work?
Yes, that is correct. The dance floor here was more of an afterthought and I tried focus on the listening aspect more. Although I feel this did not always work, and some tracks still follow the “DJ” structure. I am one step closer to being free from having to fall into patterns people expect.
WWD: The kick drum plays a central role in a lot of your music. Do you usually start creating new songs with the kick drum or is it an element that comes in later on? Please describe the process you go through at the start of a new track.
That is a good observation. I am a big fan of deep analog warm kicks and I start every track with a kick and then drums. The groove and kick is always informing the rest of the track elements. I love the pulse of the right 4/4 kick. Even if the track is not made for the dancefloor, I still like it as a thing the body wants to lock into.
WWD: You have worked with a range of labels before, including Beat & Path most recently. How come you ended up releasing ‘Echoes Of Home’ with Loop?
I felt I wanted to be able to reach a broader audience, especially here in my home country of choice New Zealand, and Loop were the perfect partners for that. In terms of working with a label, that was a huge step up from my previous experiences and I am very happy with what we were able to achieve so far together. Loop does not look after many artists and it’s a huge honor to be recognized and supported by such a strong player in the New Zealand music industry.
WWD: The only non-instrumental track on the album is ‘Silver’, where you have collaborated with Beacon Bloom, whom you have previously worked together with on the single Club Jesus. How was it linking up with the Christchurch trio again for the new album?
I love working with the boys. They are just nice lads and very talented. We always know and feel what is missing when we work together and are able to effortlessly write and produce in the flow-state for hours and write, at least for me, our most exciting work.
WWD: Looking to the future, do you have any dream collaborations or maybe some already in the works that you can tell us about?
Oh I would love to work with artist like Stimming, Max Cooper, Bonobo or Jon Hopkins, but also more pop acts like Kimbra, Georgia Lines, Chromeo or Lorde. I’m open to anything and am looking forward to getting back into the studio to write whatever I feel like with whomever I feel like.
WWD: How important is performing live for you? Do you develop new tracks whilst you’re on tour or do you usually take a break from live performances whilst working on new projects?
I definitely need a break after playing shows to be able to hear my inner voice again. It can get pretty quiet after a season of summer festivals and exposure to everyone else’s amazing music.
WWD: You have also been working with local technology company Disguise, to create visuals for each track on the album. Was it especially important to you to have a lot of carefully chosen visuals for this album? Have you always worked closely with visuals for your releases or is it something you have taken up more lately?
I had an initial vision of having visuals for each track and that did morph into what it is now, which is even better than I could have imagined it. That was the first time I worked with visual artists, and now I can’t work without them again I think! It adds something special and unique to the whole “let’s look at the DJ” thing.
WWD: You have a busy tour schedule ahead of you in the coming six months, performing alongside a range of legends and current heavyweights (Basement Jaxx, The Chemical Brothers and Barry Can’t Swim to mention a few). Are there any currently active electronic artists that you find especially inspiring at the moment?
Stimming is always the one I listen to that give me the most inspiration, but someone like Fred Again… is a giant inspiration in terms of breaking all the norms and rules of how to approach sampling, songwriting and staying humble. Not that I want to write music like that, but it’s so refreshing to see that kind of authenticity resonate with people in such a way. It gives me hope for all of us that if you are yourself and it sounds good, people will follow you on your journey because you are a real person with real feelings.