To Anton Sonin, music has always been more than a passing infatuation – it’s a natural state of mind. A purpose, as he breathes melodies, dreams soundscapes and lives to create a sound that moves. For over a decade and a half, he’s been one of the best kept secrets in the Finnish music industry, working behind the scenes at the renowned HelsinkiVibe studios. But in the past few years, he made the choice to expand his playground and reveal the signature SØNIN sound that’s already begun to enrapture the crowds. Armed with all the right skills, driven by an ever-growing love for melody and ready to make his name, this studio wizard carries a future promise within.
Drawn to the heavyweight rhythms of The Prodigy and cutting-edge sounds of Daft Punk, Anton wasn’t even a teenager when he fell in love with dance music. His puppy love grew into a steady relationship, as he discovered hard dance and trance in the early 2000’s. At 13 years of age, the small record store in his hometown of Helsinki, Street Beat, became his go-to place, spending all of his pocket money on vinyl records. Finland’s capital has always had a very vibrant music scene, and it offered Anton the chance to practice his DJ skills at small, underground parties. Playing out his favourite records fuelled Anton’s need to create beats of his own, and so he dove into the world of music making. In the era before YouTube tutorials, Facebook groups and Twitch sessions, Anton learned the ropes of producing by meeting up with a couple of guys he met through IRC and music forums – they taught him the basics, after which he explored its endless possibilities at home. At the age of 17, Anton got introduced to Finnish DJ Miika Kuisma, who shared a studio with Super8 & Tab and was a friend of Above & Beyond’s Paavo. Miika was quick to recognise the rising talent in Anton, as he signed his first track ‘Immersion’, heavily supported by the likes of Above & Beyond and Markus Schulz. It was there and then, that Anton realised he was doing something right, and music was the way. Working with the likes of Super8 & Tab, Mikka Kuisma and Supermodels From Paris, he found his home at the HelsinkiVibe studios, where lots of trance classics were brought to life and he was surrounded with like-minded people. With such great connections, Anton’s talents were introduced to some of the industry’s leading names, and he decided to embark upon a production and songwriting journey for other artists and brands instead. One of his career highlights include winning a Finnish EMMA award for ‘Reino Nordin – Antaudun’, as most streamed record in 2018. Anton gave sound to the Nordic market, in multiple genres and across many different fields. He also co-produced Tensnake’s ‘L.A.’ album, released on Armada Music, and worked with Yotto on some of the songs of his debut album ‘Hyperfall’. Recognized for the multi-talent that he is, the amazing feedback from both the crowds and industry peers gave Anton the final push he needed. Time to put his own name first and forward.
If anything, Helsinki’s long, cold winters and light, fleeting summers seem to have influenced SØNIN’s sound – it’s moody, deep and atmospheric. A mature sound, heavy with emotion, melancholy and melody. Keeping an open mind, Anton doesn’t want SØNIN to be genre-bound – and so it’s genre-bending instead. Having worked and collaborated with some of the Anjunafamily, the label was eager to sign SØNIN originals, from ‘Cry’, ‘Circles’, ‘Titan’ and ‘Waterfall’, to Yotto collabs ‘Hear Me Out’ & ‘Nothing Like You’. Anton’s collab with Grigoré, ‘Peace Originates’, was signed to Solomun’s Diynamic Music, and was a real crowd favourite throughout the summer of ’22. According to Anton, he still hasn’t made his best record yet – so there’s plenty more exciting stuff ahead.
Besides fattening his discography and hiding in the studio, SØNIN can also be found playing outside. His eclectic sets have moved the masses at many an ABGT show, including the 450 afterparty, Anjunabeats Night Tales Takeover and the massive ABGT Weekender in London. SØNIN tries to find records in places people aren’t really looking – the hidden gems and forgotten soul sounds of what trance used to be like in the days of crate digging. Good DJ’s play music you like, but great DJ’s play stuff you didn’t even knew you liked – and that’s the type of DJ that’ll take charge as soon as SØNIN gets behind the decks.
Grasping the magic through both his productions and DJ sets, you’re bound to fall in love with the sound of SØNIN, sooner or later. With love shining through in every meticulously crafted piece of music, it’s hard not to be infatuated – and that’s exactly what makes this guy stand out.
