Jonah Sun

May 5, 2016 11:02 am
JONAH SUN: PIONEERING THE “ONE MAN BANDS” OF TOMORROW
Daniel Black

Hailing from the West Coast, Jonah Sun is this great manifestation of creative juices and great performing talent. His real name is Andrew Solis, and the name Jonah Sun is biblically based and partially an old sailor’s tale which also combines with the fact that his last name translates to “sun” or “of the sun.”

To describe Jonah Sun we have to talk about the “One Man Band,” which is normally thought as the clunky man dressed up in a parade or on city streets with a big bass drum strapped to his back, a trumpet and harmonica right next to his face, small cymbals at the knees and an accordion or guitar at his arms with an array of other things all over him. That age of “one man bands” has fallen to the side years ago, but once again people can do everything a whole band does on their own. Jonah Sun is one of these impressive people. With various keyboards, samples and other things, he creates a full band experience with just his two hands and voice.

Just like TOW3RS and Jack Garrett, Jonah Sun is bringing this new genre and way of playing into mainstream music. He makes some fantastically orchestrated and well timed blends of music for being just one man. At first, I was expecting to see him play off his Mac Book, just pressing play and adding effects here and there for a live show. But oh no, he does all of it on the spot like any other band member. I was seriously impressed with his ability to play his recorded music so seamlessly at a live show.

His music is a soft electronic space spectrum of sound. It has a wonderful way of bringing this beautiful feeling of floating away to the stars without leaving your seat. But along with a great handle of synth effects and a good talent for multitasking various instruments at once, his voice is the perfect laid back punk.

Rarely shrill or annoying, his voice brings out the inner punk rock that we all have deep within us. With songs like “From Your Head” (or “In Your Head” as it is named on his album) and “Going Up,” he has this interesting way of connecting to the listener in a straight channel from ears to heart.

For those who need that extra bit of punk with a strong twist of house/electronica music, Jonah Sun is your new guy. - Atypical Sounds- Daniel Black

Jonah Sun is the moniker of Andrew Solis, a forward-thinking music producer who is based in San Francisco, California. Through this project, Andrew channels the eclectic multitude of voices in his local music scene and beyond, allowing various elements to combine in a way that feels very natural. His recent studio work is an EP titled “Slow Songs of The Future”, which contains a collection of hazy, dreamy and creative indie pop gems with electronic overtones.

Opening song “Space Run” sets the mood and defines the tonal aesthetics of this release. The overall sound is fuzzy, saturated and slightly lo-fi electronica with a refreshingly natural “bedroom” feel which is real & sincere and I mean that in the best possible way.

One of the most difficult tasks of any electronic music producer is to turn a variety of samples, drum-machines and synths into sounds that aren’t just cold and artificial, but “human” and emotional. Jonah Sun succeeds greatly in this endeavor, achieving an organic sound on all the tracks featured on “Slow Songs of The Future”. This continues with a wonderfully hazy, candle-lit atmosphere on “Meet Me In The Waves”. This song is slightly more upbeat, showcasing some of the catchiest lyrics on the entire EP and a really nice build-up of layered, sequenced synths. The chorus is particularly exciting, as the bass kicks in punchy and tight, going for one of the most uplifting sections of the entire EP.

The third song is an interlude titled “Another Sad Song”, an electric piano melody with a beautiful retro tone. I love the sound of these gritty, mid-range keys and the bright, bell-like synths that come in with the drums, adding more air and depth. The following track, “I want you” kicks things up a notch and surprises the listener with the integration of a really cool jungle percussion sample. At first, it might almost sound like the drums are out of place, but as soon as the synth sweeps come in and Andrew starts singing, everything falls into place into what is probably my favorite track of the record. Last but not least, “Simple Things” is another great track with beautiful melodies and some really memorable lyrical hooks that make me think of artists such as Snow Patrol or The Postal Service.

Slow Songs of the Future is a very well-balanced EP with a lot of diversity and the short setlist just left me wanting to hear more! I would say that it definitely worth more than one listen.

You can listen to the EP here:

https://jonahsun.bandcamp.com/album/slow-songs-of-the-future
https://open.spotify.com/album/5FaalA5lwXnCIefcgiNA6F

Find out more about Jonah Sun:
www.jonahsun.com
https://www.facebook.com/jonahsun1
www.twitter.com/jonahofthesun - Music Blogged- Ben Corke