SONAONE must have been reeling with excitement, as his latest single Again has undergone a mastering process by Chris Athens, the man responsible in weaving magic for several notable stars such as Charlie Puth, Drake, Rick Ross, PartyNextDoor and DJ Khaled.
The award-winning rapper and his label, Kartel Records, decided that the upbeat tune, which is produced, composed, written and mixed by the 28-year-old artiste, should receive Athens’ mastery.
“The mastering process of a song comes last after mixing. It consists of boosting the overall volume levels in order to achieve the most enjoyable listening experience,” explained SonaOne, whose real name is Mikael Adam Lozach.
“Depending on the genre, or style of music, there are differences in techniques and methods. Mastering is like throwing a raw pizza into an oven, and we only enjoy it when it’s cooked.
“We opted for Chris to achieve a sound that would be seamless with the current international standard in hip hop music. We are most likely going to be working with him again for future releases,” SonaOne cheekily explained with a pun.
SonaOne said he was always evolving as an artiste, and this single would be a representation of his growth on many levels.
“I’ve evolved sonically, mentally and emotionally. Again is a small glimpse of what is soon to come,” he said.
SonaOne’s talent was first spotted by award-winning hip hop star Joe Flizzow, who invited the then fledgling rapper to join his label Kartel Records in 2010. Four years later, SonaOne’s first single No More from his debut album Growing Up Sucks! won Best Song and Best Local English Song awards at the 21st Anugerah Industri Muzik.
At the same event, Apa Khabar, a collaboration with his boss Joe, took home Best Hip Hop Song. It went on to win Best Song at TV3’s 29th Anugerah Juara Lagu, a month later.
To date, SonaOne has not only done collaboration work, but also composed songs for various top singers such as Faizal Tahir, Yuna, Altimet and Indonesian singer Afgan.
“I’ve learnt a lot from my peers in the music industry, mostly from watching, observing, listening and asking the right questions at the right time. What would prepare me best for a better opportunity is to study the opportunity.”
Again is now available for download from all digital stores.