With a Ludwig Pocket Kit, a handful of Stratocasters, and a collection of old-school synths, Sionnul is serving up the ultimate lo-fi aesthetic. Read our interview below to see how it all comes together!
Describe your sound in 3 words
Lo-fi psychedelic vaporwave
You describe “The Collective Loneliness” as the existential crisis of adulthood in the digital age. What was the specific turning point or moment that made you want to capture this exact feeling in an album?
I think what really started it were the conversations I’ve had with peers where they discussed how hard being an adult is and how lonely it can get with all the things that need to be taken care of outside of work and college. Even in the local music scenes, it can be hard trying to connect with other musicians who already have a lot on their plate with families and day jobs that we all have to look after. The digital age adds into the factor in the sense that the media we consume makes us distrust each other, furthering the divide that in some ways was already both self and systematically inflicted on us.
Digital connectivity is supposed to bring us closer, yet your album tackles the isolation it causes instead. What is the main idea behind it? And how it differs from your previous works?
I think it’s more so our growing dependency on digital connectivity and its replacement of physical, real-life connection that is my main concern on the album. When I look at how Gen Z talks about community online, it’s discussed as some complex abstract idea that requires mastering and mathematic formulas when, in my belief, community is something that comes naturally, even for impulsively introverted people like myself. Sometimes community can just be holding the door open for someone or saying hi to someone you pass on the street. (I was raised in Appalachia and the Southern U.S., so to me it might just be the stereotypical southern hospitality that it’s referred to as). I think it really comes down to just respecting the folks around you and seeing them for the people they are, helping out in any way, big or small.
The Collective Loneliness as an album leans more into the loneliness that everyone feels as adults whereas earlier works like In Between focuses on introverted tendencies and escapism and The Golden Age That Never Was being more of a critique on nostalgia distorting this idea that life was simpler and better back then. Both definitely include inspirations from liminal spaces.
You blended live Ludwig drums with samples from Jake Reed, Beat Batter, and FL Studio midis. What was the biggest challenge in making these live and digital elements sound like they belonged in the same universe?
Definitely mixing! Some tracks like Contemporary Surveillance Culture and City of Strangers where the Ludwig drums are mixed differently then the drum machines on other tracks that use the sample packs from Jake Reed and Beat Batter. For the live drums, that was recorded on a Behringer B906 microphone that I fitted on the drawer handle of my desk. Balancing the frequencies of the whole kit on one mic was an interesting challenge cause I wanted to achieve the usual crisp hi hats and snares and deep kicks like in my previous records. As far as keeping everything in the same universe sound-wise, I revolved the new tracks on the usual spacey electric piano and wah-pedal guitar that I’ve been doing for the past couple of years.
Artists and people that have influenced you?
Definitely Funkadelic and Eddie Hazel’s guitar work on Maggot Brain. I also try to emulate the outer-space vibe from J Dilla and the mellow funky lo-fi style from DJ Harrison. I’ve also been including a lot of other influences throughout my work like Aphex Twin, Duster, Akira Yamaoka’s work in Silent Hill, Jamiroquai, and try to blend it into one sound. I honestly get an identity crisis trying to figure out what I’d call my music at times.
With an album so deeply rooted in human imperfection and shared isolation, what do you hope a listener who is currently in the middle of their own “downward spiral” takes away from this project?
I think the big thing is getting off of social media as much as possible and seeing people out in the real world at your own pace. Big thing is to not rush or force it; just take it step by step and you’ll find that getting out there is a lot easier than what some people make it seem. In terms of the collective loneliness, I believe that stems from the reality that you are your own unique person who has their own view of the world around you, which may make you feel misunderstood and alone.
Adding to our previous question, in which place or state of mind do you imagine people might listen to your music?
Definitely car rides and at night. Maybe even at home after a long day where you just need time to contemplate.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I have a lot (and I mean a lot) of words for my younger self, but I think my number one thing for younger Noah is that you will never feel ready for whatever you want to do in life, so just go do it.
Thank you!
Follow Sionnul
Instagram
Follow our playlist Trip into the Hop in all platforms feat. Sionnul
Secret Eclectic 