Few names have recently garnered as much attention as the dynamic duo Alex Sonata & TheRio in the vast expanse of the trance and progressive scene.
They’ve carved a niche for themselves by representing the vibrant cultures of Scotland and Italy with their distinctive sound. Having stamped their mark with smash hits on Anjunabeats like ‘Breath Of The Wild,’ ‘Cala Luna,’ and ‘Time,’ the duo has experienced the adrenaline rush of performing at grand stages such as Creamfields and Group Therapy Weekender London. Following the recent release of their eagerly anticipated single, ‘Hanalei’, we had the privilege of sitting down with them.
Here’s a closer look at their journey, the magic behind their tracks, and their perspective on the ever-evolving trance scene in this exclusive interview.
Can you describe the journey from collaborating in 2018 to officially forming Alex Sonata & TheRio in 2020?
We had started thinking we’d do one collaboration and see how our styles worked together. Quite quickly though we found ourselves working on another one, then another one. During this process, we realized that our combination of styles, strengths, and weaknesses was a great match.
We were learning things from each other that were super inspiring. We started gaining some attention from some big players in the trance and progressive scene and getting remix offers as “Alex Sonata & TheRio.” During that time we had become really good friends as well, and the next step in becoming an official duo was really a no-brainer.
The track ‘Mantra’ has been featured prominently by Above & Beyond in their live sets. How does receiving such recognition from giants in the trance scene feel?
Above & Beyond really got behind that track which of course was absolutely amazing to see. We put a lot of our emotion into “Mantra”, and to see the reactions of thousands of people when A&B dropped it for the first time as an ID really isn’t a moment we’ll forget.
You’ve performed at significant venues and events like Creamfields, Group Therapy Weekender at the Gorge, and the Royal Dockyards in London. How do these experiences shape your music production?
Massively! When you play shows, and you finally get to see people’s reactions to all your hard work, it really makes every bit of that studio time worth it. The energy from the crowd is something we always take back into the studio, and it helps inspire us to make music.
Also, playing shows gives you a great opportunity to test new ideas – see what works, or what doesn’t work – then we can make any tweaks we feel are necessary.
Elevven has developed a bit of a signature sound on Anjunabeats through their remixes and, recently their original track debut. How did their sound influence ‘Hanalei’?
We’ve loved these guys’ productions for a long time and supported many of their tracks in our live sets, so we always knew we’d reach out for a collaboration at some point. With “Hanalei,” you can clearly identify Elevven’s and our styles. That was something that we all wanted to achieve from the get-go, and we were all really happy with the final result.
How do you feel about the current global trance scene and your rapidly ascending position?
We think it’s interesting that trance is making a comeback, especially the kind of trance we grew up on in the late 90s and early 2000s. It’s a great time to experiment and try new things, but I think what we’re seeing with mainstream trance crossovers becoming popular now is that music trends are a cycle, with older sounds constantly coming back in new and exciting ways.
I think that’s what we’re trying to do with our music ultimately, which is to infuse those classic, often somewhat Balearic chord progressions into modern techno and tech trance-leaning production styles. It’s encouraging to see fans engage with what we’re putting out!
Lastly, for those new to the trance scene or your music specifically, which track would you recommend they start with to understand the essence of Alex Sonata & TheRio?
That’s a tough one, but probably “Breath Of The Wild” or “Mantra” are the best examples of our sound. They encapsulate everything about the style of music we love to make – something emotional that hopefully gives you those goosebump moments, but also something that makes you go wild when the beat drops.
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
