Just over a year ago, we featured Sorza on our Focus Five segment, highlighting the artist’s incredible story-telling, intricate sound design and impressive versatility. While all of these qualities were evident from the release of his debut album I IDENTIFY, the Dutch artist has since remained relatively quiet, slowly working behind the scenes on the next chapter of his journey. Recently breaking this silence with the release of a couple of singles, Sorza has now been letting listeners into the inner workings of his mind, diligently building to the climax of something even bigger.
Modestly calling his new project an EP, Sorza unveiled this newest chapter last week in the form of a nine-track collection titled Pillars released via Noisia’s VISION. Demonstrating an evolution in his production and in his personality, Sorza has elevated his art to another level with the release of Pillars, taking listeners on a voyage through many facets of bass music and beyond. In tracks such as ‘Visions of what could be’ and ‘Hiding in the sea,’ Sorza showcases his ability to engulf listeners through ethereal textures and airy soundscapes. In ‘Take me’ and ‘I’m here,’ the artist flexes his versatility, going from a swagger-filled halftime cut to a boundary-pushing dubstep/future bass/trap hybrid. Through the other five tracks, Sorza further displays this knack for creating meaningful narratives that very few artists have replicated this year, attesting to why he, and his project, landed on a label as coveted as VISION. Pillars is a beautiful project that any fan of electronic music should dive into.
We had the extreme pleasure of connecting with Sorza to talk about his journey as a solo artist, the creation of Pillars, other avenues of artistic expression, and more. In addition, we have been graced with a guest mix riddled with unreleased material, giving us a taste into what a Sorza live experience would resemble. Don’t miss Pillars, as well as the mix and interview, below.
Welcome, Sorza. We’re really stoked to have you on for a mix and interview today. First, can you tell us a bit about the mix you put together? What’s the best setting for listening? Is this a cut from a typical Sorza live set, or something different meant for individual listening?
Thanks for having me over for an interview. It’s a mix between a dance set and a listening experience at home. Depending on the occasion and the type of event or audience, I love incorporating breakdowns in my live sets to create more ambiance, rather than just spamming drop after drop. I drew inspiration from a B2B set I performed with Jukaa (Jozef from The Outsiders) at Liquicity Festival last month. There was something truly magical about that set.
What initially prompted you to create the Sorza alias?
Before I started Sorza, I had always made music as part of a duo and never really explored my solo potential. During the 2020 lockdown, it felt only natural to focus on an alias that was fully me and to let people into the sound world that was inside my head.
When approaching production, how is your mindset different when creating a track for Sorza as opposed to a track for The Outsiders? Is it difficult to separate the two?
I think I have different modes, and I can switch between them depending on what the track needs. For example, ‘Does it Hurt Me’ really needed a rough, dusty, and not-overly-clean production. I wanted to give it an analog/modular feel. In contrast, the track ‘Never’ had to be ultra-clean, synthetic, and overproduced. I’ve stopped trying to pull everything together too much. I feel like I don’t have much influence on what the tracks want to be – I just go where the production takes me.
Singles push artists to create tracks that stand on their own, but it’s hard to create depth if all your music is meant to stand alone.
Congratulations on your latest release, Pillars, released via VISION. Can you tell us a bit about how the project came together?
Thank you! I never thought it would turn into such a big project. I’ve known Noisia (and their team) for quite a few years. At the end of 2022, we released an EP with The Outsiders on VISION. Now, Jozef (Jukaa) and I are more focused on our solo projects, so it made perfect sense to do a full project with Sorza.
I think the idea for a solo EP on VISION started in March 2023. There was a huge A&R process, with tons of demos and concepts. It was a real struggle to determine what this project was going to represent and what shape it would take.
Instead of pursuing one clear direction, we combined multiple EP ideas into one big project. We came up with the Pillars concept, which showcases different sides of me and the various sonic directions I’ve explored.
You don’t seem to be the type to release individual singles. Is this intentional? Have you been in album-mode since the release of I IDENTIFY?
It’s true I’m not a fan of the single-release format. I think it pushes artists more and more to create tracks that stand on their own, but it’s hard to create depth if all your music is meant to stand alone. I’ve developed quite an obsession with the way an album flows. I love it when one track sets the vibe for the next, with everything moving toward a certain climax followed by an aftermath, creating a cohesive journey.
About I IDENTIFY, you said “I was in a really weird headspace and I definitely wouldn’t say that it felt very good, but on the flip side I have never felt more connected to the music I made before. I could fully express myself through audio.” How was the mental journey of creating Pillars compared to I IDENTIFY?
To be honest, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get into that headspace again, and I’m totally fine with that. The entire 9-track record was written in just 2 months, but figuring out what should come after that took me over 2 years. So, to answer your previous question, it wasn’t entirely intentional to stay silent with original material for so long and then return with such a big project, but I’m very happy I did. I needed that time to figure out what I wanted with Sorza.
Pillars feels like the project where you can hear my search, explorations, and development since the release of I IDENTIFY.
Your music really transcends a number of genres, fusing elements from all walks of bass music and beyond, with ‘Sonyo’ carrying a particularly interesting story. Could you tell us about some of your musical inspirations and what they mean to you?
I’ve been into what you might call “non-Western” music for quite a while now. It all started with Indonesian microtonal gamelan music. I won’t go too deep in the microtonal rabbit hole now, but it’s something I’m really into. More recently, my interest in foreign music has shifted towards Middle Eastern and Balkan music, which you can hear in ‘Sonyo’ and ‘Does It Hurt Me.’
I’m currently working on a record where I’m diving really deep into this microtonal exploration. It’s also something that came out of the A&R process for Pillars, but I won’t bore you with that for now ;)
Would you say you make music more for yourself, or for your listeners? Do you ever feel pressured to change a track you’ve written because it might not be what listeners expect?
It’s always a bit of a mix. I want to create music that’s enjoyable for people who are into bass music or experimental electronica. Music needs to have a certain purpose, and for me, it’s important that listeners engage with the entire project and really get into it.
During the A&R process, there was some struggle because we were missing a “banger” track. When I was working on ‘Never,’ I was very conscious of the type of track I wanted to create. My brief to myself was: “I want a modern dubstep track with Hamdi grooves and Skrillex vibes, something that would fit well for a UKF upload.” I really wanted to create a track like that, but I also did it to serve the overall project because we needed a track like that. So, it was for myself, but also for the audience.
I think Sorza will develop in a way that is not directly linked to bass music, but rather into an even freer electronic realm.
Can you tell us a bit about ARSYN? Does that work translate to things you do for the Sorza project? If so, how?
Definitely, ARSYN is the name we gave to my collaborative project with visual artist Aidan Mulcahy, one of my closest friends. He is also involved in all the visual content we create for Sorza. We are currently working on a full A/V set that will be finished very soon.
ARSYN is a bit more focused locally. When we do A/V performances and installations or work with theaters, it sometimes diverges from what we do with Sorza, so using a different name makes a lot of sense.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I’ll be one of the artists at the forefront of experimental bass music in Europe. I’m currently focused on establishing a scene and building a community in the Netherlands for the music I make and for more experimental club music in general.
I think Sorza will develop in a way that is not directly linked to bass music, but rather into an even freer electronic realm, similar to where artists like Lapalux and Flying Lotus operate. I love bass music, but I think I’ll be moving more towards music that’s made primarily for the listening experience.
Tracklist
1. Sorza – Never
2. The Glitch Mob – Higher (Sorza Remix)
3. Sorza – ID
4. Sorza – Dumble
5. Sorza – Visions of what could be
6. Sorza – Hiding in the sea
7. Sorza x Gaszia – ID (Sorza Flip)
8. Sorza x Gaszia – ID (Sorza Flip)
9. Keenan Mundane – O.U.Y.S – (Sorza UK Flip)
10. Sorza x ID – ID
11. Keenan Mundane – Die Broke (Sorza Remix)
12. Sorza – ID
13. Sorza – ID (DnB flip)
14. Sorza – ID
15. Sorza – Does it hurt me
16. Razat – D Worry (Doubled)
17. Sorza – Lucid Disconnect (ID Remix)
18. Chase & Status, Bou – Baddadan ft. IRAH, Flowdan, Trigga, Takura (ID x ID Bootleg)
19. Willow – Whip My Hair (Sorza Bootleg)
20. Keenan Mundane – Black Enough (Sorza Loud Halftime Bootleg)
21. Sorza – I’m here
22. Sorza – Creating An Oasis (ID Remix)
