The Soon-Another

With over a thousand shows under their belt, Sofar Sounds has come to be known as a refuge for up-and-coming artists who are just as at home on a stage as they are in someone’s living room or the back corner of some crowded bookstore. Conceived as a way for artists to bring their music to fans in a far more informal atmosphere, Sofar Sounds has worked with hundreds of artists and is continually looking for ways to tear down the barrier between artist and audience.
And it’s with these atypical performance settings and intimate emotional connections that they approached pan-global avant-pop band The Soon-Another to see if they would like to add their unique spin on Sofar’s communal aesthetic, as well as to the organization’s constantly expanding list of concerts.
Known for their off-kilter rhythms and fractured pop melodies, the band came together through the shared musical experiences of singer Adele Fournet and guitarist Felipe Wurst. On a trip to Lima, Peru, Fournet was doing research into the indigenous music scene and began playing keyboard with some of the local bands. It was here that she crossed paths with Wurst, and the two immediately developed a common musical rapport. They later invited bassist Sebastian Apolinario and drummer Bruno Sanchez to join the band—although Sanchez would have to leave the band when the decision was made to relocate to Brooklyn and was replaced by drummer Ofer Levy.
According to the brief preconcert interview with the band, "Leviathan" tells the story of a girl who finds herself drawn into a book of sea monsters and subsequently befriends these monsters—one of which possesses her and they merge to become a single character. The story is then left open to interpretation. Even Fournet isn't sure how the story ends.
"Leviathan" is a haunting and subdued song that makes its mark through a deliberately paced progression—the sort that quietly gets under your skin and refuses to leave. Once its melodic claws have dug in, you'll be humming this song for weeks. Through a spacious and rather gorgeous use of acoustic guitar, keyboard and a rhythm section that binds everything together within a fully realized soundscape, the band creates a world of shifting tones and spiraling melodies. It becomes all too easy to become lost in the crystalline sounds, but getting lost here isn't the worst thing that could happen. - Nooga

El 2014 ha sido un gran año en videoclips nacionales, en casi todos los géneros. Y esto no solo nos alegra por que potencia la propuesta artística y la difusión de cada banda peruana, sino porque cada vez están saliendo mas videastas en nuestro medio, y para algunos esto ya es un trabajo sostenible del cual vivir, es por ello que hemos hecho una selección de los 40 VIDEOCLIPS NACIONALES DEL 2014.

A lo mejor les parecerá mucho, pero la cantidad de videos que ha salido este año ha sido impresionante. En esta lista, realizada por Rock Achorao podrán encontrar casi 200 videos nacionales en total que han salido durante este año. En promedio se han hecho 15 videoclips por mes, y no sólo en Lima sino también en provincia.

Dentro de los videos nacionales que hemos seleccionado queremos rescatar que varios han salido rankeados en listas anuales internacionales, como "Should not let it Go" de Las Amigas de Nadie en la web Club Fonograma, y "Puro Comer" de Elegante & La Imperial en Remezcla, ambas norteamericanas. Queremos además, resaltar también que algunos videos con su sencillez y poco presupuesto, han conseguido un gran impacto, como los videos casi estáticos de Cristina Valentina, The Intemission, Yushimi y Sylvia Falcón, que logran ser mas contundentes que varios videos muy cargados y costosos. A veces menos es mas.

También queremos resaltar los videos que muestran elementos y personajes peruanos y la cotidaneidad de nuestras ciudades, como los videos de La Nueva Invasión, Los Protones o Mr. Zebre, lo que nos resulta mucho mas atractivo (no solo para nosotros sino para el extranjero) que viajar a otro país para hacer un buen video. Rescatamos también a los nuevos estudios de animación que cada vez están haciendo cosas mas sobresalientes, como en el caso de los videos de La Mecánica Popular, Bareto o Atomos de Sion.

Y por último dos menciones especiales, primero al video "Mandala" de Toe Ra por haber sido una gran finalista en el Ibiza Music Festival, y al video de "Ahora te puedes marchar" de Chico Unicornio, que ha sido el video nacional mas compartido en páginas internacionales (mas de 10) en toda la historia de rock peruano.

Sin más, los dejamos con nuestra selección de 40 VIDEOS NACIONALES DEL 2014, en orden alfabético (ojo, no es un ránking). - Rock Achorao

Estos son los 10 discos que más nos gustaron del 2014.

Celebrando el nuevo año, es siempre costumbre recordar lo mejor que nos dejó el año pasado y, aunque no lo crean, la escena musical peruana produjo una cantidad impresionante de discos durante el 2014.

Muchos medios ya han realizado su recuento de los mejores: el Top 25 Rasgueos Nacionales del diario El Peruano, Los Top 30 el blog Tercerparlante junto a Rock Achorado vía El Comercio (con un bonus raking hecho por los artistas mismos gracias a Rock Achorado) y, quizá el más ambicioso de todos, El Blog del Bam, con un Top 50 de los mejores discos del año.

Aquí les dejamos nuestra humilde opinión, a ver que les parece.

6. The Soon-Another - Autodidact

The Soon-Another (antes conocidos como Humanimals) era uno de los grupos que se movían en el mismo circulo de La lá. Antes de su partida a Estados Unidos pude verlos en vivo y escuchar algunas de las canciones que estarían en su disco debut Autodidact.

Lo divertido de la banda es que exploran diferentes sonidos, matices y humores lírica y musicalmente. La voz de Adele Fournet es dulce, sentimental y carismática, y por momentos hay interesantes armonías con Felipe Wurst. El grupo experimenta con loops, palmas, distorsiones, gritos y sonidos electrónicos, logrando diferentes ambientes a lo largo del material. Es una pena que ya no estén por acá pero les deseo mucho éxito en Nueva York.

Canciones recomendadas: Like You Like, Up is Down, Fountain of Youth - PeruEnReview

The story of Soon-Another is a curious one. It started when vocalist/keyboardist Adele Fournet moved from the US to Peru to work as an ethnomusicologist. There she met guitarist Felipe Wurst and together they wrote songs that were delightful blends of their classical, indie, funk and rock influences. The four-piece band developed an underground following during their two years in Peru, but decided to start over when Adele was offered a PhD position in ethnomusicology by NYU. The band has since then relocated to New York, and released their debut album ‘Autodidact’ in 2013.
The versatile music of the Soon-Another reflects the band’s cultural diversity. Three songs were filmed in this studio session: ‘Fountain of Youth’ is a mellow number about one traveller’s pursuit; ‘Like You Like’ is an upbeat song you’d want to clap and dance to; whereas ‘The Garden’ is a nice blend of guitar and refreshing vocals. We love their energy, eccentricity and attention to details – you can find unique decorations on the musical instruments and colourful makeup on all of the band members. - Zealous London

Through punctuated hand-clapping and an impossibly catchy rhythmic drive, the listener is sewn through the fibers of new album Autodidact (2014) from The Soon-Another. With influences in both Peru and now in Brooklyn, The Soon-Another are equal parts indie pop stars in training and students of folk. The irony of this latest pop band is they're not contrived at all. And that's what takes something novel and fresh and makes it truly special. None is more inspired than this ridiculously cool 2:00 long song that I've already listened to a dozen times today. This is it kids, the first genuine Song of Summer 2014! - Ryan's Smashing Life

Indie rock band The Soon-Another comes with a story as charming and unlikely as its synth-pop twists. Current NYU student Adele Fournet, who is currently pursuing her doctorate in ethnomusicology, formed the band with musicians Felipe Wurst and Sebastian Apolinario while working in Lima, Peru. The trio moved to New York and met their fourth member, Israeli drummer Ofer Levy, in Brooklyn. Just this month, The Soon-Another released its first album, Autodidact.
Local sat down with Adele and Felipe to learn about the band’s history, how they have been influenced by the New York indie scene, and where they’re taking their music next.

NYU Local: How was this band born?
Adele: I moved from Arkansas to Peru in 2010 to do ethnomusicology research about women in the music scene in Lima. I became interested in the subject because I had been playing in bands forever, but I rarely encountered other women, especially in music production. Since I was also fluent in Spanish, I decided to investigate the relationship between music and gender in Peru. Once I got to Lima and started my ethnographic research, I ended up playing a lot of bands and meeting musicians, including Felipe. We started sharing music. I introduced him to a lot of indie bands, like St. Vincent, who we actually saw last night, and that sound wasn’t really happening in Lima at the moment.
Felipe: There were a ton of guitar players in Lima, including my brother and me, but Adele was one of the very few keyboardists. It was a cool connection, and as we all became closer friends, we wanted to collaborate musically.

Local: Where does your band name, The Soon-Another, come from?
Felipe: We’ve actually had three band names. The first name was The Gallivant.
Adele: That didn’t go over well in Lima because no one really knew how to say that word. So we switched it to Humanimals, which worked, because it was the same in English and Spanish. But when we came to New York, we realized there are probably six or seven bands here already called Humanimals, so we made another change.
Felipe: We had to change it because with our album coming out our name was going to be more permanent, but it was also just a new start anyway coming to New York. For example we also had to find a new drummer, because of the four members of the band only three of us came to New York.

Adele: We found the new name in a book called The Book of Imaginary Beings by Jorge Luis Borges. Each chapter is about a mythical creature and that fit really well with the “humanimals” imagery of our band. One of the creatures in the book is called the Soon-Another, which is made up of different animal parts that it is always changing.
Felipe: It fit the situation, because with the move, our band was adapting to a new environment.

Local: How has being in New York influenced the production of your music?
Adele: We’re focusing more on writing and producing than playing. In Lima we played a lot because the music scene there is more informal. It’s easier to put on shows with your friends and just have a good time, but in an oversaturated market like New York, venues are a little more demanding. We’ve had to start over with putting our name out there, from making media packets to seeking out local collaborators.
Felipe: We are definitely trying to learn from what is happening here, though. It’s our first real exposure to such a huge market, with so many different genres. Even being indie, there’s indie rock, indie DIY, indie Bushwick…there’s a lot to experience.
Adele: Exposure to the huge indie scene here has helped us be more deliberate about our sound, from which synthesizers to use to which guitar timbres. In Peru, we were so different from everything that was going on that we produced whatever we felt like making. But since we can actually have access to an existing indie scene in New York, we can take what people are listening to into account and be more connected. That includes collaborating with other New York artists in music video production, for example, including former Tisch student Tamara Breuer who acted in our most recent video.

Local: How has your new album, Autodidact, been doing?
Felipe: It’s actually an album re-release. We produced it in Peru and just sort of sent it out into the world, posting it on Facebook and having it just circle around with our friends.
Adele: Yeah…it doesn’t work like that.
Felipe: We were inexperienced! So after that we tried to send the album around more media circles, and in order to get their attention we decided to re-release it with some more exclusive features. People have been really into it, and we have learned a lot from it.
Adele: We consider Autodidact an investment in a sense, an investment in our future.
Felipe: It’s also a reflection of who we are. We were really involved with the story of this album and how we were going to make it. We like to have that control over our product and to be part of everything we are doing. From recording music to directing videos, we do everything ourselves, even down to the website. That’s why we called it Autodidact: we’re totally self-taught.

Local: What’s next for The Soon-Another?
Felipe: Our motto is “keep producing.”
Adele: And we’re working on a new EP now.
Keep up with The Soon-Another on Facebook and Twitter. Their new album, Autodidact, is available on iTunes. - NYU Local

Free Download
The Soon-Another - Empty Space - Absolute Punk

THERE’S plenty to admire in The Soon-Another’s new album, Autodidact, which successfully combines a folky approach to songwriting with the sonic landscape of synth rock.

The brainchild of Adele Fournet and Felipe Wurst (a guitarist known for his versatility), The Soon-Another have been together since 2010, during which time they’ve honed their sound in the Peruvian music scene and now finally delivered their LP.

By Fournet’s own admission, the sound of the album stems from “our mentality of doing everything ourselves and teaching ourselves the stuff we don’t know already, from sound engineering to mixing”. Lyrically, it’s about “the idea of waking up to the way the world is now and saying goodbye to our current culture”.

The result is ambitious and thought-provoking. It’s also high on melody and interesting instrumental arrangements. Sometimes it feels almost prog-rock like, as on the fast-moving Institutionalized, which bursts into sudden moments of rock opera akin to Queen in their prime. And yet it can also revert to the serene within the same track.

It’s at its best and most compelling in its breezier moments, such as Life Is Too Short To Suck, which is alive with cascading piano chords, lush female harmonies and hand-clap beats (it’s as life-affirming as the title suggests) or the harmony-strewn Hogar (which combines languages).

Like You Like, with its toe-tapping hand-clap start and indie guitar vibe, is also a winning entry point.

Elsewhere, more synth-pop moments such as Autodidact have a Shakespeare’s Sister quality (with a dash of No Doubt), while Time Work is a shimmering synth-pop belter of a track that has plenty to say while making you nod along in effortless appreciation.

Hats off to The Soon-Another, they’ve managed to create a sound that is instantly endearing and utterly engaging. - Indie London

The Soon-Another likens its music to "world indie pop," and that's not unbelievable, if the world in question is filled with hand claps (lots and lots of them), finely textured synths and charming lead vocals, as sensual as they are whimsical. Listen to "Like You Like" and make up your own genre descriptor. - KDHX Radio

A while ago (maybe even a few years now) I was reading about how the internet and the access to so much music had helped see a decline in musical tribes. Look at the past: the mods hated the rockers, the punks hated the hippies; when I was at school you were either a rocker or a raver (basically, was your favourite band Nirvana or The Prodigy?). We've had goths, new romantics, those who only listen to hip-hop, and many many more. More recently, the last couple of generations have placed less importance on this. You could like reggae just as much as you liked pop and it would be no problem. The compartmentalisation of music was being broken down, and perhaps now more than ever, tastes are less confined. The Soon-Another are maybe a band who exemplify this better than most.

The reason for this is the diversity of the band's make-up. US musician Adele Fournet went to work in Peru and found guitarist Felipe Wurst. This part of their biography is key: "Blending Fournet's background in classical composition and small-town indie music scenes, plus Wurst's affinity for funk, Motown, and rock, they cooked up something new and unusual." Over the last couple of years they've moved to New York, recruited Sebastian Apolinario and Ofer Levy and are now unveiling their debut album 'Autodidact'. Of course, people have been splicing genres together for decades, but this is a record that feels like it was perfectly planned to be released now. Not only do different songs feature different styles, some tracks here switch from one to another with ease, leaving a varied and versatile album that's based around pop and indie type songwriting, but contains plenty of more interesting traits.

You can hear for yourself below, so we won't spoil the party too much, but here are a few things that caught our ear when listening through this collection of songs. 'Like You Like' was the first song the band released, and it shows exactly what we mean by indie, pop and more exotic sounds being combined. There's a lot of thought to the arrangements on the whole album, but they're particularly noticeable here, as is the ever present accessible vocal style and rhythm changes. It also sounds like they're having fun making the music, and that's how things should be. The title-track has a harder urban pop sound (especially after the sugary 'The Garden') and even incorporates elements from hip-hop, but it all fits; the dual vocals (male and female, English and Spanish) of the lovely, acoustic 'Hogar'; the piano-led, funky 'Life Is Too Sort To Suck' which changes the dynamic again; the... well, we'll stop there. That's half of the album mentioned already and we could talk about each and every track in much more detail. As mentioned, this is an eclectic and modern album that takes you on as much of a journey as the creators have been on. Tuck in and enjoy. - The Sound Of Confusion

It all began with a trip to Lima, Peru, in 2010.
Ethnomusicologist Adele Fournet made the trip from Arkansas to Lima for the express purpose of studying the history and rhythmic linguistics of the local music culture. And it was during her time doing research and playing the keyboard for various regional bands that she crossed paths with guitarist Felipe Wurst and formed The Soon-Another. After writing their first song together, "Like You Like," the duo met and invited bassist Sebastian Apolinario and drummer Bruno Sanchez to join the band.
Taking their musical cues and inspiration from eclectic indie rock bands such as Dirty Projectors and tUnE-yArDs, as well as the local musical scene in Lima, The Soon-Another began a series of performances in local venues that had little to no sound system setup. This forced them to focus on the core dynamic within the band and adapt their songs to be far looser and easier to manipulate than they might have been in their initial iterations. By doing this, the band developed a sense of pop minimalism cloaked in the occasional spark of indie rock bombast.
The group eventually made a decision to relocate to New York's indie rock hub of Brooklyn—though Sanchez was unfortunately unable to continue in the band, and drummer Ofer Levy stepped in behind the kit. The resulting months found them writing and recording what would become their debut album, "Autodidact," which is due out Feb. 11.
On their latest single, "Empty Space," the band pits a percussive tribal rhythm against a swathe of churning guitars and Fournet's labyrinthine vocals. Alternating between quieter moments of clacking percussion, electronic flourishes and deceptive melodies, the band occasionally lets loose with a barrage of guitar squall and distortion, creating a seething momentum that picks you up and carries you along. There's a sense that the band has effortlessly incorporated elements of the music they found themselves surrounded by in Lima while still managing to carve out their own distinct musical identity.
When asked about their audience's reaction to The Soon-Another's music, the band explains, "We feel there’s a sophistication to our music and our story that can attract a wide audience. There is a lot of interest and discourse in both public and academic circles about cross-cultural artistic collaboration as a tool for strengthening international relationships, and we think this band is a great example of that."
Stream "Empty Space" below. - Nooga.com

(translated from spanish)

We love purple corn juice (chicha morada) ... a delicious beverage from Peru made out of purple corn and tastes like Grape Frutsi!.

We know that it's not only about tasty drinks, there is also very tasty musical acts too. Veltrac Music mergedd for us the two things we love the most of this country. And that's how it turned out "Chicha Morada", a playlist cured by this music production company from Lima, full of new independent acts from this region.
Our plan is that you listen to this with no rush, and let yourself be caught by these projects and then, if you have a chance, make yourself a peruvian drink to round the experience.

The Soon-Another. World indie Rock band. Their member are from Peru, United States and Israel. Now they live in New York City. The have influences from indie bands like The Dirty Projectors, St. Vincent and tUnE-yArDs - Panamerika - Red Bull Music Academy Radio

Bouncing along with utmost infectious joy and vibrancy, this electronic pop-rock album radiates a feeling of pure sonic bliss that’s impossible to either resist or dislike. Adele Fournet’s sweet voice handles the vocal duties with considerable charming and sunny aplomb while the rest of the group play their instruments with praiseworthy skill and gusto. The get-down funky sound goes to town on the tasty deep diggin’ grooves like nobody’s business. The snappy tempos and chunky beats charge ahead with rip-roaring brio as well. Better still, there are welcome exquisitely harmonic elements deftly woven throughout to ensure that this honey isn’t just a lot of wildly boppin’ noise. The lyrics are surprisingly smart and substantial, too. An immensely enjoyable album. - Jersey Beat

Every day, Daily Downloads offers 10 free and legal mp3 downloads, plus free and legal live sets from around the internet. Today's free and legal mp3 downloads:

The Soon-Another: "Time Work" [mp3] from Autodidact - Largehearted Boy

The Soon-Another get your feet working with foot-stomping new single, “Time Work”.


The Soon-Another is a folksy-pop confection born in Lima, Peru but with American roots. With a sound that owes itself to their stripped down performances in Peru and influences from American indie acts as Tune-Yards, Dirty Projectors, and Fleet Foxes, they quickly gained fame in Peru. Now the band consisting of Adele Fournet (vocals, keyboard), Felipe Wurst (guitarist), Sebastian Apolinario (bass), and Ofer Levy (drums) are venturing into Brooklyn’s indie music scene. On February 11th, the band will release their 10-song debut album, Autodidact. Today Earbuddy is pleased to premiere the whimsical foot-stomper “Time Work”.

“Time Work” is the first song guitarist Felipe Wurst wrote for the band, and from the very beginning he had the concept for what the song was about. He had the chorus part “time to let time work,” and knew he wanted it to be a song about time and having patience. The whole song is constructed around the simple idea that sometimes we just have to let time do the work. - Earbuddy

The Soon-Another takes a folk/rock sensibility and sets it against a synth-pop backdrop on upcoming debut LP, Autodidact, slated for release in February. The group formed when singer/keyboardist Adele Fournet journeyed to Peru to do research as an ethnomusicologist and met local guitar virtuoso Felipe Wurst. We asked Fournet and Wurst to make us a mix tape, and here’s what they sent us.

tUnE-yArDs “Bizness”
Wurst: This girl is so talented; we love her so much. Now about to release a third album. We were always impressed by how she managed to perform with a floor tom, a ukelele, her voice and a looper and sound like a full band playing! Video

J. Viewz “Rivers And Homes“
Wurst: When we moved to NYC from Peru, we were looking for a drummer on Craigslist. Ofer Levy was the first one to reply, and on his resume said he was currently performing with this artist. When we saw this video, we were were really into it, and since then J. Viewz would be always on my playlists. Video

Aimee Mann “Pavlov’s Bell“
Fournet: When I was a teenager, living in Arkansas, my dad checked out Aimee Mann’s Lost In Space album from the library and handed it to me. I was already a fan of Mann because of the Magnolia soundtrack, and this album sealed the deal. Her genius lyrics and unique vocal timbre were definitely a huge influence on me as both a songwriter and vocalist. Video

St. Vincent “The Apocalypse Song“
Fournet: I first heard Annie Clark’s Marry Me album riding in a friend’s car in Florida. He was the lead singer in my band at the time, and he was like, “Adele, you’ve got to hear this. I know you’re going to love it.” And, well, yeah. St. Vincent has definitely been a north star for me as an artist, in terms of musicianship, songwriting and just her impressive career so far. I love all her albums, but the first one holds a special place in my heart. The highlight of this song for me is probably the clap-stomp devolution in the bridge, right before the key change. Brilliant. Video

Michael Jackson “Starlight“
Wurst: The main reason why I wanted to keep listening to more music from the U.S. when I was a kid, living in Peru, was Michael Jackson. Everybody knows about him already, so here I’m just posting the demo version of Thriller, which was originally called “Starlight.” Later on the song was transformed from day to night. “Starlight! Starlight sun … ” So weird! Video

Sons Of Hippies “Rose“
Fournet: I got to know Sons Of Hippies in Florida in 2008, back when they were still a guitar/drums power duo. I’m always amazed at leading lady Katherine Kelley’s ability to formulate the catchiest melodies and chord progressions that have this totally pop vibe, and at the same time a hardcore rock aesthetic and mentality. “Rose” is a great song off the Griffons At The Gates Of Heaven, only made better by the killer video. Video

Moldes “El Amante“
Fournet: “El Amante” might be the song I’ve listened to most in the past few years. Catchy, punchy, flippant, sexy, bloody. Also one of my favorites from the Lima underground. Video

Dirty Projectors “Temecula Sunrise“
Wurst: I’ve come to think that this is a love-or-hate band. Certainly it wasn’t love at first sight for me. But when it came on at the right time, this song became a unique pop gem that I never expect to find. Lead singer David Longstreth has the weirdest vocal style, African-esque guitars and everything done in such unique way. Video

La Lá “Selva Negra“
Fournet: La Lá is the project of Giovanna Nuñez, a Limeñan composer and vocalist who I consider to be one of the best emerging artists from Peru. Her lyrics and melodies are perfectly crafted and always stick with me. I can’t stop listening to this woman’s music, and am excitedly awaiting her first album, due out in 2014. Video

Raul García Zarate “Carnaval“
Wurst: After 25 years of working as a lawyer in Peru, guitarist Raul García Zarate started to be recognized as one of the greatest Andean guitarist from our country. He is a humble virtuoso from the city of Ayacucho, beautiful place surrounded by Andean mountains. He tells the story of the music he represents. Video - MAGNET Magazine

Now let’s get to today’s Pick Your Poison, where you can discover even more hot new music. Some key tracks you’ll want to give attention to today come from Chevy Heston, David Bronson, Kurt Vile, M+A, Maria Taylor, Ratking, Saint Motel and The Soon-Another. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream new songs from Empress Of, The Notwist, Painted Palms, ScHoolboy Q, Temples and THEE SILVER MT ZION. - Faronheit

Today's free and legal mp3 downloads:
The Soon Another: "Like You Like" [mp3] from Autodidact - Largehearted Boy

The Soon-Another takes a folk/rock sensibility and sets it against a synth-pop backdrop on upcoming debut LP, Autodidact, slated for release in February. The group formed when singer/keyboardist Adele Fournet journeyed to Peru to do research as an ethnomusicologist and met local guitar virtuoso Felipe Wurst. “Like You Like” describes the feelings that take shape when a person inevitably falls for someone. Download the track below. - MAGNET Magazine

“Like You Like” was the first collaboration between Arkansas-born keyboardist Adele Fournet and guitarist Felipe Wurst, whom she met in 2010 while pursuing studies in ethnomusicology in Lima, Peru. The two formed a band and made their mark on the Lima scene before joining the mass musical migration to NYC this year.

Previously released on a locally-distributed comp of Peruvian bands, “Like You Like” appears on The Soon-Another’s ten-song debut, Autodidact. Its peppery, clap-happy percussive drive is as refreshing as a Pisco Sour. ¡Disfrute! - The Big Takeover

‘The Garden’ opens the band’s live session album with fantastic female vocals and a unique, intriguing introduction. From the beginning, it’s evident that there is incredible talent in this room. Each instrument gives a great performance, and the vocal harmonies are on point. Their soft, subdued sound works so well with the music they play, and the overall track mix is very professional. The writing and structure of the song is absolutely outstanding, and is coupled with top-notch recording quality and great instrument tone across the board.

‘Like You Like’ follows, conveying the band’s emotion both simply without effort. It’s easy to feel a connection to the band through these performances; the fact that these are live takes is incredible in and of itself. Both of these songs are very memorable, every note seeming calculated and rehearsed. Each instrument’s performance is finite and perfect(!); this is what REAL music sounds like. It’s evident that each of the band’s members are extremely talented; there is absolutely no doubt about that.

‘Fountain of Youth’ closes the live album in a soft, quieter manner. There are no drums until after two minutes in; this showcases another side to the band while still keeping consistent with their original sound we heard displayed on the previous two tracks. There is lots of ambience filling the sonic spectrum, especially once the drums kick in later on. This whole album is incredibly fun to listen to, and I can’t wait to hear more from this band. This band represents everything that music should be: original, fun, technical, free (expression-wise), and professional. I’ll be checking out their debut album ASAP, but I’m already highly recommending them based on this live performance record. I wish them the best of luck moving forward; please check out our interview with the band below! - Tohm Lohrmann Music

(very rough translation from Japanese )
This is The Soon-Another: Thou shalt despise the mere folk pop . Rich in variety and artistry, it is by far the best band I've heard in the hard pop genre. It's catchy with unexpected moments of distortion, expansive, sharp and varied. There's the application of so many styles and techniques, from electro groove to rap, but yet it still remains remarkably serious music. The closest comparison that's been fashionable recently is Icona Pop. The Soon-Another released their first album earlier this year, but they just put out a mini-EP of live versions of three carefully selected songs from the album.

These are live studio performances, and there is hardly any difference with the original record. The quality, in fact, might be even higher because of better recording conditions. Both versions are good in their own way. The new live recordings are aggressive and powerful, while the original album is a bit more delicate. They portray a comfortableness of playing together similar to what Il Abanico displayed at SXSW. In short, it is a must listen. There are three songs on this mini-EP, and if you like what you hear please check out the full album.
- Hi-Hi-Woopee

Glittery indie-pop is at an all time high. It’s on the radio, it’s topping the charts, and it’s in our brains. Bands like Metric, Lights, and Of Monsters and Men are some of the bigger names of musicians that control this genre. What’s even more interesting is that there is such a large geographic area that this music is popular in. Metric is American, Lights is Canadian, and Of Monsters and Men is from Iceland of all places. Now this rule doesn’t apply to all areas of the world, but the next band featured in our “Underground Mondays” segment originates from Peru. Now based in the great New York City, The Soon-Another contains that indie-pop structure while pulling from their Peruvian roots, which is noticeable in tracks like, “Hogar”. They label themselves are ‘synth-rock’, but I’d argue both genres are applicable.

The band has recently released the album, Autodidact, which is a perfect title for this solid album. The word means to pretty much “teach yourself”, and although these musicians feel formally trained, the tracks presented on this album feel from the heart and gracefully original. Opening with the track, “Like You Like”, the clapping kick starts an adrenaline rush. What I noticed from the get-go is how spot on the harmonies are. The two musician’s vocals blend very well even with the range of the two almost being the same. The next track, “The Garden”, reminds me closely of the infamous iPhone song, “You, Me and the Bourgeoisie”, by the Submarines. It’s a great throwback and although I could never remember the name of that Submarines’ song, I don’t need too anymore because I have The Soon-Another instead.

Three tracks that caught my eye and made me want to return to this album were “Life is Too Short To Suck”, “Empty Space”, and “Time Work”. The entire second half of this album is absolutely killer. The hooks feel fresh, the songs are upbeat and natural, and not too mention “Empty Space” is easily one of the most fun songs I’ve heard in 2013. I also found the “Peace Sells…” influenced bass line amusing in “Time Work”. Ironically, the Megadeth riff fits very well for a genre that is on the complete other end of the musical spectrum. Another great track that only really hit me at the end was “Institutionalized”. I found it had too much of a Queen influence for me, but the minimalist ending and xx sound really fit my style. Less “Bohemian Rhapsody” and more xx and they’d have a contender for song of the year.

Autodidact has a great sound. The appearance of the album artwork presents a wonderfully colorful cast, while the setting is quite bleak. The words are also extremely rigid and harsh, but musically, this album is very opposite. It’s accessible, fun, and dynamic enough for anyone who’s usually the first to turn off any top 40 indie-rock. Surprisingly, the only track I didn’t like was the self-titled, “Autodidact”. I mean, it’s one of the best names for an album in a long time, but the song felt forced to me. The vocalist has this awkward singing-rap thing going on and it didn’t really work. I like the tempo and beat, but it didn’t fit in to the concept of the fresh synth-pop album. The chorus is actually very catchy with it’s repetitive lyrics so I liked that.

Overall, Autodidact, is an exciting release from a rising band. Their sound fits the key points that all big time bands today contain. The killer vocals, the catchy hooks, and the great melodies are a must for any band wanting to make a living off of music. Now most musicians who have that ‘it’ sound gave up any integrity they had when they were presented with a contract, but The Soon-Another seemed to have kept it with this release. The songs are fun, to the point, and are re-listenable. The fact that the band can change dynamics in one song that is even more intense than “Bohemian Rhapsody” is quite respectable. I sense that was the influence behind the track, but nonetheless I’d listen to “Institutionalized” any day over that Queen song. Props to The Soon-Another for this wonderful release! Anyone looking for a great summer/fall album should check out Autodidact; or if you’ve ever considered giving synth-pop a listen, be sure to add this to your list. I know I’ll be listening as time passes.

Be sure to buy their album from their bandcamp here

Feel free to stream Autodidact thing here: - Mediocrity Is The New Genius

I had the opportunity to jam to The Soon-Another’s new album and I must say I can’t wait to see them live. There album AUTODIDACT displayed vast musical knowledge & play that carries an authentic tune rooted with culture, a Peruvian swing and a lot of living.

Written and Produced as well as arranged all in house, tracks 1-10 tell a story of revelatory , creative and inspirational lyric. they are the most intriguing funk , pop , rock and roll , synth mixture set I have on the playlist to date.

Formed in Lima, Peru in 2010, The Soon-Another are vocalist/keyboardist Adele Fournet, guitarist Felipe Wurst, bass player Sebastian Apolinario and drummer Bruno Sanchez.

As excited fans of The Soon-Another , we anticipate no less than more great music from the bunch. Without further ado enjoy the visuals for their single “Like You” off the album below.

- Cyphit

As long as I continue to carry on with this blog, my absolute favorite part about this entire experience is when I'm fortunate to have indie artists reach out to me because if what I do.

When my buddy Mo Nabulsi from In Air made the comment to me that I should start a blog about indie music, little did I know that it would morph into what it's become. I never intended to be a voice for the unsigned artist. I simply needed to get off my chest my disdain for the current state of mainstream music. Now that this blog has started to gain some momentum, I will forever be honored to be the voice for the unsigned artist!

So let's get the show on the road and introduce you, my faithful readers and fellow indie music lovers, to yet another gem, shall we?

I only became acquainted with this band within the last week or so. I've got one question for you The Soon-Another... where the hell have you been all my life???!!!

Ever wonder what you'd get if you took equal parts rock n roll, "pop" synth rhythms and funk? You'd get The Soon-Another... a musical experience that you will not forget!

Formed in Lima, Peru in 2010, The Soon-Another are vocalist/keyboardist Adele Fournet, guitarist Felipe Wurst, bass player Sebastian Apolinario and drummer Bruno Sanchez.

Their debut album, Autodidact, was released in April of this year. Now based in New York City, New York, USA, The Soon-Another are ready to take the music world by storm. Based on what I've heard so far, this is going to be one helluva storm to weather! - MY Indie Music Blog

Looking for a new Synth-Rock band to make your life much better? Look no further because The Soon-Another has you covered. A newly formed band originally in Peru, now based in New York has a great new debut album on bandcamp right here. It's called Autodidact and every song is a breath of fresh air. Their sound has roots in jazz, motown, and rock and I feel like it appeals to a wide variety of listeners. Let us know how you feel about it in the comment section below! Here's where to listen and download their album on BandCamp. - Infinity Beats