Australian Sonny Fodera has had a truly incredible year. As well as serving up an Essential Mix, he has collaborated with some big name stars and vocalists, has had plenty of big tracks and has put out a great collection of tunes with his most regular label Defected. Now he caps it all off with a full length album, Frequently Flying, that totally encapsulates his sound.
That sound is pure, unadulterated house music with a big heart. Dance music, of course, has never been more popular than it is now, with dance tunes all over the charts, in high street shops and your mum’s car. Fodera is part of the reason for that – he makes accessible beats with singable lyrics that are easy to love. Here he enlists plenty of top vocal stars to help him achieve that sound and they range from Jess Mills to Janai to Yasmeen.
You and I kicks things off with big classic piano licks and hip swinging claps. The soaring vocals are filled with soul and the drums really carry the tune away. It’s clean and colourful production that characterizes the whole LP. Caught Up featuring Yasmeen then gets a little deeper and more tender, with bulbous bass and catchy claps bringing a sombre vibe.
Elsewhere the album roams through a number of little shifts in mood and groove, with Never Lies coming on strong with angelic vocals and grinding beats, Wasted with Kate Elsworth sounding like an early Lee Foss cut and Roll With Me getting a little more direct with more warm and soft drums and bass underpinning Kwame’s rude vocals.
With so many tracks on offer there is sure to be lots for everyone to enjoy, and Fodera really gets to show off his style along the way. He can do tender heartbroken music like Over This with Shannon Saunders as well as he can do pumping peak timers like Promises. As such this album is sure to confirm Fodera is one of the most in demand and visible house produces in the game and will likely make him a go to producer for myriad pop stars and bands in the years to come.
