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The moment an artist realizes his musical capability resembles the moment a superhero embraces his power once and for all.
After quietly buzzing, Soran has grasped his destiny as a singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Now, the Montreal-based half-Japanese and half-French artist architects a new vision for pop and R&B uplifted by interdimensional soundscapes and irresistibly infectious hooks. Blasting off independently with tens of millions of streams and views, he truly takes flight on a series of singles for Universal Music Canada and his forthcoming 2022 debut.
“My superpower is making music,” he observes. “I’m incorporating my artistic inspirations from R&B to Pop and my heritage with Japanese moods. Everything has really aligned, and the music is just Soran.”
He’s diligently worked towards this point though…
Music always surrounded Soran. His father played multiple instruments and kept drum sets, guitars, bass, and a mini-keyboard in the house. Meanwhile, Mom worked as a journalist for Japan and enrolled him in Japanese school until the age of twelve. Along the way, he learned three languages—English, French, and Japanese.
During a high school field trip to New York City, he bought a guitar from a homeless man, practiced constantly, posted videos to Facebook, and busked for a year-and-a-half at subway stations and on the streets. After making waves on La Voix (The Voice) in Quebec, he gained traction with his six-track self-titled EP, playing every instrument personally and generating 10 million-plus streams. Simultaneously, he lent his voice to HENRI PFR’s “Going On,” picking up a gold certification in Belgium. He reached viral impact with the likes of “IG Comments Song” in addition to clocking 15 million streams by featuring on “Julia” by GAMPER & DADONI. Soran maintained his momentum in 2021 with “Bottled Up” before catalyzing another creative evolution inspired by everyone from Frank Ocean and Kanye West to his “favorite band of all-time” The Police.
In the wake of his mom’s passing, he plunged into his next chapter with purpose and passion.
“It’s ironic, because I’m doing all of the things that she wanted me to do now, but she’s gone,” he admits. “It sounds like me, yet so much of it is my mom. I find a way to celebrate her in every song.”
That’s exactly what he does with the lead single “Space Boy.” He recorded the airy vocals on a cheap mic in his girlfriend’s apartment, preserving its DIY edges in the process. Meanwhile, he pieced together “electric guitar pitched down as the bass, a $9 synth recorded on his iPhone, flutes, and brass” to build the foundation of the tune. As a result, this fascinating sonic backdrop underscores his hypnotic warbling delivery, “I can feel you slipping away.”
“That song means so much to me,” he goes on. “My mom named me after the anime Space Boy Soran. In Japanese, there are three different alphabets. She decided to write my name as ‘Universe’ in Japan. Lyrically, it’s about a character who goes out to save the world.”
With a combination of vision and power, Soran will definitely make the world a better place.
“I love writing and producing,” he leaves off. “I really just want to create a sound you’ll recognize as mine. I’m just a kid who’s making music, but it’s my calling card. There’s so much people haven’t seen from me yet. I’m excited to show more in the future.”