“Berlin” by Sonic Rade Is a Bold, Live-Sounding Indie Rock Experience
Wait, do you think recording in a place where David Bowie worked actually changes the music, or is it all just in your hands to make it work? Well either way, it clearly worked for this band. Sonic Rade just dropped their fifth album, and they went big for this one. Hold on, they actually named it “Berlin”, and I don’t think they just picked the name because it sounded cool.
So what’s the story behind it? Well the band, which is a wild mix of people from Canada, the USA, Switzerland, and France—actually moved into the legendary Meistersaal studio in Berlin to record it. Are you now getting it? Does the name rings any bells in your ears? Well that’s because it used to be Hansa Studios, the place where David Bowie and U2 made some of their biggest records.
Now here’s the catch, the moment you hit that play button and start paying attention, you begin to hear that history in the tracks. The most beautiful thing about the record is, instead of them using a bunch of digital effects to make the band sound “big,” what they did so we can feel as though we are right there with them in that room, to give us that raw, live energy was using the room’s natural echo, and I say that’s a smart move.
You know sometimes the arrangements of an album makes it all, and that’s why you’ve gotta get it right. So to me, opening the album with the title track “Berlin” was a bold move, but it pays off. Why do I say so? That because you immediately gets pulled into the atmosphere of the city. You can really hear the “natural reverb” the band talked about here, the drums sound huge and open, as if they’re bouncing off those historic walls.
It’s an energetic indie rock song with a steady, driving beat that feels like walking through a busy city street at night. The guitars have a bit of a raw, gritty edge, but the melody stays soulful. It sets a high bar for the rest of the record and serves as a loud, proud introduction to this new chapter of their sound.. It’s got that classic indie rock drive but with a soulful edge that keeps it from being too harsh. Then you’ve got “Subterranean”, which feels a bit darker and more underground, followed by “The Awakening”, which builds up into something much more open and bright.
“Electrify My Dreams” is probably the catchiest moment on the record. It has this pulsing rhythm that really lives up to the name. On the flip side, tracks like “Under Shelter” and “Everyday” show off their more melodic, introspective side. They’ve been touring together for years, and you can tell they know exactly how to lock in with each other. By the time you get to the final track “Alone”, the album leaves you in a really thoughtful place. You maybe wondering why? But that’s cos the energy shifts into something much more intimate.
“Alone” is a stark contrast to the big, “electrifying” moments earlier in the tracklist. It’s a bit more stripped-back and focuses on the emotional weight of the lyrics. You can almost feel the silence in the studio during the quieter parts of the song. Instead of the wall of sound found in the opener, this track lets the instruments breathe. It’s a thoughtful, slightly melancholic way to close the album, leaving you with a sense of space and reflection. It feels like the “soulful melody” side of the band is fully on display here, proving they don’t need high-speed riffs only to make an impact.
It is pretty impressive to see a band reach their fifth album and still find ways to push themselves. They didn’t just stay in their home base in Geneva; they went to a historic room, lived in a new city, and let the walls of the studio influence the music. This album goes on to show you that, you don’t need all that digital stuffs to make great music. So if you like rock that feels authentic and hasn’t been polished until it’s boring, “Berlin” is definitely worth a listen.
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