Artist Sunsway navigates his humanness through this heavy technological world by carving his feelings and emotions with music. Sunsway expresses his life experiences through songs and, with the assistance of AI production, crafts soundscapes to tell his stories. His debut single ‘Savage’ was released at the end of last year. The song intrigued many music lovers with its lyrical, compositional, and production maturity.
This year, Sunsway unveiled a twelve-track album, “Mankind”, including a few earlier released singles along with new ones. The opening song, his debut, ‘Savage’, sheds light on the themes of aliveness and finding one’s roots in nature amid this monotonous machine life. ‘The Routes We Choose’, ‘Take The Risk’, and ‘Loretta Jones’ lead us into the realisation of an existential journey and choosing desire & dreams, even if it risks our lives. ‘Imported Stranger’ brings out a passionate lover, while ‘Lemon Soul’ is a bitter-sweet-sour taste that life makes us go through. ‘Galaxies’ feels out of the world, while ‘Viny Tattoos’ grounds you in your body. ‘Take Me Back’ is a beautiful reminiscence of the simple life we had back in the 80’s & 90’s. If ‘Mankind’ is an ode to our planet, ‘Infrared Code Can’t Lie’ is a vision from the future, and ‘Gladiator’ is the ancient calling towards destiny.
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“Born from the bonfire, I’m Savage“. A song that’ll leave you longing to dig deep within the soul and bring out the wild spirit that the hum-drum of day-to-day life has forgotten about. With nothing less than a savage electric guitar and a very Brian Adams-like, earthy voice, Sunsway is a song of remembrance. The ‘jungle’ that he mentions in the lyrics ironically feels like the claustrophobic concrete jungle. When he sings, “Out here there’s no heaven, just a step away from hell,” he confirms that.
“Love ain’t always about you, that’s just the rule we choose”. To be able to write this line, I can’t imagine the depth of hurt that Sunway’s heartbreak has transported him to. With lyrics so powerful and honest, the second track, ‘The Routes We Choose’, is one of my favourites. It’s honest, a song of self-reflection and acceptance.
‘Galaxies’ has a very freeing effect. It’s like a sudden flash of déjà vu. The song feels like a message of light received during a breakthrough moment, either in meditation, while travelling, or under a hallucinogenic. The music mirrors the lyrics and feels like you are flying. “I’m breaking the laws where no humans have ever been. Rising from the phoenix, absorbed in the fire. Cosmic sounds of infinity, echoing through my soul….interstellar human from now”. This is a track definitely going to my morning run playlist.
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My other favourite among the twelve tracks is the eighth on the list, ‘Vinyl Tattoos’. The sound is a powerful mix of tribal, folk, electronic, and wild chorus. It’s one of those numbers that you play in a community gathering under a full moon night in a shimmering moonlit forest, playing the animal skin drums, to summon the wild spirits for guidance. In this modern world, it could be a terrace or a garden party.
Finally, the namesake song of the album, ‘Mankind’, has a very cinematic feel. Just as songs like This Time for Africa become anthems for global tournaments, I believe we should also have a playlist dedicated to our planet. To celebrate its beauty, its resilience, and the way it continuously nurtures and evolves life. If such a playlist existed, ‘Mankind’ would undoubtedly deserve a place in it.
And, closing the zodiac of songs is the twelfth track, ‘Gladiator’. Sunsway makes sure that listeners are nothing but mesmerised as the circle closes. “I’m no god or king, warrior or saviour, here to conquer the battle. I’m the Gladiator, neither hero nor villain, predator or creator”. A booming, vibrant soundscape and vocals that carry the wild essence of thunder surging through a human vessel, seeking only truth and the will to fight for the truth. It feels like through ‘Gladiator’, Sunsway channels our ancestral spirit, who were once in unity with Mother Earth, and is coming back to fulfill the destiny of becoming One, again.
To stay updated on Sunsway’s music, follow him on Instagram and listen to his new album, “Mankind”, streaming on Spotify and YouTube.
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