RISE & SHINE by SENSE & SOTU THE TRAVELLER

Sense & Sotu the Traveller are a Dutch-based production duo comprised of like-minded beat creators Daniel Tiuri Wils (Sense) and Baris Akardere (Sotu the Traveller). Sense skillfully interweaves haunting samples in the tradition of DJ Muggs and RZA, with Sotu’s organic instrumentation to sculpt mystic, bass-drenched atmospheres.2010 was a productive year for Sense that included four records by three groups he founded. He released Now with Numaads, which featured remixes by J Rawls and Robot Koch, and Enter the Circle with Shahmen. Sense also made his mark with the band The Q4, whose debut Sound Surroundings (Top Notch/Universal) was a commercial success. Their single “One of These Days” reached #1 on the Dutch iTunes charts, and they were selected to support Anouk, one of Holland’s most popular acts. They preformed their first two shows with her to crowds of 20,000. Performances followed at key festivals Lowlands and Into The Great Wide Open, and they were featured on De Wereld Draait Door (Holland’s top television show), NPS Cultura and with Giel Beelen on 3FM. An EP entitled Darker Days followed, featuring a Glen Porter remix of their hit single. Sotu has also created a wide variety of music over the past decade including the 2007 Daydreams EP featuring Maya Azucena, who has appeared on three Grammy-winning albums, and his 2010 full-length instrumental Left. He’s remixed notable artists Tom Trago, Perquisite and Giovanca, and produced custom music for a slew of commercial and film projects. As a DJ he’s spun in Holland’s top venues Paradiso and Melkweg, at major festivals in the Netherlands, Belgium and Turkey, and has made guest mixes for DJBroadcast and Red Bull Music Academy Radio. Sotu has also appeared on several international compilations, including Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Bubblers series, and on 22Tracks’ compilation 22Beats. The pair began casually producing in 2006, contributing to each others projects. In rare, extra studio time they’d experiment, building tracks and eventually developing full productions. In 2010, they officially debuted on Project Mooncircle’s compilation The Moon Comes Closer. Since, they’ve enlisted guest vocalists Esperanzah (Numaads), Hicoup and Ninthe to finalize their debut Rise & Shine on Austin, TX-based label Beats Broke.