Cortini debuted the project in the summer of 2010 with four tracks online, which would appear on his debut LP, Blue, released later that fall. Explaining that the project name stems from the Italian phrase "sono io" ("it's me"), Cortini also announced that the effort was recorded entirely with one of his favorite instruments, the Buchla modular synthesizer. He put out a remix album of the record in December of 2010 titled Non (Blue), which featured reinterpretations of Blue's tracks from the likes of Big Black Delta and Ladytron. Sonoio's sophomore effort, Red, arrived six months later and featured one of the project's definitive tracks, "Enough," as its lead single. Another companion remix album arrived later that December and, in keeping with the theme of previous efforts, was titled Non (Blue). The release featured remixes from Telefon Tel Aviv, Drumcell, and erstwhile Jane's Addiction bassist Eric Avery.
Several years of inactivity followed while Cortini focused on working and touring with Nine Inch Nails and creating a string of instrumental records under his own name. He returned with new Sonoio material in late 2014, a song titled "Thanks for Calling," which he had made available online. The project remained quiet for the next three and a half years while he returned to his duties in Nine Inch Nails and worked with Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Mariqueen Maandig Reznor in a new band called How to Destroy Angels in addition to other creative endeavors. Sonoio's third record, Fine, was released in July 2018. "Thanks for Calling" appeared on the LP as its lead single, and Cortini announced that the record would be the last under the Sonoio moniker.
As Long As You Make A Sound
SONOIO Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just repeating
Old bad habits
Keep on feeding
On the things I used to say
Things I used to do
And everything was you
To believe in
Breathing out and
Breathing in
Anything that made me bent
Is prearranged
Cause everybody knows that
You don't feel anything
Once again
Once again
I'm not sorry
For repeating
All the worries
Keep on feeding
On the thing that made me mute
And that was you
So what am I supposed to do?
Reminder
To believe in
Breathing out and
Breathing in
And it doesn't really matter
Nothing matters in the end
Because
You don't feel anything
Once again
And you're lost again
Once again
You don't feel anything
You don't feel anything
Once again
And you're lost again
Make a sound
The lyrics to SONOIO's song, As Long As You Make A Sound, are open to interpretation as they seem to address a tumultuous relationship, possibly with a romantic partner, where old habits keep surfacing, causing the singer to feel stuck in a cycle. The repetition in the lyrics reflects the cyclical nature of the relationship and how difficult it can be to break free from negative patterns. The line "On the things I used to say, things I used to do, and everything was you" suggests that the partner had a significant influence on the singer's behavior and actions.
However, the singer seems to be aware of their patterns and acknowledges that they are not angry, just struggling to break free from these habits. The refrain "You don't feel anything, once again" suggests that perhaps the partner is emotionally unavailable or unwilling to communicate, leaving the singer feeling lost and unheard. Despite this emotional distance, the singer clings to the hope that as long as they make a sound, some communication is possible.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of resignation in the face of the cyclical nature of the relationship. The line "Nothing matters in the end" suggests a nihilistic outlook, where the struggles and patterns of the relationship will ultimately be meaningless. The final plea to "Make a sound" seems to be a desperate cry for some sort of communication or acknowledgement from the partner, even if it only serves to validate the singer's own feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm not angry
I am not feeling mad
Just repeating
But I am going over the same thoughts
Old bad habits
I keep falling into unhealthy patterns
Keep on feeding
Where I only perpetuate it more
On the things I used to say
Going back to words that I have said before
Things I used to do
And actions I have done in the past
And everything was you
All of it was connected to you
I started
I began to
To believe in
Have confidence in
Breathing out and
Letting go
Breathing in
Taking in new experiences
Anything that made me bent
Anything that made me feel uneasy
Is prearranged
Feels predetermined
Cause everybody knows that
Because everyone seems to know that
You don't feel anything
You just don't have the emotions
Once again
It's happening again
I'm not sorry
I am not feeling apologetic
For repeating
For going through the same cycle
All the worries
All of the concerns
Keep on feeding
Keep on perpetuating
On the thing that made me mute
On the thing that silenced me
And that was you
And that was because of you
So what am I supposed to do?
What course of action should I take?
Reminder
A prompt to remember
To believe in
Have confidence in
Breathing out and
Letting go
Breathing in
Taking in new experiences
And it doesn't really matter
And it doesn't actually make a difference
Nothing matters in the end
Nothing holds significance in the end
Because
Due to the fact that
You don't feel anything
You don't experience emotions
Once again
It's happening again
And you're lost again
And feeling directionless again
Once again
It's happening again
You don't feel anything
You just don't have the emotions
You don't feel anything
You just don't have the emotions
Once again
It's happening again
And you're lost again
And feeling directionless again
Make a sound
Make some noise
Contributed by Evan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jera Omega
This is amazing, thank you for creating this art. :)
Daniel Alejandro Candelero Vazquez
que buena canción, es perfecta para alguna película, sinceramente me encanto y mucho mas los efectos de sonido del final
Michael A
the song rocks but that buchla soundscape during the second half of the song brings me to tears everytime. Alessandro Cortini is just such an incredible soundscape artist.