Wikipedia

Sithu Aye

Sithu Aye(Burmese:စည်သူမောင်မောင်အေး;born 26 June 1990) is a Scottish-Burmese guitarist, musician, and producer based in Scotland. He began his career with the release of his first album,Cassini,in 2011, which was self-recorded and independently released. He has released five full-length albums and six EPs. His latest album,10 Years: Remixes and Reimaginings,was released 29 November 2021. He has toured in Japan withReflectionsandProtest The Hero,the UK and Europe withSkyharbor,the UK with Galactic Empire and the US and Canada withHaken.

Sithu Aye
Sithu Aye in 2016
Sithu Aye in 2016
Background information
Birth nameSithu Maung Maung Aye
Born(1990-06-26)26 June 1990(age 34)
GenresInstrumental,progressive metal,djent
Instrument(s)Guitar, bass
Years active2011-present
Websitewww.sithuaye.scot

Career

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Sithu Aye started playing guitar at age 12. He wrote and recorded his first albumCassiniusing softwareamp modellersand his laptop in his university's dormitory.[1]Subsequently, many of his following releases were written and recorded while studyingPhysicsatUniversity of St Andrews,such asInvent the Universe,Isles EPand26.Sithu wrote and produced his EP26over the course of four days to release it on 26 June 2013, which marked his 23rd birthday as well as the day he graduated with aMaster's degreein Physics.[2]

After his graduation Sithu Aye worked as a Technology Consulting Analyst forDeloitteuntil 2016.[3]In this time period he wrote and recordedPulse,Senpai EPandSet Course for Andromeda.With the release of the latter he announced quitting his job and pursuing a full-time career as a musician. A month after quitting his job, he went on a Japan tour withProtest the Hero.[4]

During 2018, he took a break from touring to write his albumHomebound,[4]which was released on 17 December of the same year and was made available at the start of December to his supporters onpatreon.[5][6] In 2019 he headlined a tour in the UK in support of his albumHomeboundand toured Europe supportingIntervals.[7][8]He also worked on a follow-up to hisSenpai EPseries, which he announced to be more of a full-length album this time and accompanied by aVisual Novelthemed digital story booklet.[4]

On 12 December 2020, Sithu Aye released the first singleTime to Decide!on hisYouTubechannel,[9]where he also announced his new albumSenpai IIIto be released on 8 January 2021 on all platforms except patreon, where it was released immediately for all supporters of a certain tier. With 10 songsSenpai IIIis the first full-length album of the Senpai series and is also intended to be the last. The album also stands out from his other releases by the music itself not being the singular focus, since it contains a digitalnovella,telling a continuous story with each chapter being accompanied by the correspondingly titled song.[10]

During 2021, Sithu Aye announced he was starting his work on a new EP which was supposed to be taking a different approach than his usual Progressive Metal style and instead aiming for the genre ofJazz fusionandFunk.[11][12]In the same year, 29 November 2021, Aye released10 Years: Remixes and Reimaginings,which contains 10 songs from across various previous releases and which have been rerecorded and rearranged in new and different styles of music.[13]On 15 October 2022, he releasedRe:Invent the Universe (10th Anniversary Remaster),which is a remix and remaster of his 2012 albumInvent the Universe.[14]After having released a full song preview in 2023 exclusive to Patreon subscribers, in 2024 he eventually declared the discontinuation of his work on the Jazz fusion EP in favor of a different EP, to feature his signature Progressive Metal sound.[15][16]Following this, on 24 March 2024 Aye announced the title, cover artwork and release date of the then upcoming EPKindnessand published its first singleRun it Down.[17][18]Zero Sum Groovewas released as the second single on 21 April 2024 alongside a music video filmed and directed by his brother Kaung-Myat Aye.[19]On 11 May 2024Kindnesswas released, which marks Sithu Aye's first release featuring the guitars being recorded using realamplifiersinstead ofamp modellers.[20][21]

Style

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Sithu Aye's music can be described as instrumentalprogressive metalthat is focused on lead guitar, influenced by prominent artists of the earlydjentscene, such asPeripheryandAnimals as Leaders.He describes his style as 'happy progressive metal'.[22]His threeSenpaiEPs are also influenced by Japaneseanimemusic and artwork.

Gear

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Sithu is aMayones[23]artist, using their Regius, Setius and Duvell guitar models. He also is aD'Addarioartist, using their NYXL strings andDunlopartist, having used Jazz III XL guitar picks and is currently using Dunlop Flow picks.[24][25]

Since 2021, he is in possession of aFender Blues Juniorguitar amplifier, which he used together with aShure SM57microphone to record the guitar tracks on his 2024 EPKindness.[26][21]

Discography

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Albums

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EPs

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  • Isles EP(2012)[34]
  • 26(2013)[35]
  • I(2013) (split withPlini)
  • Pulse(2014)[36]
  • Senpai EP “Tiên bối EP”(2015)[37][38]
  • Senpai EP II: The Noticing(2017)[39]
  • Kindness EP(2024)[20]

Singles

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  • "Oceania" (2014)
  • "Senpai, Please Notice Me!" (2015)[40]
  • "Set Course for Andromeda!!!" (2016)[41]
  • "Spiral" (2016)[42]
  • "Transient Transistors" (2016)[43]
  • "And Here's to Many More" (2016)[44]
  • "Primary Ignition" (2018)[45]
  • "Runaway Reaction" (2018)[46]
  • "Time to Decide!" (2020)[9]
  • "Run it Down" (2024)[18]
  • "Zero Sum Groove" (2024)[19]

Awards

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Sithu was nominated for a Scottish Alternative Music Award in the best metal category on 20 September 2017.[47]

References

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  1. ^"Focusrite // UK Guitar Show – Sithu Aye".YouTube.Archived fromthe originalon 28 January 2020.Retrieved28 January2020.
  2. ^Sithu Aye.26Liner Notes.Archived fromthe originalon 21 August 2019.Retrieved28 January2020.
  3. ^"Sithu Aye here, I play happy progressive metal tunes. Ask me anything!".26 January 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 28 January 2020.Retrieved28 January2020.
  4. ^abc"COFFEE WITH OLA – Aaron Marshall of Intervals & Sithu Aye".YouTube.Archived fromthe originalon 19 August 2019.Retrieved28 January2020.
  5. ^ab"Homebound – Sithu Aye".Archived fromthe originalon 19 August 2019.Retrieved28 January2020.
  6. ^"How Patreon rewards will work for the release of Homebound".Archived fromthe originalon 28 January 2020.Retrieved28 January2020.
  7. ^@Sithu_Aye (7 June 2019)."Hey friends!Kinda odd announcing a tour while I'm touring but anyway, I'll be doing my first ever UK headline tou…"(Tweet). Archived fromthe originalon 28 January 2020.Retrieved28 January2020– viaTwitter.
  8. ^@Sithu_Aye (29 April 2019)."Yo guys I'm touring in June with some good buddies"(Tweet). Archived fromthe originalon 28 January 2020.Retrieved28 January2020– viaTwitter.
  9. ^ab"Sithu Aye – Time to Decide! - Senpai III".YouTube.Retrieved8 December2020.
  10. ^ab"Senpai III – Sithu Aye – Bandcamp".Archived fromthe originalon 7 December 2020.Retrieved7 December2020.
  11. ^"Sithu Aye on X".Archived fromthe originalon 31 July 2024.Retrieved31 July2024.
  12. ^"Sithu Aye on X".Archived fromthe originalon 31 July 2024.Retrieved31 July2024.
  13. ^ab"10 Years: Remixes and Reimaginings - Sithu Aye".Archived fromthe originalon 12 June 2024.Retrieved31 July2024.
  14. ^"Re:Invent the Universe - Sithu Aye".Archived fromthe originalon 31 July 2024.Retrieved31 July2024.
  15. ^"Full preview of track 3 from the Jazz Fusion EP - Patreon".Retrieved31 July2024.
  16. ^"Sithu Aye on X".Archived fromthe originalon 31 July 2024.Retrieved31 July2024.
  17. ^"Sithu Aye on X".Archived fromthe originalon 31 July 2024.Retrieved31 July2024.
  18. ^ab"Sithu Aye - Run it Down - YouTube".Archived fromthe originalon 31 July 2024.Retrieved31 July2024.
  19. ^ab"Sithu Aye - Zero Sum Groove - YouTube".Archived fromthe originalon 13 June 2024.Retrieved31 July2024.
  20. ^ab"Have your preferred store or streaming service? Kindness is now available on them (except for all the ones it's not on)".12 May 2024.
  21. ^ab"Sneak peak[sic] at EP album art and tracklist".Retrieved31 July2024.
  22. ^"Sithu Aye – Bandcamp".
  23. ^"Geared: Sithu Aye's Guitar Gear".WiredGuitarist.20 May 2016.Retrieved23 August2016.
  24. ^"Sithu Aye Gear".Archived fromthe originalon 26 June 2019.Retrieved29 January2020.
  25. ^@Sithu_Aye (6 April 2018)."@RoPanuganti I'm uh, contractually obliged, to stick with Dunlop. But that's not to say I don't love the Jazz III X…"(Tweet). Archived fromthe originalon 29 January 2020.Retrieved29 January2020– viaTwitter.
  26. ^"Sithu Aye on X".Archived fromthe originalon 31 July 2024.Retrieved31 July2024.
  27. ^"Review: Sithu Aye – Cassini".Sputnikmusic/.Sputnikmusic. 12 March 2012.Retrieved17 August2016.
  28. ^"Sithu Aye Streams Fifth Anniversary" Cassini "Remaster".It Djents.12 March 2012.Retrieved9 February2017.
  29. ^"Sithu Aye Hints Release Date For" Cassini "Remaster".It Djents.30 August 2016.Retrieved9 February2017.
  30. ^"Review: Sithu Aye – Invent the Universe".Sputnikmusic.16 October 2012.Retrieved17 August2016.
  31. ^"Sithu Aye Reveals New Album" Invent The Universe "Details".Metal Underground.14 September 2012.Retrieved17 August2016.
  32. ^Stefan Andonov (10 May 2016)."Let's Awe: Sithu Aye – Set Course For Andromeda".Djentmag.Retrieved22 August2016.
  33. ^"Review: Sithu Aye – Set Course For Andromeda".Djentmag.29 April 2016.Retrieved22 August2016.
  34. ^"Review: Sithu Aye – Isles".Sputnikmusic.29 March 2012.Retrieved17 August2016.
  35. ^"Review: Sithu Aye – 26".Sputnikmusic.30 June 2013.Retrieved17 August2016.
  36. ^"Review: Sithu Aye – Pulse".Sputnikmusic.24 January 2014.Retrieved22 August2016.
  37. ^"Review: Sithu Aye – Senpai".SmallMusicReviews.19 October 2015.Retrieved22 August2016.
  38. ^"Review: Sithu Aye – Senpai".whatsageek.23 December 2015.Retrieved22 August2016.
  39. ^@Sithu_Aye (20 April 2017)."Senpai EP II is coming to your earballs on the 8th of May 2017.Here's a song from it:"(Tweet) – viaTwitter.
  40. ^"Sithu Aye – Senpai, Please Notice Me! AMV".YouTube.Retrieved8 December2020.
  41. ^"Sithu Aye – Set Course for Andromeda!!!".YouTube.Retrieved8 December2020.
  42. ^"Sithu Aye – Spiral".YouTube.Retrieved8 December2020.
  43. ^"Sithu Aye – Transient Transistors".YouTube.Retrieved8 December2020.
  44. ^"Sithu Aye – And Here's to Many More".YouTube.Retrieved8 December2020.
  45. ^"Sithu Aye – Primary Ignition".YouTube.Retrieved8 December2020.
  46. ^"Sithu Aye – Runaway Reaction".YouTube.Retrieved8 December2020.
  47. ^"Scottish Alternative Music Awards Website – Nominations".20 September 2017.
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