Sonic Species

Biography

Sonic Species began in the late 2000s as a collaboration between British producers Joe Markendale and Alex Story. The project grew out of the UK psychedelic scene and entered the Alchemy Records orbit before its first album phase. By the time Unleash the Beat appeared in 2012, Story had left and Markendale had become the principal artist behind the name.

That transition from duo to solo-led project is central to Sonic Species’ history. Markendale kept the identity intact rather than relaunching under a new alias, and the music developed through relationships with Alchemy, NANO and later Shamanic Tales. The separate Future Frequency project with Avalon remained a distinct collaboration, even though it drew on many of the same melodic and progressive instincts.

Sonic Species has remained highly active into 2026. Recent Shamanic Tales releases include collaborations with Fusion Field, Kalki and Zephirus Kane, showing a project that continues to combine polished progressive structure with faster psychedelic drive more than fifteen years after its formation.

Origins of Sonic Species

Sonic Species formed around 2008 as a project by Joe Markendale and Alex Story after the pair had already been writing together. The duo became part of the UK Alchemy Records network during its first phase.

Early career

The original two-person lineup produced the early releases, but Alex Story departed before the project’s long solo-led period. Unleash the Beat in 2012 became the first major album landmark as Markendale carried Sonic Species forward.

How the career developed

Markendale continued through Alchemy, NANO and Shamanic Tales while developing a broad international touring profile. Future Frequency with Avalon remained a separate collaborative project , not an alternate name for Sonic Species.

The mid-2020s releases show renewed momentum, with a steady run of singles and collaborations , not a purely legacy-oriented presence.

Sonic Species sound

Sonic Species combines Progressive Psytrance foundations with modern high-energy Psytrance, using clean rolling grooves, melodic lift, acid detail and highly polished psychedelic production. Recent material can also touch the trance/techno border without abandoning the project’s psychedelic centre.

Place in psytrance history

Sonic Species links the 2000s UK progressive and Full-On generation with the later NANO and Shamanic Tales ecosystems. Its lineup history also illustrates how a psytrance project can shift from duo to solo leadership while retaining continuity as the same artistic identity.

Connections and influence

Key connections include Alchemy Records, NANO Records, Shamanic Tales, Avalon and Future Frequency. The project’s strength lies in bridging progressive structure and high-energy Psytrance rather than in claiming ownership of either style.

Sonic Species today

Sonic Species is fully active in 2026. Releases during the year include Tweak It with Fusion Field, You Are the Light with Kalki, The Acid Revolution with Zephirus Kane and further Shamanic Tales material.

How the sound changed over time

Selected releases in the archive

Festival connections

Related projects and collaborations

Artists with overlapping styles