David Mayer on Belonging, Club Culture, and Real Scenes

With News Flash, David Mayer returns to SONARA for his third outing as a founding artist on the imprint. Landing on January 9, 2026, the single reflects a period of transition and momentum, capturing the sense of movement that surrounded SONARA as it shifted from concept into a fully realized label. The track channels that early energy through focused drums, melodic lift, and a sense of forward motion built for shared spaces.

Mayer’s background continues to shape his output in subtle but direct ways. His work balances rhythmic drive with melodic clarity, drawing on years of experience across club environments that value patience, connection, and intent. News Flash carries a feeling of renewal, shaped during the seasonal shift from winter toward spring, and mirrors the collective excitement that defined SONARA’s earliest steps.

Alongside the release, Mayer reflects on how his understanding of music scenes has evolved over time. From early, informal networks built through physical presence to today’s more fragmented landscape, his perspective centers on belonging, accessibility, and the physical experience of club culture as a shared ritual.

Interview With David Mayer

How has your sense of what a scene is changed since you first started making music?

The scene has constantly evolved over time in terms of available options, financial constraints, and environmental changes. It started from a relatively blank slate with no fixed rules, and it has never stayed the same since. When I first got involved with nightlife, we only had an early, basic version of what social media is today. We spread the word in the field and scattered physical flyers around town.

The development of social media, combined with the aftermath of the pandemic, has profoundly impacted everything. A whole generation was socialized differently, with distinct preferences, expectations, and priorities. Not better or worse, simply different.

Do you think real music scenes can still take shape in person, or has the internet spread everything too far apart?

The internet divides, the internet unites.

Social media alone will never be able to disconnect music from dance entirely. I firmly believe that clubbing can only be a physical experience. The years from roughly 2020 to 2023 should have been a period where a new wave learned how to be part of a scene, how to dance together, how to listen together, how to experiment in public. Instead, many people were stuck observing culture through screens, and observing is not the same as belonging.

I still find hope in the idea that the roots of clubbing run much deeper. Our desire to break free and oscillate between extremes has always existed. Trends come and go in waves, and I believe scenes will find ways to recall their original purpose again in the future.

When something feels like a real music scene to you, what gives it that feeling?

Shared taste, being in the same place, and socializing translate to belonging, safety, and mentorship for me. I tend to look beneath the surface and assign philosophical meaning to clubbing. Gathering around music exposes us physically and mentally. We test our limits and find beauty inside chaos. When this process is allowed to happen intentionally, that is when a scene feels real to me.

Have you ever felt a genuine sense of belonging in a scene? What created that connection?

A real scene turns passive bystanders into active participants. My own experience was very physical, risky, exhausting, and exciting. I was socialized in Berlin when venues felt makeshift, drinks were cheap, and accessibility made it easy to drift between spaces in a single night.

Accessibility matters. It allows people to get pulled in and develop passion. I see clubbing as something deeply human, similar to how earlier generations gathered around fires to share stories. It fulfills a primal need for connection through different rituals.

In what ways have social media and global access changed how local spaces grow or hold together?

Social media alone does not explain everything. Global dynamics and capitalism play a role as well. Many people manage their time and money by focusing on a few large events each year, which can pull attention away from smaller venues. That shift affects how often people return to local spaces.

At the same time, this pattern can change again. Everything moves in cycles, and long-term balance may still be ahead.

What do you miss about how club culture used to be, and what do you appreciate about it now?

Moments of genuine connection feel rarer today, which makes them more valuable. Going out used to drain my social energy while charging my creative energy. Over time, I had to find other ways to maintain that balance.

I appreciate how social media can spread awareness and honesty within smaller communities. I believe my purpose lies in growth, learning, and creation, and I am drawn to environments that support that path.