SOLOMUN has been missed this year.
He decided early on in the pandemic that live streaming was not something he wanted to do unless there was at least a small crowd present. He said, for him, there needs to be the human connection through music when he plays, something which isolated live streams can’t replicate. In July however, he provided one of the highlights of our summer live streams in front of 300 lucky people in Nordstern, Basel, Switzerland for a very special broadcast which many of his fans have been holding on to until last month when the first single, Home from his forthcoming album dropped.
Back in the summer, the Pacha Ibiza resident and king of the after party hinted his second album was almost ready and that new music was on the way. The new single, Home leaves a lasting impression. It’s a masterful melodic house composition which gives us a tantalising taste of what’s to come when the forthcoming long player which has been three years in the making, arrives in the new year. Home is also the first release on his new label, NINL.
The playlist Solomun has compiled for us here, features both old and new music that inspires him. He also gave us his thoughts on each of the tracks he chose including the new single Home.
Solomun – Home
“Before I even started working on this album there was Home. I wrote it, and tested it on different dance floors around the globe, and it felt like it could be part of something bigger… that’s when the idea of the album came. And with that feel to it, it had to be the first album-single too.”
Allan Shotter – Das Gift
“Allan is an incredibly talented producer. His tracks often include elements that at first don’t seem to pair, but then he brings them together in such a way that it feels so rewarding. Check out his other stuff and you’ll know what I mean.”
Tunnelvisions – Who Are You
“What I just love about Tunnelvisions is that they manage to marry credible quality electronic music with positive pop-appeal – their songwriting is outstanding, and not just lyrics-wise but the writing of the actual track arrangement. We have been working on their Picture record on Diynamic for over half a year before deciding on the final track listing, and it’s really a beautiful and diverse package. Next to Forever, the track „Who Are You“ is the one with the most outstanding „anthem-feel“ to it. This track immediately transports you back to your last summer festival. I just rediscovered it and had to put it into my playlist.”
Lanu – 1988
“You instantly hear Lanu’s New Zealand heritage in his music as he’s just got this very laid-back summer type vibe in any of his tracks. This one is from 2011 but I still love to listen to it from time to time. A nice blend of upbeat and relaxed, put this one on a Saturday afternoon.”
Michael Bundt – The Brain of Oskar Panizza
“Hailing from the Frankfurt of the 70s, Michael Bundt and many other Krautrock figures from either there or Berlin would become the inspiration for the first German techno pioneers. When you listen to The Brain of Oskar Panizza, you can hear many elements that are still in use in electronic music today – the open hi-hat in peak time techno, the acid-y synth dabs or the breakbeat that was iconic in The Prodigy’s Firestarter. If you’ve never heard about Krautrock, you should definitely check it out!”
Fur Coat – Shades (Johannes Brecht Remix)
“Through his elaborate classical music background, Johannes Brecht just brings something to the table that stands out. As a producer and as a remixer he always makes the productions sound so much more grand. You can hear it in the remix for Shades by Fur Coat, where he added these ethereal choir elements and some intricate synth constructions to bring out the emotionality of an already strong club track even more.”
Joseph Capriati – It’s All About Love
“So the early version of this was like 3 minutes longer I think, which to be honest, I preferred. The long and slow build up, dark but groovy atmosphere. Joseph sent me his Metamorfosi album prior to its release, and especially It’s All About Love brought me a lot of joy. A powerful and driving club track, with an incredible groove – it reminds me of early Kompakt / Speicher tracks, just in a fresh new outfit. This was definitely one of my highlights last year.”
Maruwa – On My Mind
“A melancholic acid breaks track by Russian DJ & producer Maruwa, with lots of beautiful 90s elements in there – if you are feeling the recent revival of 90s aesthetic music, you should definitely check out her other productions. Also, Lobster Theremin, the label where it was released, has been one of the main players in the Leftfield House surge of the past few years.”
Mark Broom – EFB
“Mark Broom is a beast! This guy always delivers and his stuff is always on point. EFB is a peak-time, high energy techno banger spiced up with some dope disco samples. Next to his solo project he has been involved in so many groups, it’s become hard to keep track! But if you like to dig it’s really worth exploring, because there’s almost 30 years of music created by this man.”
Charlotte Adigéry – Paténipat
“Two years ago I have been playing this one pretty regularly. It’s one of those tracks that immediately puts a fantastic and very unique vibe onto the dance floor. Especially if you play it a hint faster, you get this powerful and raw energy from it, courtesy in part of their Caribbean background. Charlotte and her partner Bolis say ‘this record is a product of our love’ – and you know it’s true when you listen to this track.”
Solomun – Home is out now on NINL.
