Manchester-based house and techno duo Solardo, aka Mark Richards and James Eliot, are currently riding high in the midst of their residency at Hï Ibiza's Bodyworks party. Solardo and chart-conquering house duo CamelPhat will be hosting the main Theatre room while FISHER will take control of the Club room, dishing out plenty of sweaty house and techno thumpers right through to the end of September.
Not content with DJing across the world, Solardo have also been making their mark on the scene with their Sola record label, putting out some of the scene's biggest releases of the year—many of whichwe've premieredright here. Though prolific producers in their own right, Solardo have only released a handful of their own music on the label, leaving it mostly a platform for showcasing a mixture of friends and new talent. Still, the spotlight is all theirs right now in Ibiza, so if you're heading over there crank up this exclusive new mix of theirs for your pre-party session.
"XTC", Solardo's new single, is out now.
Tell us a bit about your selections in this mix.
Mark: We don't tend to think about these things too much and just approach it as we would if we we're playing in a club. It's a blend of a lot of new music we've been sent and quite a few new bits from our label, Sola.
What was the one track you absolutely had to include?
James: Joseph Edmund's been on fire recently, released a few EP's with us and some of his new bits—which were essentials.
Any tracks that narrowly missed the cut?
James: Now, that would be telling!
What's the first single or album you ever bought?
Mark: It was Appetite For Destruction by Guns N' Roses. I was in Woolworths with my grandma, and I remember seeing the cover on the wall in the cassette area. I instantly knew I needed it, even though I had no idea what it was. I then subsequently became a huge fan for the rest of my life.
What's the last physical record you bought?
James: I used to buy loads of drum and bass vinyl back in the day, so I can't pinpoint exactly which record it was, but I do know that Dillinja's Cybotron was definitely one of them.
What do you want to see happen musically over the next 12 months?
Mark: I want to see people stop bitching about genres and sounds from behind their keyboard, when they aren't the ones who even go out to raves and party. I came from the dubstep scene where the same thing happened, that then led to the music killing itself.
Tracklist:
1. Hector Couto - Salimo (Original Mix)
2. YINGYANG (UK) & Ren Phillips - Fetish
3. Eskuche - Eskuche - Pop Dat
4. Max Chapman, Late Replies - Fantasy
5. Joseph Edmund - Rastaman 2
6. Roger That - Lady In Red
7. Versus & Dissolut - Impulsive
8. Ki Creighton - Preach
9. REME - FANTASIES
10. Pasquale Caracciolo - Hi (Original Mix)
11. Shakedown - At Night (Will Clarke's 'Not Here For The Cuddles' Remix)
12. Leon & Andrea Giudice - Cats In Hats
13. IGLESIAS - SUBDUE
14. Joseph Edmund - Brotha Plz
