Breaking news!? LUKE SOLOMUN on Gomma sublabel Toy Tonics! Solomun is one of the leading figures of the UK House scene. Classic label boss, Freaks producer and Defected A&R. After a looong time finally with a new solo release. And instead of going to a big UK label - he choosed the new German label for his first new solo release . Three funky intrumental techno tracks that connect Luke's former Freaks sound with a more edgy, straight rolling vibe. Luke says: "having spent a huge amount of time working with vocalists and writing songs for Freaks and other acts, i wanted to indulge in writing instrumental club music and return to my original production roots. Approaching things with a simplistic view, and making music that i could take straight to the club and play. This is like a new beginning for me." "I love the vibe of the label - me and them seemed like the right fit." More

When Luke Solomon got in touch and said he wanted to work with Local Talk we felt both honoured and happy, especially since we've been fans for a long time and Mats actually booked him to his Raw Fusion club in the late 90s. He's been around long enough to be considered a legend within the scene. We couldn't agree more. Lost Channels, a 130 bpm piano driven and punk-dubby New York inspired house track comes in two versions.
The Raw & Stripped Version is exactly what the name says, sharp snares & hi-hats, piano chords, a driving rhythm with Luke's trademark percussion sprinkled on top. The Live Piano Version is actually the original version and is peppered with more of everything. Bubbly FX, more of that staccato piano and of course that muscular bassline. For remix duties it's the return of an old Local Talk friend, Wil Maddams. It seems like Wil has spent some time in Detroit since last time. This remix sounds like something that would come straight out of the D, his clever drum programming holds this track together with it's deep pads and bubbling bassline. It's a retro (but fresh) techno jam for 2014. More

Now based in the heart of Leeds, the Fullbarr imprint returns with ‘Beyond Therapy Vol.1’ by Luke Solomon this …, comprising four original cuts from the Classic Music Company label-head. Luke Solomon needs no introduction with a back catalogue boasting releases on Southern Fried, International Deejay Gigolo, Leftroom, Crosstown Rebels and of course his own Classic Music Company run alongside Derrick Carter. Here Luke returns to the Fullbarr label following his ‘Ultrasound’ EP last year. Since its launch Fullbarr has continually seen support across the board from Mixmag, De:Bug, DJ Mag and many more with the labels DIY ethos, hand delivering stock to record stores, simplicity and organic promotion highlighting the attention to detail embodied in the company. The imprint closed last year with a retrospective compilation of remixes from the back catalogue and has picked up support from many reputable DJ’s along the way, such as DJ Deep, Ethyl, San Proper, Christopher Rau and Jovonn. Here the release opens with ‘Crash Beat’, featuring off-kilter drum programming, resonant, evolving synth lines and bubbling low-end tones. The track steadily evolves in a drum-driven fashion before the focal point sees the introduction of tweaky, acidic synth stabs, resulting in a flourishing dynamism for the rest of the cuts duration. Next up is ‘Hoover Bag’, employing a dark, twisted feel with an insistent kick pattern creating a bumpy energy. Broken-beat snares shuffle away in the background alongside blocky hi-hats and loose claps while drawn out delays and a heady synth line further fuels the profound depth of the record. Following on the B-Side is ‘Look Back’, veering into house territory this time with shuffling 909 style drums, a simplistic, punchy bass-line and bright organ stabs. Luke creeps in murmuring vocal lines to hidden away in the background to add further texture while the hooky, progressive nature of the cut smoothly carries it along. To close the release Solomon turns in ‘Pop Rocks’, upping the tempo again slightly with a raw, rolling drum pattern and machine noise continually sweeping around, giving off a hypnotic feel. A cutting 303 line is soon worked in adding to the mesmeric vibe its the envelope is invariably altered and subtle automation More

Timelines’ is the new LP from British house producer Luke Solomon and it will be released via his and Derrick Carter’s Classic imprint in May in a package that features the LP, a selection of remixes and a mixed bonus version. Luke Solomon’s influence on house music has been strongly felt for many years. As a DJ and promoter he pioneered mid-week London clubbing with his legendary Space night alongside the late, great Kenny Hawkes. As a producer he has constantly delivered original, often idiosyncratic and always unique house music (and beyond) for an enviable list of imprints. As an A&R he has helped develop many a career (Tiefschwarz, Freeform 5 and Isolee to name but a few) with The Classic Music Company and continues to do so with Classic and his new role as one of Defected’s A&R team. ‘Timelines’, even the incredibly humble and self-effacing Solomon would agree, is his best work to date. Featuring vocal contributions from Jon Marsh, Natalie Broomes, Terry Grant and Tiger Tiger, as well as musicianship from Arthur Jeffes (various keys), Andy Neil (guitar and bass), Martin Radford (strings), Sammy Bishai (Violins) , Chris Storr (Horns), Steve Parry (Horns), Anu Pilai (Guitar/bass), Tom Bailey (Guitar) and Danny Harrison (Drums), ‘Timelines’ is so much more than the usual house music album, it’s one man deftly controlling and mastering his very own musical chaos. More

Needless to say that E.A.R is very happy to of signed an E.P off Luke Solomon. Luke's "Say Something" was recorded using live musicians, vocals, and drums, this is something that E.A.R love doing and bringing the talent of live music into a club environment and Luke has done this perfectly. The original boasts a good feel vocal with breathtaking production, whilst the "Dub Something" brings it into the clubs for the Deep House crowd. Now dim the lights and focus on the heavier darker side of Lukes mind as he brings the "Do Something" mix in to a peak time track. More

LUKE SOLOMON is undeniably one of British house music?s unsung heroes, with an impressive track record of underground success.

No-one could debate Luke Solomon?s dance music credentials. From setting up the seminal label Classic Recordings with Derrick Carter to taking quirky house to the UK Top 10 and international charts, with his band Freaks, to DJing around the globe and performing live, Luke has been there for many of the more interesting 4/4 moments of the last decade. This latest release from Luke comes complete with a hefty remix package from fellow Classic member Derrick Carter as well as from buzz name Kamo! Luke's main mix encompasses everything we have come to love and adore about Luke's music. So those that are up to speed will know exactly what to expect! Needless to say this package is banging and ready to be used by all educated turntablists and music enthusiasts. More

Ray Kandinski's debut for LPH, Multiverse Connection, presents itself as the soundtrack to an airborne chase scene in an imagined cyberpunk epic. Excited synth lines wiggle through dense fields of metallic drum sequences and showers of jagged, jutting robo effects. The A-side is a launch into outer space orbit, the B, a juiced-up zigzag across the stars in hyperdrive. Futuristic house built with angular electro components and scalpel-sharp acid. More

A return to France for L'amour Existe Encore, a young producer named Laroze's debut on LPH. A giddy jaunt through sun-kissed house with smatterings of filter fiddling, punchy horns, bright strings, chopped-up vocals. Twenty-five minutes of many DJ sets to come right here. More

If you've been even the most casual participant in or observer of the NYC dance music and club scene over the past decade, you've most definitely encountered Luca Venezia, a.k.a. Curses, who once was better known as Drop the Lime, a central figure in the Trouble & Bass crew. Where DTL was all stripped and chewed dubstep and grime, Curses is clearly of a house bent, albeit one that's been cut with plenty of heavy bass, breakbeat-leaning drums, and a frantic energy that one wouldn't find on classic Chicago 12”s. As a longtime friend and fellow New Yorker, it was only a matter of time until we came together for a record. The resultant EP—which is called Bark in the Dark and serves as a sort of unofficial companion to Curses' recent release on our sister label, Throne of Blood—is equal parts unabashed cheese, hands-in-the-air euphoria, and bone-chilling witchcraft. The title track is a tongue-in-cheek, sax-laden stomper that chugs along for nearly eight minutes, the first three of which tantalizingly build to what can only be described as a nasty drop. A remix by Glasgow's Naum Gabo (J.G. Wilkes of Optimo fame and James Savage, who released an EP on LPH in 2011) fills out the A-side. It's an explosive reimagination that seems to have been constructed from stems spiked with Rohypnol, acid, and a touch of ketamine. If Curses' O.G. rendering is Krusty the Clown, N.G.'s tweak is Sideshow Bob; an antagonistic, malicious, schizophrenic bundle bound by paranoid rage. The flip finds Curses shifting gears and exploring the dark corners of the smokey, strobe-sprinkled basement megaclub you might see him playing “Bark” in. “Eyes on You” is a creepy crawler, a house cut that's built around a slinky yet haunting keyboard line and drums that have so much swagger and punch to them that they seem drunk off their own confidence and assurance. “Need You” is a bit peppier and squarer, but not by much. In lieu of the Twilight Zone-lifted melodies in “Eyes,” there's a plethora of pads you'd be likely to find in choice Balearic tunes and beats that also feel straight out of the late 90s, but the whole thing is constructed and arranged with such cheer and given a bass-rooted modern spin that it's impossible to not shuffle along to it, start to finish. More