Daniel Solar/ Dikso/ Germany
Daniel Solar is name you will getting very familiar with . The Berlin based German has been dominating the disco/ house scene despite living in a city booming with techno acts.
He has recently had some large releases on labels such as Sleazy Beats and Diynamic aswell as running the blog turned label "Dikso Records" alongside Andi de Luxe. Find out more about the man in the interview...
Butter: You've had tracks released on some very prestige labels such as Sleazy Beats and Diynamic Music. How did you initially get picked up by these guys?
Daniel: I'd wish there was a bigger story behind it, but I just sent demos to both. Actually the diynamic release was together with Marc Poppcke as Solar&Poppcke and we were really into their sound. So we sent almost everything to them. Finally they signed our Track "Nighttrain" for a Various Artists release. Pretty much the same for the Sleazy Beats release. When I sent them my tracks, there was only the first release out. I really liked it and I thought they might like my tracks as well.
Butter: As well as being at the top of the disco game, you also run a hot label "Dikso" with Andi de Luxe. How do you manage time between your music and the label?
Daniel: To be honest, I still have a regular day job. Fortunately I’m in the luxurious position of running my own business. So I can arrange my time pretty well. I'm treating both the music and the label thing as being part of the business. I think that’s the best way around. Keeping it as professional as possible. And, of course, Andi is really doing a lot of the label work as well.
Butter: What is it like making disco in Berlin? Is there much of an audience?
Daniel: In Berlin there's an audience for pretty much everything. I really enjoy living here for that reason. The disco / slow house scene here is small compared to that usual Techno sound Berlin is famous for. But the scene is constant and growing. You can find several interesting related party's every week. So, there’s nothing to complain about.
" One day I went home from a party and I felt like I desperately have to make some electronic music "
Butter: We understand that your love of music wasn't always house or dance. How were you introduced to this music and what were some of your early inspirations?
Daniel: Ah, that’s complicated. I started listening to that famous 90's dance stuff and really got down to that classic House and Techno afterwards. When I grew older, I started listening almost exclusively to Rap and Hip Hop music. That was when I started making music. I rediscovered electronic music some years later, when I started to go out regularly. Basically house music, but still harder Techno as well. One day I went home from a party and I felt like I desperately have to make some electronic music. That's how the story began. Basically I don’t care too much about genres to be honest. Either I like it or I don't. And that’s still a very important thing for me and the label as well.
Butter: Your releases and that of Dikso have a very strong vinyl presence. Was this an idea that was established from the beginning?
Daniel: No, not at all. Neither with my own music nor with the label. I just started making music because I love to do it. Same for the label. We just started it and we never expected it to be that successful. The idea was just to release some music we like and that we play in our DJ sets. Obviously its always a good thing if people like the music you're releasing. But I think I may have said that before, I’d rather make and release music that I like and no one buys than making music just because people are buying it.
Butter:What can we expect to hear in one of your DJ sets?
Daniel: On the whole I’d say I play house music. But I consider that disco and nu disco stuff as being part of it. I like to play slower more disco influenced sets as well as faster, more "regular" house. I think it always depends on the party, the people and the situation, but I’m always trying to be a bit special. That’s what I certainly like about other DJ's as well when I go out. I think there's nothing worse than a boring DJ.
Butter: Your tunes and Dikso have been killing it lately with dikso006 coming soon, what else can we expect in 2011?
Daniel: I just started working on a new EP lately. Besides that I did a few remixes that are coming out this year on Peppermint Jam, Brown Eyed Boyz, Discoteca and probably a few more. And in the end of the year there's a track coming out on a label I especially admire. But I don't wanna tell to much yet.
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