High-paced dance floor blends supplied by our Aussie mate Solar Suite.

As part of the current wave of Aussie producers that are making a name for themselves with their contemporary take on 90’s-influenced prog house and trance-y goodness, Solar Suite is responsible for delivering some serious tunes in recent times. Following a strong extended player debut for Echocentric Records, he recently delivered new heat for On Rotation – the record label and party series headed by Adam Pits and Lisene – featuring a remix by none other than Roza Terenzi.

With more music in the pipeline for Haŵs, and a Europe tour lined-up for this summer alongside Guy Contact, Reflex Blue and DJ Life, we got in touch to hear the latest on developments, and he’s graced us with a seamless mix of club-ready cuts and no-nonsense rollers. 

Hi Ben, good to have you with us today! How’s things Down Under and what’s been keeping you busy these last couple of weeks?

Hey, thanks for having me on! Things are going well here in Melbourne, pretty much back to normal which has been great to see everyone out and about again. I’ve been somewhat of a recluse these past few weeks, catching up with friends and family while working most other days… On the other hand I’ve been spending whatever spare time I can find in the studio working on a few new projects which has been fun.

You recently released a killer EP on Leeds-based record label On Rotation. Having written the EP throughout Melbourne’s 2020 lockdown, you mentioned the process of completing the tracks provided you with the perfect opportunity to grow and learn as a producer, and came with its challenges. Can you elaborate a bit on that whole experience, working together with the On Rotation crew and the coming together of the final record?

Very happy to have that record out. 2020 was a year where I was trying to work out what direction my life was heading. I had enrolled in an Engineering degree to keep me busy during the peak of Melbourne’s first big lockdown. After sending a one off track to Adam Pits for some feedback he got back to me the day before my first class and wanted to sign it to On Rotation. The next day I quit my degree and went all in on producing this record. Adam, Chris and Marlon are a dream to work with, very lovely crew and super welcoming to newbies like myself. Having them to bounce off made the whole process so much easier and the whole EP came about quite naturally.

You told us you’ve been working on an EP for Cardiff-based party series and label Haŵs. Can you tell us a bit about how that came about and what we can expect to find on the record?

Yeah, Eben from Haŵs got in touch with me after my Echocentric record was released and I was super keen to get involved. I started writing this one once I had finished up the On Rotation EP and delved into a lighter and more playful sound. Haŵs’ output has been so consistent going from strength to strength with large, housey, staunch club tracks. I wanted to lean into that and work with some fun arrangements that would vibrate the club pretty hard. Hopefully see that one pop up soon enough!

We also understand that you’re embarking on a tour to play Europa this summer, along with some befriended Aussie artists that have been making waves in recent times. What have you lined-up for the tour so far and what are some of things you are most looking forward to? And what else might you have coming up this year?

Much like the half of Melbourne, everyone here is itching to get overseas for summer in Europe and I am certainly on that bandwagon. Hoping to be there for around 3 months or so touring/travelling with DJ Life, Guy Contact, and I believe we might also have power duo IN2STELLAR joining us on some shows as well so we are all looking forward to dipping our toes into the scene there. We still have a couple vacant dates so if any promoters reading this are keen you know what to do.

Finally, what can you tell us about the mix you’ve shared with us today?

This mix is an ode to those hazy, sweaty 6am dfloor moments. I always love putting together something that’s quite hypnotic with rolling groovy basslines that sound like they could just keep on going. It features a mix of old tracks that I’ve been digging recently as well as forthcoming material from some incredibly talented producers that are killing it recently.