The last time Luke Solomon came to town, Seattle let me down. Mark
Farina was across the city destroying his reputation with yet another
lackluster set (a friend calls him “Suckrina” now). But I’d assumed a
healthy contingent of folks would have, like myself, given up on him,
opting instead for a set by Solomon. I was as wrong as I’ve ever been,
and I spent the evening in Trinity’s main room with only half a dozen
people. Sure, everyone was dancing with plenty of room and the music
was incredible, but I was convinced Solomon would never return.
Luckily, he’s given Seattle another chance.
Solomon is best known as cofounder of the Classic Music Company, the
label he started with Derrick Carter. Operating with the ideal that
every release should be a classic, their discography proves that the
duo knows how to not only separate the wheat from the chaff, but to
keep it interesting. Unlike other labels that discover a formula and
beat it into the ground, Classic’s breadth has involved a lot of risk
taking, with downright weird tracks seeing the light of day along with
more traditional house. Even if you don’t like every record, you have
to respect the vision and ambition.
That same sense of adventurousness exists in Solomon’s productions.
He’s got a slew of solo production credits, but is probably most
recognized as half of Freaks, along with Justin Harris. Ranging from
disco to minimal, the duo has worked with or remixed artists as varying
as Recloose and Damon Albarn, balancing their remix output between
mainstream and underground, releasing studio albums, and spawning the
well-respected Music for Freaks label, another home for house-music
eclecticism.
As a DJ, Solomon draws from that same well of “whatever works.” On
the Classic double-mix CD Thanks for Coming By…, Solomon’s
selection was more subdued than Carter’s, but the slow burner of a mix
has stood up over the years. He maintains the same vibe live, subtly
building up intensity over the course of the evening. You might not
notice that you’re in a different place by the end of the night, but
you’ll have certainly been taken for a ride.
Luke Solomon plays the See Sound Lounge, 115 Blanchard St, on Fri
Aug 17, 8 pm–2 am, 21+.
Also, a welcome retraction: It turns out that electronic music
weekly Oscillate has found its saviors, and will continue on Thursdays
at the Baltic Room. One of the night’s founders, Patrick Hanaelt, is
going to step in until October, at which point producer/laptop battler
Bryan Newman will take over the night. Good to know there’s still a
weekly home for techno in all of its guises. 