Luke Solomon
The UK house DJ gets his freak on with a little help from his friends

Courtesy of Yellow

London-based DJ Luke Solomon got his start in dance music as a buyer for a record shop in North London in the early ’90s, but he wasn’t going to remain in retail for long. Forming a recording partnership with co-worker Ty Holden, Solomon was soon doing remixes and promotion work for Freetown, a label that counted among its roster Masters At Work and Kerri Chandler (who, incidentally, is due in town next week).

Solomon’s DJ career, which began with a modest stint at his college radio station, soon took off with a mid ’90s residency on legendary pirate radio station Girls FM. That gig also spawned Solomon’s first club night, Space, at Bar Rhumba in central London, which attracted such A-listers as Derrick Carter (with whom Solomon formed the Classic Music label) and Carl Cox.

The definitive moment in Solomon’s career, however, came when he hooked up with soon-to-be recording partner Justin Harris. The two began making music under the guise of Freaks, spawning the combined record label, DJ production team and band Music For Freaks.

Journeying from filter disco through mid-tempo house to minimal techno and retro electro, the pair’s certified classic thus far was 2003’s The Man Who Lived Underground. Documenting a fictional struggle against society and conformity, the disc was one of house music’s few successful concept albums. It combined elements of house, techno, electro and breakbeats, and a few of the songs, including the old skool “80’s Throwback,” became anthems of the just-now-tailing-off electroclash movement.

With recent remixes for Damon Albarn and Kasabian and a new album in the works, Solomon gets behind the hallowed decks at Yellow for a set that promises healthy dollops of classic beats topped up with fresh, unreleased tracks.

Yellow, Feb 3. See club listings for details.

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