The Poll of Polls Opens!

The first story in this SolarNews edition could have been about anything. Harry Potter. Apple. Apples. Bananas. Other assorted fruit. Space Shuttles. Copa America. How America copa wid da hot weather. Pippa Middleton. Race horses. Robot jet-skis, bingo, Bugattis or that new bukkake phone hacking craze. But no, we wanted to lead with something more newsworthy than all of those. So we thought we'd write one about a poll you might know - DJ Mag's Top 100! The Mag launched their 2011 ballot amid the usual hoopla last night, which means you've got a 7+ weeks to make your mind up and have your say.

So, here's the pitch! If you've worn down some shoe rubber dancing to 'Big Wheel' or felt your hands rise above shoulder height whilst listening to one of Rich's recent remix clutch; enjoyed a deep, feel-good rush perhaps whilst cocking an ear to 'Electronic Architecture2' or simply seen Rich behind a pair of turntables, paused and thought 'heh, I like the cut of that fella's jib!' then please show some support by popping 'Solarstone' in one of your boxes. Your largesse will be blessed... with much more of the above!

Solarstone & Orkidea-Zeitgeist

'Zeitgeist' - the latest alumni to graduate to single status from Solarstone's 'Touchstone' long-player - is in download stores now. The Original mix is a thoroughbred progressive number that mounts warping synths and soaring, calling vocals on top of one mofo of a bottom-end! Those on the hunt for something a bit groovier need look no farther than Solarstone's Smashing Atoms mix, which spins the track out to funkier floors. Additional remix weaponry is leant by Dennis Sheperd (whose remix was personally tracked down by Armin for ASOT play) Tom Cloud, Active Limbic System and Tasadi. Grab it now at iTunes // Beatport // Juno // SolarShop

Available now:
iTunes
Beatport
Juno
SolarShop (2xCD)

Last month we promised you word of the second stage in the Electronic Architecture² odyssey and with July breaking out all over it's time for the covers to come off! With Electronic Architecture's second roll of the dice completed, under a cloak of absolute secrecy Rich spent the first months of 2011 planning 'TheAmbientEdition'. On the 23rd of July the album will be roll out, hopefully in time to coincide with you heading off to lie on a nice beach someplace.

Mix1 is fully focused on delivering an unbroken 80 minutes of seaside atmospherics and sunkissed sounds. The tranquilized, vocoded vocal of Kazusa & Shingo Nakamura's 'Dice' and the spider-ish synth-crawl of Aerium's Icedive start the (beach)ball rolling. Solarstone has transported the now highly recognizable shimmering sound-set of his latest single 'Big Wheel' far beyond the sunset horizon. From there the ocean-deep re-imagining of Janerio and Sovt's 'Dreams of the Sea', Jahawi's equatorially warm 'From Nairobi to London', Mike Saint-Jules' piano-lined 'Vespera' and the full beat-free immersion of Majera's 'Escapade' compete to out-chill each other.

The album's discs have two deliberate tonal slants, with the second providing a palpable shift away, towards enigmatic and more elegiac audio. The mystical Eastern tinge of Medway's 'Resurrection' launches the disc and is quickly followed by Piotro's film noir-ish 'Mist' and the long, held, evocative notes of 'Uncontrollable Day'. Further marking the mix's less-chilled, more-filmic lean is the lamenting, semi-dissonant electronica of Daniel Mahuad's 'Winter Solstice', the incredible live percussion of Cassino and Laben's 'Touchstone' remap and Elfsong's ambient re-touch to 'Eta Carinae'. The album culminates with an extraordinarily powerful half-speed retelling of Nick Stoynoff's 'Tokyo Nights' and Alucard's otherworldly (and infinitely Blade Runner-esque) 'Blanket Town'.

Released: June 24th 2011 Edel Records

With 'All You Need Is Now' - the first single to be taken from Duran Duran's return to the album frontlines - becoming a download chart smash (hitting No.1 in 15 countries earlier this year!), the scene is set for what could be the biggest band comeback ever.

When Solarstone - a huge fan of the group since their earliest days - discovered the original line-up were reforming, he reached out to Le Bon et al, offering to add some Solarstone club ammo to one of the forthcoming tracks!

The nod came back from the Duran camp and today sees the official Edel release of the second single from the album, including Solarstone's white-hot, ready-to-rock club rework of 'Girl Panic!'

Building the track from its low-slung throbbing 303 base up, Rich gives 'Girl Panic!' the full Smashing Atoms treatment. Layering in John Taylor's jamming, funk-fuelled bass guitar lines, he works them to their full potent effect. Delivering a full verse/chorus rendition of Simon Le Bon's fantastically future-retro lyrics and vocals. Post-break he begins to brilliantly twist, warp and phase them, bringing the remix up to a dizzying sound summit!

Solarstone's mix of 'Girl Panic!' brings arguably the most recognizable group of the 80s into a cutting-edge, 21st Century electronic dance music setting.

For more info on Solarstone and his 'Girl Panic!' remix:
www.solarstone.co.uk
www.facebook.com/solarstonefanpage
www.duranduran.com
www.duranduran.de
www.edel.com

Federation-Synchronized

"Federation is a new band featuring the perfectly matched writing skills of Ben Lost (Young Parisians, Ashtrax, The Remote) and Rich Mowatt (Solarstone). Their debut single 'Synchronized' sets the tone for what is to come, balancing impeccable melodies, hypnotic grooves and provocative vocals which all come together to seduce the listener in." (Armada)
Just click HERE for more info and track clips.

Solarstone Interviews

Ever since Electronic Architecture² hit the stores, the web has been buzzing with Solarstone. Find out in the follwing selected interviews Richard's thoughts on Electronic Architecture², his future projects and DJ life:

11-Jun@Global Trance.pl (in Polish)
10-Jun@Trance Tribe
5-Jun@Dance Radio Global
15-May@Trancefix.nl
30-Apr@VMM

EA² single releases

EA² already spawned 2 releases on Solaris Recordings. You can find out all about them on solaris-recordings.com:
Solarstone-Big Wheel
Elfsong-Eta Carinae

The wait is over! Electronic Architecture² is released today! You can order it in both CD and MP3 formats from the Solarshop, or you can download it via Beatport, iTunes, Juno, Trackitdown and most good download stores.

We've added a neat Solarstone EA² 60 min guest mix to the Soundcloud page HERE.

Taken from the April 2011 issue of Mixmag:

Solarstone: EA²
Expertly constructed from solid foundations

In recent times the mix compilaton has largely lost the magic and creativity that once was. Often, their job is more about regurgitating catalogue to boost the bottom line, or simply to maintain a profile. This second volume from Solarstone, however, is non of the above, and sweeps in like a beautiful breath of fresh air on the most picturesque of days. An escape to a blissful state, it captures the essence of what we all love about trance. There are no mindless crowd-pleasers here, but a perfectly crafted international journey across all sub-genres. Vocal showings are thin on the ground, yet there is enough storytelling from the melodies to carry both emotion and entertainment from start to finish across the two discs.

Two years ago this month Solarstone released the compilation album 'Electronic Architecture... It was nominated for Best Compilation at the 2010 IDMAs and won press plaudits for its imaginative concept, with Tilllate hailing it as "a magical blend of music, art and design" and DJ Mag calling it "a genuine gem".

Now the follow up to the boundary breaking compilation adventure is near. "Electronic Architecture²' captures the essence of what we all love about trance" says MIXMAG, giving it April's Trance Album of the Month and as designated by its 'squared2' tag, its not a 'Pt.II', but an evolutionary next stage in the story. Electronic Architecture²' ready to unfold a landmark sound-design. Using super-immersive mixing techniques crossed with bespoke graphic aspects, its geometric/isometric futuristic sky-cities are ready to rise again! Explore on...

EA² Tracklist:

Disc 1
01. Reconstructed Intro
02. Matvey Emerson - Prizma (Reconstruction)
03. Piotro - Mist (Reconstruction)
04. Nick Stoynoff - Tokyo Nights
05. Daniel Mahuad - Winter Solstice (Sunn Jellie Remix)
06. Piotro - Uncontrollable
07. Abdomen Burst ft. Yavanndiel - Solar Eclipse
08. Hybrid - Numb (Kill City Sounds 03 Remix Reconstruction)
09. Solarstone - Big Wheel
10. Alucard - Sliver
11. Kazusa & Shingo Nakamura - Dice
12. Aerium - Icedive (Reconstruction)
13. Poonyk & Oxide - Weekend
14. Elfsong - Eta Carinae

Disc 2
01. Aeron Aether & Embliss - A New Dawn (Reconstruction)
02. Janeiro & Sovt - Dreams Of The Sea
03. Mike St Jules - Vespera (Reconstruction)
04. Jahawi - Nairobi to London
05. Solarstone - Touchstone (Orkidea Remix)
06. Medway - Resurrection (Proff Remix)
07. Baltic Sound - Searchers Lane
08. Ozo Effy - White Wind
09. Peter Liu - City Of Dreams
10. Majera - Escapade
11. Tilt - I Dream (Nick Rowland Remix)
12. Almar - Wasted Time
13. Active Limbic System - Vanity
14. DJ Orion & J.Shore Architect's Dream (Dub)

Housing the Art aspect of Electronic Architecture²'s multi-media release is its incredible portal. There - in another first for Solarstone - you are able to deconstruct EA²'s cover art and re-build your own vision of its spectacular towering super-structure!

As the release date approaches clips of the music will be premiered there and will provide the soundtrack to this powerful, flexible, yet easy-use tool. You can enjoy a immersive interactive graphical, musical experience, unlike anything you've seen/heard before! Point your mouse here...and become the Electronic Architect!

To tie in with the album's release, we've got an incredible competition (with a fantastic prize!) for you to enter.

We want you to design your own version of the its front cover. Sound tough? It's not! Using the Electronic Architect tool you can work progressively in the run up to release. The microportal has a nifty function so as you build, flip and recolour its sections, you can save your progress.

Once you're happy with your creation, hi-res screenshot it and send it to EAcompetition @ solarstone.co.uk.

The comp is open until the 5th of May so you've got plenty of time to get your entry in. The winner will get a framed, one-of-a-kind A2 reproduction of your design alongside the original's artwork + a sackload of other 'EA²' goodies!