Hi! Solarrio, your journey from playing in rock bands to becoming a prominent hip-hop producer in Germany is quite fascinating. How has this diverse musical background influenced the creation of “Forever”?
A: I guess my music is a melting pot of all the different musical genres I’m into. Playing in rock bands helped me work on my songwriting and hip-hop helped introduce me to 70’s and 80’s soul and R&B music, which is probably the biggest influence on “Forever”.
The track “Forever” has been described as a blend of eighties-inspired synthpop, R&B, and funk. Can you share more about your creative process and how you fuse these different genres together?
A: I have a playlist with all my favorite 80’s songs, I’ll usually spend some time listening to that to get inspired and get into the vibe. I’ll usually start with the beat, then mumble a top-line melody. Sometimes the lyric ideas come right away, sometimes I gotta let it marinate for a bit. It’s important not to try to force it, the best songs are the ones that flow freely.
You mentioned that “Forever” feels like nostalgia and a summer breeze on a beach. What specific memories or emotions were you channeling when creating this song?
A: I had this image in my head of a house by the French Riviera with a large garden. There’s a house party, maybe a school reunion or some event where all your friends that you haven’t seen for a long time are gathered. There’s a DJ playing everyone’s favorite songs from their high school years. That was the idea. Or those late 80’s/early 90’s movies where they’re slow dancing at prom.
The instrumental for “Forever” was initially tucked away on your hard drive for years. What inspired you to revisit and transform it into the track it is today?
A: Over the years I’ve made many beats that didn’t fit with any of the projects I was working on. When it came time to work on my own, I went through my archive and found a lot of forgotten gems, this was one of them.
Your collaboration with Craig Walker for “Forever” seems to have been a pivotal part of the song’s evolution. How did this partnership influence the final version of the song, especially the chorus?
A: Craig and I have written many songs together, we have very good work chemistry in the studio. We wrote the song together but we weren’t 100% satisfied with the chorus. He brought in Christin Pohl, a frequent collaborator of his. Her feedback and suggestions helped me turn the chorus into what it is today.
The addition of live saxophone adds a unique layer to “Forever”. Can you talk about the decision to include this element and how it contributes to the overall feel of the track?
A: I’m a big fan of adding live instrumentation to electronic music, I feel it gives it more depth/warmth. The saxophone took the song to a whole new level. I guess we were kind of going for a George Michael “Careless Whisper” vibe.
Moving from your background to your future projects, what can fans expect from your upcoming album “All The Wrong Places”? How does it reflect your musical evolution?
A: I am very proud of this album. It’s my first full length body of work as a solo artist and I believe I finally achieved what I set out to do musically. It was important to stick with a particular style/sound and I feel like all my experiences over the years made it possible for me to pull this off. Expect a groovy, fun, danceable project full of catchy tunes.
With the release of your first two singles from the upcoming album, “B the 1” and “NLF” featuring Holland Izz, how do you feel these tracks set the tone for what’s to come in “All The Wrong Places”?
A: Those two songs should give you a clear idea of where I’m going with the album. Although I would add that “B the 1” is kind of like a bridge between my old projects and the new. I would say people can definitely expect more upbeat music on the album.
Considering your classical music upbringing, how do you balance the influence of your family’s musical heritage with your desire to explore and innovate in genres like synthpop and hip-hop?
A: I don’t. My music doesn’t really have much to do with my classical upbringing other than the fact that I was exposed to it at a young age and it helped me understand music theory.