Page 27 - Zone Magazine Issue 008

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There’s a duo from the South Coast of the UK who have been making some waves recently in the Dance world, with immediate support from many heavy weight DJ’s and Producers worldwide since they formed in 2014.
Toolroom’s Mark Knight announced their ‘Salute The Floor’ as his ‘Killer Cut’ during the summer of 2015 and was played by the Toolroom head honcho throughout the year at a number of gigs, as well as radio play on Capital FM, Kiss FM, Krafted Radio and many more.
Its fair to say that they have pricked up the ears of the industry in the short time that they have been working together with a variety of features in the music press and DJ’s such as Sam Divine, Robbie Rivera, Roger Sanchez, Sonny Wharton, Tensnake, D Ramirez all supporting their latest productions.
We caught up with the guys during a studio session to find out a bit more about them.
How did it come about that you two were to work together on music and why have you named yourselves ‘Soultrak’?
We’d been chatting online for a month or 2 and then randomly, we got booked to play on the same night. The event, Terminal was being run by Lee Williams in Bournemouth.
It was the first time that we’d heard each other play, even though we had both been dj’ing for a number of years in the same town. We both liked what each other was playing and really got on. The rest is history.
Originally we were going to release our first track as “Moore & Sawyer” but to be honest. It just sounded a bit crap. So we both started trying to come up with a name and somewhere along the way ‘Soultrak” was thrown into the hat. We both liked it and after Googling it and realising nobody was using it. We both agreed, Soultrak it is then.
What can we expect to hear from your productions in the next 4 months?
We’ve been inundated with remix requests since the back end of last year, which is such a great feeling to know that people have been taking the time to hear our music and feel that they would like to include our work in their releases.
We set ourselves a goal during the Christmas break to produce as many original tracks as we can before the Spring sets in, as well as work on some remixes that we had already been asked to work with.
So, our next remix is out on Krafted Records called ‘We Are All Stars’ by The Cloudshapers. We collaborated with Simon Sinfield aka The Cloudshapers last year on Salute the Floor, he’s an amazing producer and has become a great friend of ours.
We worked on a remix for Foals during December 2015, so watch this space with that one!
There’s a remix coming out soon for a track by Justin Ballard on his Chromoza Recordings label and also another for Sweep the Floor Records.
Describe to someone that’s never heard your music before, what is your style of productions?
We both have very similar backgrounds when it comes to the sound that really makes us tick. Deep, progressive house is what we love and that’s the sound that we are making.
Back in 2015, Mark Knight strongly supported your track 'Salute The Floor' by announcing it as his biggest track of the summer.
How does this make you feel that someone so well established is supporting the music you make?
Oh wow, that was Amazing!!! We were over the moon when he played it on his radio show and then three weeks in a row, and then to announce it as his Killer Cut and the biggest track in the world, was just unbelievable for us.
You always want to know if the a-listers are playing your music, they receive the promos and give feedback, but you never know if they are actually playing your tracks. So, to hear him voice that on the radio station that’s reaching out to millions was a massive achievement, something to be proud of for a long time.
How do you prepare yourself for a studio session?
We quite often start tracks on our own and then either bounce them back to each other, or wait until we have some studio time together. We try and get together as much as possible and it’s a great excuse to visit the local café for a fry up ha ha
Let's talk about the air time you have received over your time... What DJs and radio stations have been supporting your music?
We had our tracks played on Capital FM, Kiss FM, Proton Radio, locoLDN, Midnight Express FM in Mexico, Argentina and the US, plus Break London, Krafted Radio, Ideal Clubworld, Voice FM and a few more independent stations. It’s so great to hear your music on the radio. We’ll never forget sitting waiting for Salute the Floor to come on Capital. Coco Cole played it in her Ministry of Sound Clubbers Guide show. We received a message from the producer of the show a couple of days before, so you can imagine us sitting there in front of the radio like kids waiting for their ice cream ha ha.
There’s been a whole host of DJ’s that have been supporting or tracks, including Chloe Fontaine, Sam Divine, Roger Sanchez, Tensnake, D-Formation, Sonny Wharton, Robbie Rivera, Danny Rampling, DJ EZ, Artful, Robert Owens, Steve Mac plus more
Where can we expect to see you performing at this year?
the club that we first dj’ed together, The Winchester. We love that place, it’s always full of real music lovers. They’re not there just because the biggest star DJ is playing, the crowd want great music and the atmosphere is second to none. So that starts on 12th March an is every month.
We are also returning to the Ministry of Sound in March for a Krafted/One Fold Records party. We loved playing there back in November, so it was great to be asked back by the club.
We’re also headlining the first Garden Party in Southampton for the Easter Sunday. These parties go off!
What was your biggest highlight from 2015?
There’s a few to be honest, getting asked to remix Foals, that was massive for us; having Mark Knight announce our track like he did and getting signed to Toolroom for a compilation album.
What in 2016 is going to be different to the prior year for your music?
We’re really concentrating on our sound this year. Last year we were experimenting with our sound, so we’re really looking forward to putting our stamp on our remixes and releases.
If you could work with anyone in the music industry, who would it be and why?
Paul S – It’s got to be Kolsch, Erik Pryz or Jeremy Olander. I love their music and would love to spend a day with them making some music. I watched Kolsch at ADE in 2014 putting a track together for a tech talk and he is a genius.
Paul M – There’s so many! George FitzGerald, Mark Knight, Christian Smith, John Digweed. I could go on and on.
What gives you the biggest buzz from your productions? (A synth you use? Etc etc...)
Paul S – I love my new plug in called Exhale, big breathy synths love it!!!
Paul M - Obviously not the newest synths, but I love Sylenth1 & Massive. Both just sound, so good!
Connect:
https://www.facebook.com/soultrak
http://www.twitter.com/soultrak https://soundcloud.com/soultrak
Upcoming gigs:
Saturday 12th March at Krafted, The Winchester, Bournemouth
Saturday 19th March at The Ministry of Sound, London
Sunday 27th March at Time Tunnel Garden Party, Southampton
Words By Daniel Cowling [Whistle Louder] Pics By Dan Reid
We start our new residency this year at
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