microcastle’s first offering of 2022 welcomes Solique to the label for their debut EP. Based in Germany, Julien and Can make up the Solique production duo. Even though both are partners, friends, and roommates who share a passion for electronic music, the joint playing and producing connects the duo more than their long-lasting friendship ever could. Solique performs with a rare feeling of mutual connection, with meditative and assertive affairs that challenge the listener with unexpected but intuitive turns and interrupting grooves. First emerging with a release via Moblack, Solique continued to build on their creative synergy with a well-received EP for Turkish imprint Isolate. Beloved for their exotic percussive arrangements and avant-garde melodies, the duo then quickly found favor with Agoria, Ame, Aera, Dixon, Jimi Jules, Marcus Worgull, Nandu, Trikk, and more. Now as Solique continues their trailblazing ways into 2022, the duo debuts on microcastle with a three-track showcase entitled ‘Imminence’.
As a favorite of Trikk across 2021, opener ‘Reflection’ is an apt barometer of where Solique’s headspace is at, letting dystopian soundscapes descend over bold beats and charged rhythms. The duo reaffirms their instinctive ability to tip a dancefloor over the edge, planting multiple explosions of serotonin through spectral synths and prophetic drones, full of detail and haunted minimalism, before confidently returning to the groove for a sweeping aerial adventure.
Solique’s capacity for storytelling – both comforting and challenging – resonates across the second and title selection ‘Imminence’. Shot in high-definition and full of detail and idiosyncrasies, it’s a cerebral voyage where the duo flexes their freethinking muscles and lands comfortably in-between soundscape science and vanguard design. The inevitable zenith of this exploratory excursion mounts with shape-shifting layers and metallic melodies converging, achieving a rich, austere timbre over a bed of militant beats and fascinating percussion.
More enigmatic yet is the EPs closer ‘Velar’, a creation which finds Solique etching towards a darker monochrome. Titanium kick drums and wintry qualities lead to electrified iterations of new age sonics. Clever coactions underpin a fascinating blend of disorientating projections, before segueing into drum-driven drama for a finale of mindful maelstrom.
The ‘Imminence’ collection is a fantastical journey across a vivid electronic cosmos, one where Solique carefully balances futuristic technical vision, with thought-provoking musicality and elaborate rhythmic sequences, bringing us closer to knowing the enigmatic duo, while continuing to live in the mystery of their design.
You can now listen to the full premiere of ‘Reflection’ exclusively on When We Dip. Enjoy!
Release Date: April 1st, 2022. Buy Here