INTERVIEW: Solee Talks Australian Return

Normen Flaskamp began producing back in the late nineties, but it was in 2006 that his ‘Solee’ alias was born, propelling him to new heights in the house and techno realm. In the same year, he decided to set up his own record label ‘Parquet Recordings’ to disseminate his distinctive take on deep melodic house and techno. Aside from his own revered imprint, Solee’s productions have graced some of the best-known underground record labels in the world: Bedrock, Suara, Noir Music, Sudbeat, Yohitoshi, Einmusika, Kittball only to name a few. On his Australian return, we quickly caught up with the producer for a quick chat…
You’ve been producing music since the 90’s, landing on the creative alias ‘Solee’ in 2006. What advice would you give yourself if you could talk to a younger Solee at the beginning of his career?
Be prepared for a long way. Focus on the essential.

Your most prized piece of studio gear?
My beloved Genelec Studio Monitors & Subwoofer.
You recently released a two-track EP ‘Saga/Watoto’, how did those tracks come into fruition? What element did you focus on first?
Both tracks are formed by the melodies. The main idea behind ‘Saga’ was the remarkable synth melody which is playing through the whole track. ‘Watoto’ arose with the melodic bassline which starts after the first breakdown. I build everything else around these main elements. Most of my tracks arise by just jamming with my keyboard and searching for a nice melody played with a fat sound. 😉
What are you looking for when scouting new music to be released on Parquet Records?
The only thing that really counts for me is the music. I’m looking for tracks which fit into my Parquet world. Sometimes the tracks are deeper, sometimes more progressive but the most important thing is that they are musical with a recognition value and more or less compatible for the club. I prefer to work with artists over a longer period and provide them with a platform but this is not a condition to get signed on Parquet.
The last record you bought?
The last track I downloaded (yesterday) for my upcoming DJ set in Malta this weekend is Khen – ‘Pecas’. Love it!
Your 2018 performance at Rainbow Serpent was pretty breathtaking, very well received by punters. How did you find performing in Australia as a whole? Was it a different vibe to your usual European shows?
My gig at Rainbow Serpent 2018 was definitely a memorable experience for me. The vibe at this festival was different and something very special! I love to play in Australia and looking forward to my Perth/Sydney/Melbourne club tour in December this year! Australians rock!
Tour Dates
Friday 30th December: Nevermind Smallclub, Perth 
Saturday 1st December: Junction, Sydney 
Sunday 2nd December: LUFT, Melbourne  
Sunday 2nd December: Revolver Upstairs, Melbourne
Interview by Marli Grosskopf