Solomun +1

Spain

Pacha Ibiza

It’s time, once again, to join Solomun and a very special guest at Pacha Ibiza.

On Sunday, June 11, the doors to the infamous Ibiza club will open and we’ll be treated to another episode of Solomun’s +1 concept.

Since its debut back in 2013, Solomun +1 has set the bar for simple-formula events. A headliner +1 (who could easily be considered headliners in their own right). Kicking off the night each with a set of their own before going B2B for the final hours of the night.



Year after year, the +1 concept grows in popularity, not only in Ibiza but around the world, with +1 and +live events popping up across all of the global dance hubs including Berlin, New York, and Tulum.

It works so well because Solomun’s formula is so simple; the finest underground electronic music combined with the electrifying atmosphere of Pacha = the pinnacle of Ibiza clubbing.



The Bosnian-German DJs Ibiza season started extremely well, with him playing an extended set at the club’s Grand Opening Party in April. And, as the cherry on top of this season, 2023 marks a milestone in the club's rich history - Pacha's golden jubilee!





Pacha, the emblematic abode of the iconic cherries, continues to reign as Ibiza's most renowned superclub. It’s an institution that has flawlessly melded fashion, glamour, and music in a disco-lit utopia since 1973.

The club has consistently redefined the landscape of Ibiza's nightlife, and as it embarks on its 50th year, we can only anticipate the surprises that lie in store.

Solomun, a 4-time DJ Award winner, has consistently mesmerized crowds worldwide. His Boiler Room set from 2015 boasts of being the fastest-growing video in Boiler Room history with over 35 million views. He’s also taken over the stages of mammoth festivals worldwide, including Tomorrowland, Ultra Europe, EXIT, and Melt.





On June 11th, he'll share the stage with DJ Gigola. The Berlin-based DJ and producer is celebrated for her eclectic sound and dynamic genre-hopping skills, seamlessly weaving the tones of trance, gabber, acid, breaks, and pop in her sets.

Since 2016, she has been a part of Live From Earth, a multidisciplinary agency and label, where she collaborates with fellow artists, releasing tracks that blend various styles and demonstrating a tongue-in-cheek aesthetic in her music.



Solomun's tried-and-true formula of marrying the best of underground electronic music with Pacha's electrifying atmosphere guarantees a clubbing experience that you simply don’t want to miss out on.

Sundays are sorted for the foreseeable future. See you on the dance floor!

We at Gray Area are fans of anyone keen on producing unique original sounds that push dance music forward. So it’s only natural that we’re fans of Disfreq.




The Irish duo, made up of brothers Joe and Cahir Kely found their footing as powerhouse tech producers honing their craft in the wake of the Covid-19 lockdown. They caught the attention of some of dance music’s leading figures, including the one and only, Solomun. The Diynamic Records founder has become a regular supporter of the Moville, Ireland-based group and recently recruited the up-and-comers for a project on his label.




The project is the latest edition of Diynamic’s renowned Picture series, which allows selected artists to share a snapshot of their sonic identity. We caught up with Disfreq for a conversation about their Picture album below.



Picture comes out via Solomun’s Diynamic label. This isn’t your first time working with Diynamic, they released your track “Essa Mina” last spring, and it’s been a go-to fire starter for many DJs since then. So what does it mean to you to be tapped by Solomun once again, this time for a whole project?




It was actually an honor to be asked to do it on his label. We listen to a lot of the stuff on the record label. So whenever we were asked, we were like, “Woah, that a big deal,” and we just got to work right away.





Was this project already in the works before releasing it on Diynamic, or did it form when the label wanted more material?




We had one track that Solomun really liked, which was “Como,” and then he explained the Picture series and asked if we could make six tracks for the series. At that stage, he asked if we could have it done in four weeks. We made another seven in four weeks, and Solomun picked the best six out of the eight.



Diynamic has a pretty clear-cut sound. Do you aim for a certain sound depending on the label?




We don’t aim for a certain sound as such. Solomun was already playing what we were sending him anyway. Like he was already playing “Como.” When we sent it, he liked it, but it wasn’t like we were aiming for Diynamic. The more you box yourself in, the less creative you are. So in this project, we were like, “Right, we’re just going to make good music. Forget about the sound of anything else and be as original as possible and remember, there’s no rules. If it sounds good, it is good.’”







Let’s get into Picture. What sparked the idea for this mini-album? What is Picture to each of you?




Joe: I think it’s a good way for us to show our musical side [and] what we’re capable of. We don’t want to do the same thing every time. We can expand our sound. I suppose it shows we can evolve as a group.




Cahir: We were doing it without any other artist in mind. We were doing whatever we thought sounded good, and we weren’t thinking about what someone else had done or what someone else had done twenty years ago.




Joe: Yeah, we were looking ahead rather than behind. To use the word “picture,” it’s a picture of what Disfreq is at this moment in time. It’s innovative, big-sounding, catchy vocals, and club-ready.





Each track carries a unique personality while still fitting well into the context of the whole project. Which track stands out to each of you and why?




Cahir: For me, it would be “Innovator.” That’s one of my personal favorites. We sampled Daft Punk’s voice which is ironic because they’re always sampling other people’s voices. We thought it sounded good as well. So we gave the voice a chord for a sound instead of a voice normally. It’s both musical and ready for the dance floor as well.



Joe: I think “Flame,” for me. I like the way that track came together. The vocal, when we got started, was just completely different. It was like people chanting all around the fire and flame, and we just changed it up. And whenever the second drop comes on, I feel like there’s nothing like it. It can’t be compared to any other sound anywhere. I’m not saying it’s the best out there. I’m just saying it’s unique.




“Flame” is just a complete journey. It’s three different drops. The first one is just like the entrance to the club. The second one is real peak time. And third, is like the end of the night. Like we drew up arpeggiated melody, Cahir drew it up, and that carries it off and carries you back down again. So you start off easy, then it climaxes, then it drops you back down again.







Was there a particular track that came together with ease? And was there a track that proved especially tricky to finish out?




Cahir: I think “Como” came together quite easily. It was quick. We had something that sounded good, then we added a big sounding kick [and] then big bass, and it came together quite easily enough. We usually make peak-time techno tracks, so it was almost like we could do this with a wee bit less thinking.




Joe: “Flame” was the only one where we went through the file three times. Normally we stay in one file for one track, and that’s it. “Flame” [has] three different drops, three different ideas, [so] you’re probably gonna’ give up on it at some stage. The difference between having an amazing track and not having one could be two minutes. I might go home, and Cahir will stay another five minutes or visa versa, and we’ll have a great track. Success and failure live next door to each other, ya know.







Disfreq is a product of brotherly collaboration. You guys have been creating music together for years. Does it ever present unique challenges working as siblings? How do you think your relationship benefits your music creation?




I don’t think there’s any downsides at all. I think we fought for like 18 years, so it’s fine. To be honest, it’s a bit like having a gym partner. People have gym partners to motivate them to go to the gym. It’s a bit like us in the studio, “Oh c’mon we need go to the studio now. C’mon let’s go, even if its half an hour, then we can go back down stairs.” It’s very beneficial living under the same roof. We’re constantly thinking about it, thinking about different ideas, different vocals, different sounds. Of course you have the odd argument or fight or something, but if you spend that much time with anyone, you’re bound to fight.

Disfreq on Their Mini-album ‘Picture’ for Solomun’s Diynamic Records

Solomun All Night Long

Summer memories start on April 29th this year, as the doors to the island's oldest and most well-known nightclub open for an unmissable 2022 clubbing season.


Home of the infamous red cherries and one of the world's most recognizable club brands, the clubbing world has plenty of reasons to celebrate Pacha’s return to Ibiza after a two-year hiatus.

Though most clubs in Ibiza opt for a smorgasbord of talent to fill their opening party rosters, Pacha decided to turn the other way and focus their attention on just one, Solomun. This island vet has been a regular in Pacha’s DJ booth for many years leading his Solomun +1 concept, arguably one of the club’s most successful and long-running parties. For the opening, the Diynamic boss will play all night long - the perfect showcase for what could be the biggest and best Ibiza season we’ve seen in a long time.

Pacha itself is deeply rooted in the history and culture of the island. First opening in 1973, it has combined fashion, glamour, and music in a disco-lit melting pot for almost 50 years. Normally open year-round, the iconic doors to the once-finca have been firmly shut since October 2019. The winter renovations planned for that year were extended over the two summers that followed. We truly can not wait to see the new design and layout.

No matter what Pacha’s new interior looks like, we can be sure that the soundtrack of the Grand Opening Party will be on point. The Bosnian-German DJ has never been one to shy away from the crowd, moving the DJ booth to the middle of Pacha’s dance floor throughout his residency there.

Solomun’s formula is simple, the finest underground electronic music combined with the electrifying atmosphere of Pacha - the pinnacle of Ibiza clubbing.









