We continue well into 2025 with our second mix and interview of the year. We are pleased to welcome the super talented Hervé Solar to the series!
A longtime electronic music and DJing enthusiast, Hervé Solar moves between house and techno, crafting hypnotic sets where groove and depth intertwine. Always eager to explore new sounds, he is driven by his passion for sharing music.
On the production side, he made his debut in 2023 with a track on the 'Under One Roof' compilation from Steve Bug’s label, Poker Flat Recordings. He then collaborated with him on several tracks ranging from deep to tech house, released on Sublease Music and Bondage Music, the label run by German duo Pornbugs, further cementing his connection to the underground scene.
Lots of super interesting topics to chew the fat over! We caught up with Hervé Solar to find out more.
Hi Hervé Solar, how are you and what have you been up to this week? Hi Markus, I’m doing great, thanks! A normal week. I work full-time as an IT engineer the day and I make music in the evenings.
You now have a few releases under your belt. Are there any standout tracks that hold special memories for you?
Yes, 'Fast to Slow' which was on the 'Under the Roof' compilation on Poker Flat.
Back in 2023. I was going through a period of doubt and needed to take a step back. I treated myself to a week-long retreat in Ibiza organized by Mixmasters to reflect on music. On the first day, we visited the Metrica recording studio. At the end of the tour, there was a bit of time left. I had this track on my USB stick and asked the engineer if I could play it on the studio’s big sound system. I hadn’t planned to include vocals on this track, but since there was a singer, Jade Prize, I asked her if she’d be willing to improvise something over it, just out of curiosity.
The engineer played the track, and in one take, I had a vocal track that fitted perfectly. Thanks to Jade! The next day, I met Steve Bug for the first time. He listened to the demo and gave me advice on how to finish it.
It was my first time in a professional studio, my first recording with a real singer, and my first contact with Steve Bug, who I would later collaborate with. A great memory!
You also had a new release out on 21 March on Steve Bug's label Sublease Music. Tell us more about that.
It’s a three track EP, marking my third collaboration with Steve Bug. There’s 'Lift Off' and 'Eventualities', which are quite joyful, deep tracks that remind me of our previous collaboration on Sublease.
The third track, 'Unfussy', builds up tension and then releases it. I love the arrangement Steve did on this tech-house track. I’m really excited about this release!
What else can you tell us about your future releases, anything exciting in the pipeline?
Yes, I always have a lot of tracks in progress… And tones of unfinished tracks on my computer.
Right now, I’m collaborating on three tracks with a friend, Master-M, who plays the djembe. It’s a real challenge because integrating live elements into an electronic track is harder than I imagined! Fingers crossed it’ll be out soon.
How did you first get into electronic music?
From my first raves in the ’90s, I was really drawn to electronic music. I was fascinated by the DJs. I quickly wanted to understand how this new music was made, how DJs worked, and so on. I started saving up to buy second-hand equipment and then records. This passion has never left me.
Where was your first gig and how did it go?
If I remember correctly, it was an after-party in a bar in Geneva. The owner booked me a few times after that, so it must have gone well!
What DJ's or producers are you enjoying right now?
There’s so much new music, so many releases, all the time. It’s hard to keep up. I can spend hours digging through the algorithms on Beatport, Juno, or Traxsource. But I don’t really remember names. I just try to avoid the overly mainstream stuff.
What are some of your go-to labels?
Right now, I’m into deep, minimal tech stuff from labels like Little Helpers, Bondage, Sublease, Ohral, Déepalma, and many others.
You have compiled our latest Berlin Mixtapes Series Episode 068 - Tell us more about your mix.
Thanks for the opportunity! It’s an exclusive 2-hour mix that starts off very chill and deep, then gradually builds up to flirt with techno by the end.
Thanks for spending some time with us, is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers?
Well, thank you to the readers of Berlin-Brighton for reading this interview and listening to the mix! Feel free to follow me on Instagram! ;-)
Quick-fire round:
Genre: Deep Tech Minimal, something like that.
Favourite colour: Blue
What do you put on your chips: I’m at an age where I hesitate to add ketchup to my fries…
First record ever bought: L’Esperanza by Sven Väth, 1993.
Apple or Android: Apple
Can you juggle: Yes, with three balls
Weirdest/Coolest Item of clothing: Sneakers, blue jeans, and a black t-shirt. That’s how I feel good.
If you could have a superpower, what would you choose? The ability to turn back time, to avoid a few mistakes I did in the past.
What was the last thing you looked up online? Dark. A really well-made German sci-fi series.
Do you collect anything: Vinyls back in the day, but I haven’t bought any in years.
What is the most useless talent you have: Juggling with 3 balls.
Favourite place to hang out: The scene in Geneva is really good.
Favourite club: The Pikes @ Ibiza. I’d love to play there someday.
Favourite beer: The one at 5 pm on a Friday.
Favourite place to eat: At home. I love cooking.
Weirdest thing you have eaten: Hongeo, a national dish in Korea. Really special.
How do you like your eggs: Hard boiled
Coffee or tea: Coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon.
Favourite football team: I don’t really watch football anymore. Too much money involved.
Favourite track right now: There are so many, just listen to my mix!
Favourite word: Mix
3 words to describe your mix: WarmUp, Main & Closing.
Tracklist
Connection - Terana - Sublease Music
Bralette - Hardy Heller, Alex Connors, Julian Millan - Ohral
No Faith, No Dreams - Steve Bug, Hervé Solar - Sublease Music
Samtoscha (Leeni / Danilo Kupfernagel Remix) - Pornbugs, Leeni, Danilo Kupfernagel - Acker Dub
Unfussy - Steve Bug, Hervé Solar - Sublease Music
Language (Dilby Remix) - Deepment - Variety Music
You Know - Reto Erni - Bondage Music
Distance - Dachshund - klaus:elle
Figment Of My Mind - Dennis De Laat, Jade PraiZe - Poker Flat Recordings
Hidden Faces - Pambouk - Hoomidaas
Little Fluffy Clouds - Hardy Heller, Alex Connors - Ohral
Little Helper 415-2 - Jungle Punk - Little Helpers
Everybody's Doing It - Tiger Stripes - Rekids
Kysh - Oliver Schories - Recovery Tech
Little Helper 406-1 - Amarno -Little Helpers
Invisible - Denney, D.Ramirez - Rebellion
Beats & Lines - Joyce Muniz, Sara Bluma - Kompakt
Good Enough - Jonathan Jaramillo, Fenky - Blackflag Recordings
Grindhouse (Vaert Remix) - Radio Slave, Danton Eeprom, Vaert - RSPX
Mezcal - Manuel De La Mare, Luigi Rocca - Altra Moda
Last Word - Dilby - Ohral
Hyra - Reset Robot - Poker Flat Germany
Funk On You (T.'s 2025 Re-Shape) - DJ T. - Get Physical Music
Strutt (Jamie Coins Rework) - Stacey Pullen - Blackflag Recordings
El Conte - Thorsten Hammer - Stealth Records
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