With Disco making it’s way back to the forefront of dance music, we here at TMN have become fascinated with the global groovement that is currently in action. Who better to talk to about this epidemic than Disco’s own Matt McGurn and Don Skotnicki from Solidisco? Well we had a chance to talk with these guys last week about how these two joined forces and helped revive the era of Disco in today’s modern dance music culture. Through all of their endeavors, Solidisco is giving our ears a much needed break from those all too familiar festival bangers and instead are pumping some life back into our souls. See what these guys have to say about their sound, dance music, and who would most likely be Paris Hilton’s dog.
TMN: So, before we jump into how Solidisco developed into what it is today, let’s go back a bit and learn more about you guys. I’m sure you hear this question all the time, but it’s always great to ask, especially for new people tuning in, but how did you guys get involved with music? How did you two come together to form Solidisco?
SD: Music has always been a big part of our lives and we like all kinds of music, so it was only natural for us to become DJs. We both grew up DJing in Buffalo, NY. There wasn’t a lot of people doing what we do there, so it was natural for us to start working together.
TMN: Who have been some key influential artists that inspired you to make music; this goes for all genres, too. How would you say that those artists have helped mold your sound and guide you in the direction of where you are right now?
SD: Armand Van Helden and Dimitri From Paris got us into house music, so they kinda both pushed us towards our love for disco. We were always both big hip-hop guys and 90s/00s hip-hop was heavily sample based, so that got us into the art of sampling too. Just Blaze is definitely an influence with how hard he went with the horn section samples. We definitely have tried to apply that to house music in several of our songs.
TMN: It appears that Disco/Funk/Nu-Disco/etc. have been steadily inching towards the limelight of dance music – How would you define the role that Disco has played in the current groovement and what do you guys think might be some reasons as to why people are finally introducing these type of genres in their sets?
TMN: We got to catch your sensational main stage set at Hard Day of the Dead last year and you sold us from start to finish. With that almost being a year ago, how would you say that definitive moment helped bring in audiences from all over? (Personally, that was one of my favorite sets of the weekend – some girl put gum in my hair because I was grooving too hard – totally worth it.
SD: (Hahaha) Sorry about your hair, but we’re glad you enjoyed our set! Yeah that was big for us, and we posted the set on our Soundcloud so everyone could check it out. We always say that we make disco tracks made for big rooms, and you can’t get much bigger than the main stage at a HARD event. It just felt good to finally play our music where it was meant to be played and getting the reaction we were looking for. It was very inspiring to go back to the studio after that and make new music.
TMN: What are your favorite type of gigs to play and how do you prepare for them? This includes festivals, pool parties, etc.
TMN: We can see how festivals might pose a higher risk for putting people off as far as song choice goes. But, speaking of preparation, do you guys have any “pre-show” rituals of some sort? Anything weird is totally acceptable.
SD: Unfortunately we don’t do anything too weird. Mandatory bathroom stops and Red Bull consumption is about it.
TMN: Hey whatever gets you prepared for a show (laughs). What are some of your favorite records to play out at shows? Do you have any records that catch the crowd by surprise?
SD: We love playing random disco house classics that people wouldn’t expect. Modjo’s “Lady” and Stardust’s “Music Sounds Better With You” are two songs we love including into our sets. We also play Armand Van Helden’s “I Want Your Soul” a lot and there’s always at least 1 or 2 people in the crowd that absolutely lose their minds because that song is so good! No one ever really drops it anymore.
TMN: After reading over some interviews you’ve done in the past, I just have to ask – do you guys have a Bootleg of “Animals” yet? Since kids seem to be on the Martin Garrix train, we figure you guys would have made a disco version by now (Laughing about this question).
SD: (Haha) No we do not have a bootleg of that one. We do make a lot of bootlegs where we take vocals from bigger EDM tracks and throw them over disco tracks and our own songs to keep things interesting for the crowd. We’re really picky with what songs we choose though because it has to not be cheesy.
TMN: Ok, enough about “Animals” – let’s talk about Solidisco music. About a month ago you put out a free original mix, “Work Your Body”, and that did pretty damn well. You played around with a lot of different elements in that one which ultimately shows you guys aren’t pigeon-holing yourself to one niche genre. What other sounds are you trying to introduce in your originals in order to maintain your signature sound as well as tie in new ones.
TMN: Approximately how long does it take you guys to start and finish a track?
SD: It depends, really. Sometimes we’ll have an idea right off the bat and finish the whole thing in 10 hours. Sometimes the sound of the bass alone will take us 10 hours. Totally depends on the track.
TMN: With that being said, what can we expect from you in the near future? Anything you can share with us to keep our readers on their toes?
SD: (Laughs) We wish we can just yell about everything we have coming out, but unfortunately we can’t. We have a couple songs that we are super super excited about that we are looking for the right home for as we speak.
TMN: We’ve covered a lot of solid information, so let’s get to some fun questions. First things first (my personal favorite question) – What would you do for a Klondike bar?
SD: Hrmm, I don’t even think either of us have had a Klondike bar to be honest, but if you put some Choco Tacos in front of us though, that’s a whole different story. Down for anything.
TMN: If you guys were shipwrecked on a remote island and could only use your resources around you, who would survive the longest between the two of you?
SD: Don. He’s an Eagle Scout. I’m only an Eagle Scout in Halo on xBox so I would die within a day.
TMN: If we were to walk into your kitchen and look in your refrigerator(s), what would we expect to find?
SD: Craft beer, weird Mexican soft drinks and 10 different kinds of BBQ Sauce.
TMN: If you had to guess how many marshmellows you could fit in your mouth, how many do you think you could fit?
TMN: What came first – the chicken or the egg?
SD: Does it matter? They are both delicious.
TMN: If I wasn’t a vegetarian I would have to agree (laughs). And last but not least, a question we ask every artist – if you were an animal what kind would you be?
SD: I know Don would be a penguin. He loves those things. We played with Penguin Prison last week and Don was really concerned about him imprisoning penguins. I (Matt) think I would be Paris Hilton’s dog and just chill on the beach in Ibiza while she pretends to DJ.
TMN: (Laughs hysterically) Thank you guys so much for taking the time to answer these questions. Good luck with everything and we look forward to hearing new music from you very soon!
SD: Thanks for having us, talk soon!
