Introducing: SOLO

We’re awfully proud and excited to present the latest addition to our resident roster here at fabric, as we welcome Steffano Ritteri, AKA Solo to the fold. Fully one of the most exciting house producers and DJs around right now, Ritteri’s quirky take on the sound is a breath of fresh air, full of infectious grooves, shuffling percussion and catchy, oddball melodies. Combining an individual and unique style with an on-point understanding of the dancefloor, Solo is winning fans with each DJ set and release. His cheekily dubbed ‘midget house’ sound has already won him releases on Sound Pellegrino, Dirtybird and Deadfish, as well as remixes for a variety of artists from Wiley to Crookers, The Heavy to Zombie Disco Squad.

We caught up with him to delve a little bit deeper into the world of Solo and give those of you who don’t know him a proper introduction. He has also been kind enough to put together a mix for us to celebrate joining the fam, which showcases exactly why we needed to have him on board!

For those that don’t know, can you introduce yourself?
Ciao! I'm Solo, born and raised in Italy and now making trouble for myself here in London. I love to make music and to see people dancing.

When did you get into the electronic side of music?
I was exposed to dance music very young because I was sharing a bedroom with my older brother who was always playing house records and mixtapes. As a teenager I was dividing my time between playing in local heavy metal bands and DJing in small clubs and raves… Eventually the ‘club side’ became more prominent, and together with some friends I set up a little studio, where I've learnt how to program a synthesizer, how to make a beat and how to roll a perfect spliff!

Can you explain what ‘midget house’ is?
Oh, well…originally ‘midget house’ was a joke amongst friends, but now is apparently an official genre…my own official genre!

What do you see as the defining characteristics of your tracks?
Lots of percussions and weird samples, and a generally cheeky attitude...

What do you think threads together all the music that you make/play?
I love to play very simple tracks, where the drums are the most important part and the groove is the King. Also, I try to make songs that put a smile on people faces. I don't like the dark atmospheres of certain dance tracks, there's heavy metal for that.

You are a prolific remixer, and have put your spin on a whole host of tracks from the likes of Crookers, Zombie Disco Squad and Wiley. Is remixing something you particularly enjoy?
I love to do remixes. It's always a big challenge, especially when I have to remix songs which are already very famous or very good.

How do you approach a remix differently to an original production?
When I start a remix, I listen very quickly to the parts of the original song, and usually I end up using only one or two sounds from it. Then I build a groove, as midget as possible, and try those parts over it. The process can be either very painful and time consuming or very very easy. It can take only a few hours or an entire week...

How do you go about putting together your DJ sets?
I spend many hours a week listening to new releases sent by friends and in shops online. There are so many good records out every day and I try not to be lazy and check everything. It's very important to me to play new records at every show. And I love when other DJs come to me and ask what is that song, it means that I'm doing well in my mission of pushing new sounds!

You predominantly play house, but you like to throw some hip hop tracks into a lot of your mixes, like MF Doom and Wu Tang Clan. Has hip hop played much of a part in your musical background?
Hip hop is the music I listen to the most. I’ve been into graffiti for many years, and rap was the perfect soundtrack for the ‘missions’ with my crew. My biggest dream is to produce a record for Snoop Dogg.

How has the fabric experience been like for you so far?
It has been incredible. The energy in the club is very special. It's the perfect club to try new songs which I’ve never played before…and the soundsystem is simply too good!

Other than keeping the crowd at fabric moving, what have you got planned for the coming months?
I've just came back from a 5 weeks tour, so now I'm closed in the studio preparing my next EP for the family label Deadfish, and I started working on some more ‘pop’ projects, so there’s lots of singers and beats and spliffs these days…

Download: Solo - FABRICLIVE Promo Mix



Tracklist:

Disco Gallo - Unknown
Mendo - Aventuras
Karada,Merayan - Gipsy (F Le Benz Rmx)
J.Jackson - What's that?
H-Couto - Naianea (Supernova Rmx)
Funkagenda - Afterclub (Riva Starr Rmx)
Clipse - Mr. Me Too
Renaissance Man - Babbadabba
Deadpool - Unknown
Carnivale - Unknown
Mowgli - I want everything
Who is Elvis - Unknown
Round Table Knights - Belly Dance (Solo Rmx)
Detroit Grand Pubhas - One hump or two (Zombie Disco Squad Edit)

You can catch Solo in action on at FABRICLIVE on the 23rd April in Room One for The Duke Dumont's FABRICLIVE 51 Album Launch where he's on the bill with The Duke Dumont, Jesse Rose, Jahcoozi (LIVE) and Hannah Holland.