Solarno - Rauthaz

Solarno, aka LA producer Jim Furey, got in touch as a result of the recent Dementio13 session mix in my Dandelion Radio show. While this immediately marked him out as an individual of impeccably good taste, this doesn't always translate into being a maker of good tunes, especially as - for me - Dementio13 has set the bar about as high as anyone in recent times for creating electronica of such sumptuous variety that few get close to.

As it turns out, one of the few who manage to breach such a bar is Solarno, whose recent EP Rauthaz immediately had me hooked. Follow the link to his bandcamp page and delight in four stunning tracks, plus one remix, all inspired by the colour red. In pretty much any other release, 'The Red Apple' and 'Population Inversion' would stand out as exceptional, but for me the superlative 'Dimmesdale's Angel' exceeds even their brilliance. It's one of the best things I've heard all year and inevitably I'm playing it in my Dandelion Radio show in April.

And it doesn't stop there. The discovery that there's a formidable back catalogue behind all this should keep me very busy once I find time after what has, so far, been one of the most incredible springs on record for hearing new music to carry out any sort of investigation of things I missed in the even recent past. Get along to http://soundsofsolarno.com/ right now and join me in what promises to be an enthralling quest.

Mark W