Mladen Solomun (born December 27, 1975), better known under his stage name Solomun, is a Bosnian-German
DJ. He is a four-time
DJ Awards winner for Best Producer, Best DJ and Best Melodic House DJ. [1][2][3]
Musical career
After Solomun was born in
Travnik,
Yugoslavia (today
Bosnia and Herzegovina),[4] he moved to
Hamburg with his family, where he grew up. As a young boy, he worked for his father in construction.[5] He later founded a small film production company with friends.[6][5] He worked in film for about five years before pursuing a career in music.
His cousin, who frequented nightclubs, brought him tapes whenever he came to town. These tapes showed Solomun that there is more to music than just commercial radio.[7] From then on, he started purchasing vinyl records, and eventually playing at House of Youth at the age of 16 for other teenagers. Solomun started producing music at the age of 23.[8]
For about one year before he began producing on his own, he learned from a good friend that ran a hip-hop label.[5]
In 2005, Solomun began producing music, founding the
record label Diynamic in late 2005 with his partner Adriano Trolio,[9] who manages the booking for Diynamic.[10] The motto for Diynamic is "Do It Yourself".[11] Solomun's first EP on Diynamic, Solomun EP, came out in 2006.[12] Since then, he has released many other EPs and compilations, as well as the 2009 album Dance Baby.[13] In December 2010 he launched a second label, the more experimental 2DIY4.[14]
In 2011, Solomun remixed Noir & Haze's "Around.[15]" The track was dubbed Remix of the Year by
Resident Advisor.[16] He was named Mixmag's "DJ of the Year" in 2012.[17][18] He was also awarded Producer of the Year by the
DJ Awards in
Ibiza,[3] and Best International DJ by the Cool Awards in Brazil that same year.[19]
Until the end of June 2014, he owned the
Hamburg-based club Ego, co-run by his sister and Adriano Trolio.[20]
Solomun's musical roots are in
hip-hop,
soul,
funk, and
R&B.[21] His sound has been described as "house music, but with deep, ultra funky basslines, euphoric melodies and emotionally charged vocals".[22]
In 2015, he was holding two residencies on Ibiza, at night-clubs
Pacha and Destino.[23]
Solomun kicked off 2016 with two events at
The BPM Festival including Diynamic in the Jungle[24] and Solomun +1 with Mano Le Tough.[25] Following that, the Bosnian artist continued touring across North America.[26] The Diynamic family then celebrated ten years at Watergate in Berlin on April 9, 2016,[27] which they followed with a ten-year celebration at
DC-10 in Ibiza on August 19, 2016.[28]
In 2018, Solomun played himself as an in-residence DJ for the videogame Grand Theft Auto Online, as part of the After Hours DLC.[37] Additionally, Solomun's music video for "Customer is King" [38] was made entirely within
Grand Theft Auto V's in-game engine as part of a larger collaboration between him and
Rockstar Games.[39]
Industry awards
2019
Winner – Best International DJ – Cool Awards Brazil (BR)
2018
Winner – Category: Melodic House and Techno kind of– DJ Awards Ibiza (ES)
Best DJ: #3 // FAZE Mag (DE/AT/CH)
2017
Best DJ: #1 // FAZE Mag (DE/AT/CH)
Best Remix: Age Of Love – The Age Of Love (Solomun Renaissance Remix) // FAZE Mag (DE/AT/CH)
2016
Best DJ: #1 (Deep House, public vote) // Beatport
Best DJ: #5 // Resident Advisor
Best DJ: #1 // DJ Mag Italia (IT)
Best Night: "Solomun+1" (Sundays at Pacha) // DJ Mag Italia (IT)
Mladen Solomun (born December 27, 1975), better known under his stage name Solomun, is a Bosnian-German
DJ. He is a four-time
DJ Awards winner for Best Producer, Best DJ and Best Melodic House DJ. [1][2][3]
Musical career
After Solomun was born in
Travnik,
Yugoslavia (today
Bosnia and Herzegovina),[4] he moved to
Hamburg with his family, where he grew up. As a young boy, he worked for his father in construction.[5] He later founded a small film production company with friends.[6][5] He worked in film for about five years before pursuing a career in music.
His cousin, who frequented nightclubs, brought him tapes whenever he came to town. These tapes showed Solomun that there is more to music than just commercial radio.[7] From then on, he started purchasing vinyl records, and eventually playing at House of Youth at the age of 16 for other teenagers. Solomun started producing music at the age of 23.[8]
For about one year before he began producing on his own, he learned from a good friend that ran a hip-hop label.[5]
In 2005, Solomun began producing music, founding the
record label Diynamic in late 2005 with his partner Adriano Trolio,[9] who manages the booking for Diynamic.[10] The motto for Diynamic is "Do It Yourself".[11] Solomun's first EP on Diynamic, Solomun EP, came out in 2006.[12] Since then, he has released many other EPs and compilations, as well as the 2009 album Dance Baby.[13] In December 2010 he launched a second label, the more experimental 2DIY4.[14]
In 2011, Solomun remixed Noir & Haze's "Around.[15]" The track was dubbed Remix of the Year by
Resident Advisor.[16] He was named Mixmag's "DJ of the Year" in 2012.[17][18] He was also awarded Producer of the Year by the
DJ Awards in
Ibiza,[3] and Best International DJ by the Cool Awards in Brazil that same year.[19]
Until the end of June 2014, he owned the
Hamburg-based club Ego, co-run by his sister and Adriano Trolio.[20]
Solomun's musical roots are in
hip-hop,
soul,
funk, and
R&B.[21] His sound has been described as "house music, but with deep, ultra funky basslines, euphoric melodies and emotionally charged vocals".[22]
In 2015, he was holding two residencies on Ibiza, at night-clubs
Pacha and Destino.[23]
Solomun kicked off 2016 with two events at
The BPM Festival including Diynamic in the Jungle[24] and Solomun +1 with Mano Le Tough.[25] Following that, the Bosnian artist continued touring across North America.[26] The Diynamic family then celebrated ten years at Watergate in Berlin on April 9, 2016,[27] which they followed with a ten-year celebration at
DC-10 in Ibiza on August 19, 2016.[28]
In 2018, Solomun played himself as an in-residence DJ for the videogame Grand Theft Auto Online, as part of the After Hours DLC.[37] Additionally, Solomun's music video for "Customer is King" [38] was made entirely within
Grand Theft Auto V's in-game engine as part of a larger collaboration between him and
Rockstar Games.[39]
Industry awards
2019
Winner – Best International DJ – Cool Awards Brazil (BR)
2018
Winner – Category: Melodic House and Techno kind of– DJ Awards Ibiza (ES)
Best DJ: #3 // FAZE Mag (DE/AT/CH)
2017
Best DJ: #1 // FAZE Mag (DE/AT/CH)
Best Remix: Age Of Love – The Age Of Love (Solomun Renaissance Remix) // FAZE Mag (DE/AT/CH)
2016
Best DJ: #1 (Deep House, public vote) // Beatport
Best DJ: #5 // Resident Advisor
Best DJ: #1 // DJ Mag Italia (IT)
Best Night: "Solomun+1" (Sundays at Pacha) // DJ Mag Italia (IT)