Solitaire, a Chicago based producer whose sound ranges from the deeply contemplative soul, to the hard-hitting, wallshaking, vibrations of hip-hop, is also the head engineer of Insomniac Studios, where he has been producing for over 10 years. He is also looking to work with new upcoming artists to develop their own signatures sounds.
Solitaire released the dopest instrumental track I’ve heard recently. His single, “Chillin Like A Villain” was fire. The bass was just so nasty, aggressive, and hits you with a certain force you can’t forget. The production was just killer. What I personally love about beats is the freedom of expression. The listener can take the beat into any direction they choose, as they’re creating the rhythm, melody, and the lyrics, all catered to their own vision. So for me, I was able to create a mini song in my head that fit perfectly with this slapping beat. Solitaire executed this track effortlessly with slight, muffled vocals, catering in to create a nice dark atmosphere around the beat. As a producer, they have a challenging job as to capturing the listener’s attention without any actual vocals and lyrics, and for me Solitaire had me fully attentive to the entire beat. (Even replayed it a few times) if the right artist got a hold of this beat and Solitaire’s work, he would undoubtedly take off as a producer. He has the right skill set to do so!
Listen to “Chillin Like A Villain” here and get to know more about Solitaire below!
What are some challenges you face in producing music and how do you overcome these obstacles?
A major obstacle for me is staying "current". I'm a backpacker at heart and will readily admit that adjusting to the new sound of hip hop over the years has been a struggle. My team of artists and producers' are in their early to mid 20's so they keep me up to date.
Do you have any inspirations? If so who/what and why?
I'm actually inspired by films and even certain tv shows. Anything that evokes strong emotions.
Have you ever experimented with producing different genres of beats? Or is hip-hop what you’re more comfortable with?
I've produced R&B as well. Even tried a few rock productions some years ago but I'm a hip-hop head at heart.
If you could include any artist out right now on this track “Chillin Like A Villain”, who would you select and why?
Hmmmm, that's a tough one. I'd love to hear Mr. Trotter aka Black Thought over it or any of my beats for that matter. I've been a fan of his flow and wordplay for almost 20yrs (did I just date myself?). I wouldn't kick Phonte or Andre 3000 off the track either
What’s next for you Solitaire?
Currently I'm working on managing and developing a roster of producers and artists that have projects that are due this summer. Between that and working on the next beat tape I've got my hands full for the rest of the year.
Connect with Solitaire on social media
www.instagram.com/beatsbysolitaire
www.facebook.com/beatsbysolitaire