Sola Miami 2018 Compilation // 'The Will's'

The Honeyboy Jones and Lady June Lockheart have teamed up to sample Will Easton and Will Clarke's contributions to this year's Sola Miami compilation LP.

Will Easton - Technic

March 23, 2018 - Sola Records

The Honeyboy Jones

Hot on the tail of February’s 18 Month Free Trial EP, Will Easton has made available another smart tech-house track courtesy of Solardo’s Sola Records. ‘Technic’ finds itself in fine company amongst a huge 15 track Sola Miami 2018 compilation featuring heavy hitters such as ANOTR, Will Clarke, Tim Baresko, and Solardo themselves. It’s an impressive collection of tracks, and we wanted to highlight two of our favorites here in the office.

‘Technic’ is in the same family as the trio of tracks on 18 Month Free Trial, and I wouldn’t at all be surprised if they were produced around the same time. Easton has a strength for punchy percussive melodic cores that remain interesting over countless repetitions through a strong sense of structure and balanced audio. Subtle changes in the algorithm keep the ears from tiring out on any given section. This track has a summer anthem feel brought on by the latin percussion instrument pattern that sets the groundwork for the rest of the elements (or it might just be the fact that it’s on a Miami compilation with a summery-sun graphic). 

The relatively slow build up into the main meat of the track places ‘Technic’ in the “great opener” category; it’s a song with enough energy to either get the party started or reinvigorate the crowd, but remains vague enough to allow for any number of directions in the follow up track in the DJ set. Easton seems to have a lot of confidence with this style of production, and while his career is just beginning, we are excited to see him take some steps outside his comfort zone. 🍍

Will Clarke - No No No

March 23, 2018 - Sola Records

Lady June Lockheart

Will Clarke’s meaty beats in ‘No No No’ hit with the muffled heft of a bad golfer’s driver hitting the sand on the course. It’s incorrect, but strangely satisfying when he doesn’t hit the ball but still packs a memorable punch that continues pumping. The percussion is the primary force pedaling the gas, and the vocals play a purely utilitarian, transitional role. The pop vocalist, estranged from the compositional engineering that made her famous, supported instead by a repeating half-step melodic crescendo that references the ominous foreshadowing of John Williams’ Jaws theme, keeps me interested just long enough to get to the next round of beats. A critical vessel, but not why I’m eating. 

This song is structured as a quadruple-decker sandwich, where the meat beat takes the place of the bread vocals (mmm... yeasty), and visa versa. And the best part is the delicious falling Doppler-effect that comes in every 16 counts or so after the first vocal break. It is the special sauce, so perfectly placed that this song would be nothing without it. And Will Clarke definitely understands the power of this ingredient, because he also adds in my second-favorite detail in the song: The human yawn whose pitch mimics that Doppler-effect in a higher key. Very tongue-in-cheek, Will. Where there’s a Will, there’s a way into my solid rock heart.

When paired together on the Sola Miami 2018 compilation, Will Clarke’s ‘No No No’ and Will Easton’s ‘Technic’ sound like something I would skate to in the roller rink of my past-future childhood. Good, Will. Keep hunting. ☔