Luke Solomon

• Genre: House

About

London's Luke Solomon probably deserves some sort of ambassadorship: Few DJs have done quite so much to nurture the traditions of Chicago house on English soil. Much of his contribution has come via Classic, the record label he co-runs with Chicago's own Derrick Carter. Active between 1995 and 2005, Classic released a number of records that turned out to be just that, with a roster (including Rob Mello, DJ Sneak, Induceve and more) that consistently pushed the boundaries of dance music. Solomon also stewards the Music for Freaks label along with Justin Harris, his partner in the musical duo Freaks. Like Classic, MFF hews to the bumping, sweat-drenched cadences of house music at its most unpredictable. Beginning in 2006, Solomon moved even further into left field with a series of singles for Radio Slave's REKIDS label; 2008's The Difference Engine, released as a single, 76-minute track, took his warped talents to new, funhouse-mirror proportions.

- Philip Sherburne