Solake

We chatted with Solake about how his track Checkit came to life, his advice to his younger self and also what production techniques and process he uses when sitting down to produce
Solake is the latest project from Josh Lake, a UK-based DJ, producer, and long-time contributor to the underground electronic music scene.

Rooted in a deep love for classic House and Techno, Solake blends introspective textures with club-ready energy—music designed as much for heads-down moments as for shared connection on the dancefloor.

After years of quietly shaping sound systems, dancefloors, and festival lineups across the UK and Europe with his collective Good Time Gang, Josh’s focus with Solake is more personal: a distilled sonic identity reflecting two decades of crate-digging, late-night sessions, and an enduring respect for electronic music’s past.

Solake's track "Checkit" is now available on OTBD011

Could you tell us a bit about the process of making your track? How did it come  about? Can you remember where you wrote it? What methods did you use to  produce it?

This one actually came together about a year ago. I remember not really setting out to make a  track - I was just in Ableton experimenting, building plugin chains as little texture generators and  setting parameters to modulate each other. I’d been inspired by some of the tunes I was listening  to at the time and wanted to take a different approach to my productions. I spent a while exploring  new ways of slicing up resampled audio and vocal shots, then using parameters to trigger and  shape those sounds. Somewhere in that process a groove presented itself, and I ran with it.

If you could go back in time and give guidance to your younger self, what would  you say that would impact your career the most?

I’d probably tell myself to not to be so hard on myself! Looking back, I was always chasing  perfection, and that can slow you down. I’d also say; just say yes more often. Even if an  opportunity doesn’t seem like it perfectly fits your vision at the time, it’s worth exploring - because  those experiences often come back around and end up helping in ways you don’t expect.

At Outboard, our aim is to establish a new way of remunerating music producers,  fairly and transparently. Why did you choose to come on board?

I came across Outboard a few months before I got in touch, and the whole premise really  resonated with me. Supporting artists and creating a fair, transparent way for producers to be  remunerated is something I think both artists and fans want to see. On top of that, the team are  forward-thinking, genuinely supportive, and just great to work with. The releases so far have been  top quality, so I’m honestly honoured to have a record out alongside such talented artists.

What is the one thing that you always do when producing that if you didn’t, it  wouldn’t be a “Solake" track?

That’s a really interesting one, because I don’t think there’s just one specific thing. Over the years  I’ve naturally built up a set of go-to soundscapes, samples, synths, and plugins, but I try to make  music across different styles to keep myself learning and evolving. I think what makes a track feel  like a Solake. track isn’t necessarily the tools I use, but the way I process and choose sounds - that’s where my identity tends to come through.

When producing, are you more in the box or do you use Outboard too? Could you  share with us a single unit or tool that is a true game changer for you, and why?

I’m definitely more in the box at the moment, but I do like switching it up with bits of outboard gear.  I’ve got a few synths, grooveboxes and FX racks, and it’s always fun to get them talking to each  other in unconventional ways just to see what weird little ideas/accidents appear. There’s so much  great kit and software out there, but one plugin that’s been a real game-changer for me is  Sonarworks’ SoundID Reference. I use headphones a lot, and this plugin calibrates both monitors and headphones to give you a flat frequency response. Having that accuracy on the master  channel really changes how you hear your mix - it’s been huge for me.

Solakes's track "Checkit" is now available on OTBD011

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