Solardo and Joshwa Pay Homage to Old-School Jungle With “VIP Business” Collab on Insomniac Records
Solardo and Joshwa, two of the most in-demand figures from the UK house circuit, are teaming up on their formidable collab for Insomniac Records, arriving in the form of the aptly titled “VIP Business,” a pulsing slice of peak-time weaponry that pays homage to old-school jungle.
Manchester duo Solardo are firmly established as trailblazers with an unrivaled track record to their name, amidst a steady slew of high-profile Ibiza residencies, festival appearances, and repeat Beatport chart-toppling cuts. Meanwhile, London-based phenom Joshwa has been generating a mountain of buzz in his own right, in addition to enjoying a string of singles with the Insomniac Records imprint. “VIP Business” represents their first collaborative effort, and it’s already proven as highly coveted of a commodity as suggested in its title.
“VIP Business” sifts through the archive of ‘90s dancefloor-defining gems to procure its iconic hook. As the chopped-up MC vocal sample enters the fray, it’s evident Solardo and Joshwa have crafted an offering that channels the sweaty and seminal sound system influence of ragga-fueled drum & bass from days bygone. The lyrical flow recoils and stretches out atop a low-slung groove garnished with shuffling percussion and a powerful elastic bassline, which only further intensifies as the pair unleashes a plucky synth lead that provides a throbbing pulse to their love letter to dubplate culture. It all funnels right back into a stuttering, staccato rhythm replete with a tension-building breakdown. Every square inch of the track is engineered to elicit an explosive response from crowds in intimate spaces and massive gatherings alike.
Solardo points back to their formative years when speaking on the track’s origin, saying, “‘VIP Business’ is heavily inspired by old-school jungle tracks, and working with Joshwa on this collaboration was a lot of fun after we’d worked on a few mini projects together. This track takes us back to our roots, and we love how big this one sounds on a club room speaker. It’s been smashing the raves to bits.”
The release of “VIP Business” comes as Solardo enters the summer season with an endless list of international gigs lined up, with Ibiza appearances aplenty at White Island staples from the likes Ushuaïa, Pacha, and Amnesia. Their debut with Insomniac Records also arrives in the wake of a steady lineup of high caliber collabs, tying up with artists such as Vintage Culture, Idris Elba, Calvin Harris’ alter ego Love Regenerator, Alok, as well as their massive “I Can’t Wait” collaboration alongside Tiësto and singer Poppy Baskcomb.
Joshwa equally has demonstrated an effortless knack for churning out club-ready rollers that floors can’t seem to get enough of. He’s struck gold on numerous occasions, including his Lee Foss collaboration “My Humps,” “Take Me” in-tandem with Martin Ikin, and his recent solo effort “Magalenha.” He’s also carved out a nice corner for himself on the Insomniac Records catalog, following his collaborations with both Jaded and Fallon on “Kerching” and “Papi,” respectively. Only a short couple of weeks ago, the label rolled out the welcome mat to their own stereoBLOOM stage at EDC Las Vegas, where he teased the ID to hordes of house enthusiasts.
With both acts eyeing a massive summer of gigs, keep an ear out for “VIP Business” as the anthem inevitably does its job of handling business just like the mighty pairing originally envisioned.
