Long live the king! Solomun’s sonic reign continues in a five-hour coronation of sound
The musical messiah returned to London for a five-hour sermon on the Thames, delivering salvation one perfectly timed drop at a time…
It’s been a year since Solomun scorched Finsbury Park with one of the most unforgettable sets London’s ever witnessed. An absolute cold-blooded massacre executed with ruthless precision. That night etched itself deep in my mind, looping like a scratched vinyl. And somehow, improbably, I experienced it alongside Fred Again’s aunt (but that’s a story for another time).
After witnessing that level of artistry, I’ve been hooked to the bassline buzz ever since, chasing that elusive rave high like a musical junkie craving their next fix. Yet nothing else even comes close. Solomun has this maddening knack for outdoing himself time and time again. He’s the gift that keeps on giving, making every other night fade into insignificance.
Since then, I’ve stopped measuring life in weeks or months. Now I count Beats Per Minute (BPM), eagerly awaiting the annual return of the undisputed king who graces London with his presence just once a year.
I’ll skip birthdays, bail on weddings, even ghost funerals. I have - and I’ll do it all again without hesitation. Because this isn’t just any gig, it’s a holy day of obligation for anyone who understands the difference between hearing music and succumbing to the sound.
And last Friday, August 8th, beneath the looming marble colonnades of the Old Royal Naval College – once the cradle of Tudor monarchs (fittingly reclaimed by a modern maestro) – Solomun marked his triumphant return as he delivered a five-hour sermon to a city kneeling in reverence before its king.
Solomun delivers epic five-hour set at Old Royal Navy
Set against the Thames, where golden-hour light melted into dusk and centuries-old architecture stood sentinel, this was no ordinary open-air rave. This was Labyrinth’s boldest gambit yet: a historic setting reprogrammed for ritual.
They call him King Wizard for a reason, and if you’ve never seen him live, no YouTube clip can prepare you. Solomun isn’t merely music to listen to or a track to sample - he’s an immersive enchantment whose magic reveals itself only in person.
Born in Bosnia, raised in Germany, he forged his legacy through long, slow-burning sets famed for their emotional depth, seamless transitions, and cinematic storytelling. In late 2005, he co-founded Diynamic Music - a label that quickly became the crucible for melodic house and deep techno. Later, he launched 2DIY4, a sub-label dedicated to more experimental, genre-defying sounds.
In 2012, Mixmag crowned him DJ of the Year, cementing his status among the elite. From his acclaimed remixes of Foals, Lana Del Rey, Depeche Mode, and Broken Bells to an unexpected collaboration with Hollywood icon Jamie Foxx on Ocean, his work has left an indelible mark on modern dance music.
Though he’s commanded the world’s biggest stages - from Tomorrowland to Coachella and Time Warp - he remains loyal to intimate venues and open-air ceremonies like this one.
If music is a drug, Solomun is my dealer
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That Friday, the Audio Alchemist administered another potent dose. Five hours of surgical sound that left the crowd floating high on rhythm, with no comedown in sight.
Solomun doesn’t just play to a crowd, he architects a journey, weaving sonic landscapes that drift from deep, minimal pulses to sweeping, euphoric highs.
At one point, he dropped Mr. Vain - a sharp nod to the 90s super club era, reborn darker, sleeker, heavier on bass, a moment of nostalgia sharpened for the present. Then came Noir & Haze’s Around - the 2011 remix that catapulted Solomun into international orbit. Hearing it live was like witnessing a god return to his origin myth.
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What sets Solomun apart isn’t just the music, but the mastery behind the decks. His strategic track selection, cinematic pacing, and uncanny ability to read a crowd allow him to sculpt a dynamic, emotional narrative in real time.
The set unfolded like a film: Slow burns, mounting tension, crashing waves of anticipation, and ecstatic release. Just when you think the climax has arrived, he twists the plot again, layering new textures, resetting the mood, keeping the momentum hypnotic and unbroken.
There were lights, smoke, visuals, but never excess. Normally I cringe at theatrics that mask the music like smoke and mirrors, but these weren’t gimmicks. They were extensions of the sound, visual echoes perfectly calibrated to amplify the atmosphere.
He doesn’t just play music - he invades your psyche. You’re not dancing to the beat because the beat pulses through you. For five hours, I was transfixed. Lost. Drifting somewhere between memory and momentum.
From the first kick to the final fade, Solomun commanded total dominion over the dancefloor, the crowd in his grasp. Yet even then, it wasn’t enough as we all cried out in unison, “One more song".
Some nights leave a mark. Others rupture the timeline.
Solomun returns February 2026 for his biggest UK set yet.
Last time, it sold out before most even hit refresh.
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