Solarstone: Biography, Discography and More | EDM Encyclopedia

2:57 pm

Introduction

Richard Mowatt, performing under the stage name Solarstone, is a British trance DJ and producer with bases in Birmingham and Wales. The Solarstone project was founded in 1997, originally conceived as a trio before Mowatt emerged as its sole consistent member and creative driving force. Beyond his primary moniker, Mowatt has utilized several pseudonyms over the course of his career: Young Parisians, Liquid State, and Z2. Each alias has functioned as a separate channel for his studio output, allowing him to explore different angles within and around trance music without altering the expectations attached to the Solarstone name.

Solarstone’s recorded output under his main alias stretches from 2008 to 2020, encompassing five studio albums released across that twelve-year window. His standing in the electronic music community is rooted not in chart performance or crossover appeal but in a deliberate and sustained adherence to trance music’s original production values. Listeners and fellow dj producers frequently cite him as a veteran presence within the scene, an artist who has maintained a consistent sonic identity rather than shifting toward newer production trends or absorbing sounds from adjacent electronic genres.

Since 2012, Mowatt has formalized this philosophy through the Pure Trance movement, organizing tours and events built around trance that prioritizes melody, structure, and the genre’s foundational sonic characteristics. The concept provides both a curatorial framework for his live appearances and a conceptual anchor for his studio albums. Through Pure Trance, Mowatt has positioned himself as a custodian of the genre’s classic sound, actively preserving an approach to trance that predates the influence of electro house, big room, and other crossover styles that reshaped much of the genre’s mainstream profile during the 2010s.

Genre and Style

Solarstone’s production and DJing approach centers on a straightforward principle: keeping trance music tied to its original sonic characteristics. In a genre that has repeatedly absorbed outside influences across its evolution, Mowatt’s work maintains the melodic and structural hallmarks of late-1990s and early-2000s trance. Synthesizer leads carry the primary melodic content, tracks unfold across extended runtimes, and arrangements prioritize gradual tension and release over abrupt drops or high-energy peaks designed for festival crowds.

The trance Sound

The Pure Trance concept, formalized in 2012, codifies this approach into both a musical philosophy and a practical framework for his public-facing work. Through tours branded under the Pure Trance name, Mowatt curates lineups and sets that showcase trance produced without concessions to crossover trends. The movement functions as a counterweight to the increasingly hybridized approaches that have characterized much of mainstream trance, drawing a clear boundary between what he considers authentic to the genre and what he views as dilution.

His DJ sets typically extend to longer formats, allowing room for gradual transitions between tracks and an emphasis on harmonic mixing. The selections favor depth and sustained atmosphere over immediate crowd reactions, building emotional arcs that develop across hours rather than individual tracks. This patient approach to programming mirrors the structural sensibility of his studio productions, where tracks evolve through layered melodic progressions rather than relying on abrupt dynamic shifts. The consistency between his recorded output and his live performances reinforces the coherence of the Pure Trance identity: both operate on the same principles of restraint, melody, and structural patience.

This stylistic consistency has defined Solarstone’s career more than any single release. While many of his contemporaries in trance have incorporated elements from progressive house, techno, or mainstream EDM into their productions, Mowatt’s catalog reflects a deliberate refusal to chase those shifts. The result is a body of work that sounds recognizably cohesive across its twelve-year span, anchored by the same melodic priorities and arrangement philosophies regardless of broader trends in electronic music.

Key Releases

Solarstone’s studio album discography comprises five full-length releases issued between 2008 and 2018. Each album is credited to the Solarstone project and released under his primary alias. No EPs or singles are confirmed in the structured discography data.

  • Albums:
  • Rain Stars Eternal
  • Touchstone
  • Pure
  • .−−−−

Discography Highlights

Albums:

Rain Stars Eternal (2008): Solarstone’s debut album, arriving eleven years after the project’s initial formation in 1997. The record introduced the melodic, classically-structured trance approach that would define his subsequent output and establish the foundation for his reputation within the genre.

Touchstone (2010): His second album, released two years after the debut. The record continued the sonic direction established on its predecessor, reinforcing the production values and compositional style that had begun to attract a dedicated audience.

Pure (2012): The third album shares its name with the Pure Trance movement Mowatt launched the same year. The record functions as both a standalone studio album and a musical statement of intent, aligning his recorded work with the curatorial philosophy behind his touring concept. The timing of the album and the movement’s launch makes this a pivotal release in his catalog.

.−−−− (2017): A five-year gap separates this fourth album from Pure. The title uses Morse code characters, a stylistic choice that breaks from the conventional word-based naming of his earlier ram records while maintaining the abstract, atmospheric sensibility present throughout his discography.

..−−− (2018): Arriving just one year after its predecessor, this release continued the Morse code titling convention established in 2017. It represents Solarstone’s fifth and most recent studio album to date, closing out his album catalog with back-to-back releases in consecutive years.

Additional material has surfaced as recently as 2020, though no further full-length albums have been confirmed since the 2018 release. The overall discography reflects a measured pace: no more than one album in any calendar year, with gaps ranging from one to five years between records. This release schedule aligns with Mowatt’s broader approach: deliberate, considered, and focused on fully realized projects rather than a rapid stream of fragmented output.

Famous Tracks

Solarstone, the stage name of British DJ and producer Richard Mowatt, has built a discography rooted firmly in classic trance sounds. Based in Birmingham and Wales, Mowatt launched the Solarstone project in 1997. The project began as a trio and would later see Mowatt also release material under pseudonyms including Young Parisians, Liquid State, and Z2.

The album Rain Stars Eternal arrived in 2008, showcasing the melodic, layered approach that Solarstone had refined over the previous decade. Two years later, Touchstone (2010) continued this trajectory, offering compositions that prioritized harmonic depth and gradual progression over high-energy drops. By the time Pure was released in 2012, the album’s title had become more than a name: it doubled as a manifesto for the Pure trance ethos Solarstone had begun championing that same year.

The project’s later work took a more experimental turn with the Morse code-titled albums .−−−− (2017) and ..−−− (2018). These releases maintained the emotive qualities present throughout Solarstone’s catalog while exploring subtler textures and structures. Across all five albums, the through-line remains a commitment to trance that favors melody and atmosphere.

Live Performances

Since 2012, Solarstone’s touring activity has centered on the Pure Trance movement, a series of events designed to preserve what Mowatt views as the genre’s foundational principles. These tours position him alongside other DJs who share a similar philosophy regarding tempo, melody, and emotional resonance in dance music.

Notable Shows

The Pure Trance events function as both DJ sets and curated experiences. Solarstone uses these platforms to showcase material from his own catalog alongside selections from like-minded producers. The movement has garnered a dedicated among listeners who favor the slower tempos and harmonic focus characteristic of late 1990s and early 2000s trance over the harder, faster styles that gained prominence in subsequent years.

Based between Birmingham and Wales, Solarstone has performed at venues and EDM festivals across multiple continents. His sets are recognized for their extended running times, often allowing individual tracks room to develop rather than relying on rapid mixing techniques. This approach reflects the same patience evident in his studio work, where compositions frequently build across seven or eight minutes before reaching their peak.

Why They Matter

Solarstone occupies a specific and deliberate position within electronic music: a steadfast advocate for trance as it sounded before the genre splintered into numerous subcategories. Where many producers adapted to shifting commercial trends, Mowatt treated the classic trance template not as a starting point to move beyond, but as a form worth refining and protecting.

Impact on trance

The establishment of the Pure Trance movement in 2012 gave this philosophy an organized structure. Rather than simply releasing music that referenced older sounds, Solarstone created a framework that connected artists and audiences who shared similar values about what the genre could and should be. The movement’s continued growth across multiple continents demonstrates that this audience exists in meaningful numbers.

As a producer who began releasing music in 1997, Solarstone is recognized as a veteran within the trance community. His catalog spans over two decades and five studio albums, each reinforcing a consistent artistic vision without repeating itself. The later albums .−−−− (2017) and ..−−− (2018) demonstrate that this commitment to classic principles need not come at the expense of creative growth. For listeners seeking trance rooted in melody and emotional depth rather than peak-time utility, Solarstone’s body of work remains an essential reference point.

Explore more POPULAR EDM Spotify Playlist.

Discover more hard trance and progressive trance coverage on the 4D4M community.