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"Still Techno After All These Years." – By Jillanne Lynn EditorSolitaire currently featured on the German compilation "Echoes From Our Past" is working on a number of other projects including a possible LP comprised of early collaborations with the NEOCENTRICS, and a DVD "Solitaire Live at Maxwell’s ‘84". There are also talks of a spot on another European compilation album "Sirens in the Mix", which Solitaire is very excited to be a part of (details to follow as released and as appropriate.) Modern Musicians owe a great deal of gratitude to early electronic pioneers such as Solitaire. In an age when even bands billed as acoustic/country openly sport a Mac computer and MIDI gear on stage, it's hard to believe that just a few decades ago, music and computers (especially in a live setting) were considered oddities, at best; most booking agents didn't know what to think of early Synth artists, Techno performers and minimalist composers. In an interview by Jillanne Lynn, we caught up with Solitaire to understand the acts' history, the period of inactivity and what drivers brought the act back into the spot light with international recognition. In short, we set out to find why Solitaire is "Still Techno After All These Year’s" . In the mid eighties James Callahan performing as Solitaire, brought "One-man Synth Pop" to audiences in Baltimore and D.C. Ten years before Windows 95 and Pentium technology Solitaire delivered ground breaking computer driven performances. In 1986 Solitaire was voted Maryland's "Best Keyboard Player" by Maryland Musician Magazine’s Annual Reader poll. Much like his contemporaries, it looked as if Solitaire's reward for introducing music performance to the age of computers would be obscurity. "It’s strange how there seems to be more interest in Solitaire now than there was some two decades ago, when the act first debuted", explains James Callahan. "Solitaire was definitely ahead of its time." James’ one-man Synth pop act was among the first national (USA) and definitely the only regional (Baltimore/Washington D.C.) act to bring "one man Techno music" to live audiences. James continues, "In 83 you had artists like YAZ using similar technology. Kraftwerk and Gary Newman had similar Synth driven sounds, but with the exception of UK’s Howard Jones I can’t recall anyone playing Synth-Pop or Techno completely solo. Solitaire as a live act consisted mainly of a Commodore 64, a Sequential Circuits SixTrak and DrumTrak Midi’d together - the rhythm section was stored on 5 1/4" Floppy Disks. My lead synths were a Jupiter 6 and JX3P (Which I eventually triggered via a Korg keyboard controller)."
Insane or not, I don’t make any apologies for being ahead of the curve. I'm glad to see renewed interest in Solitaire. I think the act got a raw deal and was overlooked by "the industry" in the 80's. Now both the act and the songs are showing that they stood the test of time. People are interested now, maybe even fascinated. To me that's all that really matters.  The bulk of
the Solitaire Recordings were done at East Coast Sound Lab. That’s
where I recorded the 7" single "System Overload" b/w "Nothing Left to
Say" and the mini EP "Lights, Camera, Never Any Action!" (Which was only
released on cassette). The 7" received a fair amount of airplay on college radio and
sold quite well considering I distributed the thing myself. Record companies especially
those here in the states had no idea how to market a Minimalist Techno/Synth act. I
can’t tell you haw many A&R reps, agents, club owners and the like asked ‘so
y’ur a one man band? Huh?’ I hated that. It was like they put me in with street
musicians (which I’m not knocking as I spent the summer of 81 doing that) – the
point is, it wasn’t like I had a high hat between my legs, an accordion in my hands
and kazoo stuck up my ass. Nor was I lip singing to a tape (something else I was
constantly accused of), like a phony, pre-fab, American Idol proto-type. In reality, I was
presenting serious technology driven performances. Much of what I used that was considered
fake or at best avant-garde is now every day gear – MIDI is main stream,
unfortunately most of the artist that broke the technology are not.
I squeaked through in live settings playing a mixture of "new wave" covers (i.e. Flock of Seagulls, P.I.L., ABC, Howard Jones, etc.) followed with all original sets once the crowd was warmed up or too drunk to care. Before I began to headline I opened for a number of bands most notably the Ravyns. I played Girard’s, Maxwell’s, The Bayou, just to name a few. I also did a lot of colleges; the Maryland Institute of Art was definitely one of my favorites. All in all the best shows I played were teen nights. The kids were very open-minded. The under 21 crowd was far more hip than the cynical ‘I’ve seen it all and I’m here to get laid adults’. It was like the teens of the region and era were hungry for the music and the technology – they got it. I had a very cool fan base." We asked James to zoom ahead and talk about Solitaire’s current re-birth, here’s what he had to say. "I’m not sure but for some reason "System Overload" started getting attention in Europe. At first I received email from record collectors and other electronica enthusiasts, then I began getting email from DJ’s in Sweden, France and the UK asking for the record. (I even had a friend email, saying that he saw the single up for sale on bay). When I couldn’t fill all the requests myself one of the DJ’s suggested I try distribution via ERA Records (European Record Archive) in the Netherlands. I sent them the remainder of the 7" vinyl . . .from what I‘m told DJ’s in that area took to it, as they try to outdo each other with finding obscure vinyl for their mixes. So I guess interest was rekindled due to its rarity. Paul Demme (of Retrophaze) and I decided to remix some of the songs (as an after thought) and include them in the Retrophaze Digital Folklore CD. Also Mark Woods from Australia’s E-pop Studios, (a former sound engineer for Men at Work, INXS, Tina Turner, others) helped us re-master System Overload and was kind enough to re-master a "Best of Solitaire" CD. I think once the Solitaire songs were made available on E-pop a small but very international buzz began. I really owe Mark and our mutual friend Tony Prescott a great deal of thanks for that. So, as it stands now, After Darkness" is featured on the newly released Anna Logue Records LP "Echoes from our Past". I definately want to thank Marc Shaffer and Anna Logue Records for bringing that project together. There are also talks of other re-releases; maybe an LP, CD or CD/DVD combo. In addition Ed and I are discussing remastering previously unreleased tracks tentatively called "Solitaire and the NEOCENTRIC: Attack Decay, Sustain, and Unreleased". – as the title would indicate, the masters are being held, as this will most likely not be a SolitaireMusic.Net self-release. The DVD "Solitaire Live at Maxwell’s" is also being held. As for new recordings and remixes, there are talks of a spot on another European compilation album 'Sirens in the Mix: Exclusive Remixes By Legendary Electro New Wave Artists.' Needless to say I am very excited about this project and hope to see it continue to move forward."
"We'll have to wait and see. I'm currently recording and remixing songs as Solitaire, with hopes of doing a few live performances at select venues. Some of the new music I make is intended to be recorded as "James Callahan" – these songs are actually in an acoustic "unplugged" style. I also want to continue to record with Paul as "Retrophaze." Paul and I have a good chemistry and I think our projects deserve to be explored to the fullest. I try to keep things in perspective. Solitaire is a footnote in both Techno, as well as, my own personal history. Interest in releases are in part based on nostalgia. I can appreciate that. It was an era. I liken it to early blues; the treasures are buried in the recordings. The best you can hope for is to have someone to dig them up. Maybe one day, somebody will hang my Six-Trak on a museum wall and talk about a time when great music was generated from a primitive 20th century oscillator based instrument called a synthesizer. I think Roger Linn said it best - Art decides what will survive".
ECHOES FROM OUR PAST LP
Solitaire is featured on this limited edition LP with such international artists as DADA DI MUSICA, THE TWO, BOYS DU SEVERE, INFORMATICS, VALEK, BERND KUNZE, THE HIGHER PRIMATES, VEX, INVISIBLE ZOO, GILDED YOUTH and PERFECT JEWISH COUPLE. Many thanks to Marc Shaffer and Anna Logue Records for bringing this project together in an extremely well packaged collector’s set. "These songs are the echoes of your past." To order: http://annaloguerecords.com/releases.htm#anna009 Hear Samples at: http://www.myspace.com/echoesfromourpast Price :(at time of site publication) 18,90 € plus shipping & packaging.
Discography
Photo Album
Photographs Courtesy Edvins Lagdvins
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Email questions or comments to info@solitairemusic.net
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Solitaire’s 1984 recording of "After
Darkness" is featured on the newly released Anna Logue Records LP
"Echoes from our Past". The German record label selected Solitaire to be
one of 13 artists featured. The Record Label describes Solitaire as "a one-man
project with pioneering live-electronics." Solitaire is proud to be featured on the
compilation from Anna Logue Records. This Vinyl Edition record brings you electronic pop
music from international artists dating back to 1979 to 1984 – the true
"anna/logue years!" 
