We recently connected with David Sol and have shared our conversation below.

David, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

One could argue that anything we do in this life is a risk. All of these choices we have to make will ultimately determine where we end up in life after all. For me, that can be one of the most frightening things to worry about. I’m always thinking about the risk I’m taking by choosing to be authentic in this scene. I’m pushing a sound that you don’t hear all too often, if at all, here in Salt Lake, and it’s not always what’s expected. Dark Progressive House. I feel the scene here and really anywhere can be very party-driven—not that this is necessarily a bad thing, people go out to drink, socialize, and hear high-energy sets.

However, music has always moved me the most when there is intention behind it. Asking myself before I ever step into a DJ booth, “How can a song bring about certain memories and emotions? How can it heal? How can I use that to tell a story? How am I going to create an experience for others?”. I want to bring sounds that are deeper, darker, the kind that take you on a journey inside your head. I found that home in playing progressive sets. I find influences from all over the world, the UK, Argentina, Europe, etc., and it all inspires me to keep pushing to find an artistic identity. An identity that puts more of the focus on music, but still a name to rep on your back or chest because of what you know it represents and the vibe it brings. It’s shaping the way I play my sets, where the main goal is not to bring the biggest drops or the most viral moments but to really tell a story over time.

Choosing to play that kind of music and choosing that kind of authenticity felt like a risk. There’s this imaginary pressure I feel from promoters or the crowd to make sure there’s always high energy and these big ass drops, and sometimes that can mean playing what people expect rather than what I truly believe in. Just recently, I discovered a collective named “Flowstate SLC” and reading about the vision and inspiration they have for their events, I found out that they thought about music the same way I did. I immediately submitted something for them. I believe they felt that same connection I did because, within a week, I was booked for their next show.

Preparing my setlist for that event, I still remember feeling a lot of doubt, and part of me wondered if the crowd would even connect with the journey I was trying to create. But at the end of the day, all I can do is trust that gut instinct that what I’m doing has to be something different. I prepped a total of 50 songs and mixed them over and over again. I leaned into the sound fully—longer transitions, deeper basslines, and melodies that slowly build emotion and story rather than hitting all at once.

What happened that night reassured me that the risk was worth it. It was a dark room with no visuals, just red lights flashing. The crowd reacted in a way I didn’t expect. People were locked into the music and not only were they dancing, but really present and enjoying the story being told. You bet I had a huge smile on my face and that’s what it’s all about for me.

After the set, I remember coming off the stage and running into someone who was in the crowd. They started telling me how much they loved the set, and they’ve seen a lot of the bigger names play in Vegas, but never have they experienced something like that. I felt so overwhelmed with joy hearing such wonderful things from everyone, including the collective. I immediately knew that I am on the right path and I just have to keep trusting myself. I suppose I’m starting to learn that when you trust your identity as an artist, people can feel that authenticity. That experience showed me that even in scenes where people may just come to party, there’s always a space for something deeper if you’re willing to take the risk.

David, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m an Artist, DJ, Producer and designer. I’m currently based in Salt Lake City, UT, focusing on playing dark progressive house from all over the world. My path into music started from an early age and I suppose I’ve always had this deep love for discovering new sounds and enjoying the emotional power music has when it’s presented in the right way. Over time, that curiosity turned into a craft. I was introduced to DJing by someone very close to me, and from there, this project started to form. I began studying the structure of long-form sets, digging through music from different parts of the globe, and learning how to blend sounds in a way that feels continuous and like a story is being written.

What I want my project (and name) to represent is that it’s more than a DJ spinning tracks—it’s an experience designed to pull people into a musical escape. To make people feel something deep in their souls, make them reflect on their lives and our reality. Because my god, this reality we currently share hasn’t been the best for everyone. I focus on building atmosphere and emotion over time, using longer transitions that allow the music to breathe. I don’t like feeling rushed, so I look forward to when I can play for more than an hour. It builds tension and suspense, and that’s just what I grew up on, watching movies where not everything is revealed at the beginning but slowly unraveled. The goal is to create a space where people can lose themselves in the music, lost in thought, and feel present in the experience.

What sets me apart is my commitment to pushing a sound that isn’t always the most obvious choice in my local scene. While many crowds come out to hear Beatport’s Top 10 or fast-moving sets, I’m focused on introducing them to a broader sound and showing them how powerful progressive music can be when it’s allowed to unfold naturally. My sets are always heavily influenced by global sounds and artists from different cultures, which allows me to bring something unique to the dancefloor.

This year so far has been an exciting step forward for me. I’ve begun sharing my mixes internationally, with Progresivna Suza out of Serbia, and I recently made my debut with the collective “Flowstate SLC”. Moments like that are meaningful to me as they represent the growth of something that started from pure passion and commitment.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect is seeing people genuinely connect with the music. When someone tells me a set moved them emotionally or took them somewhere they didn’t expect, that’s the biggest reward for me as an artist. It reinforces why I do this in the first place. I never went into this thinking, “I can’t wait to make it big!” or “I can’t wait to have my name on every flyer!” Hell no. While all of that is cool to show how far you’ve come, I do this genuinely for the love of the music and the respect I have for it.

I work my 9-5 like anybody else to support my family, and I’m not getting paid enough to do this full-time. At the same time, I ask myself, “What can this music do for others?” “How can it impact their lives in a positive and meaningful way?” The reward from getting those answers makes this journey for me that much more worth it, and it’s why I continue to do it. Music is a part of me anyway, so why not share that love with others?

At the core of everything I do is the belief that music has the ability to transport people—to help them forget their worries for a while and share a moment of connection with everyone around them. There’s a sense of story and discovery in every song, and the wonderful thing about it is that it’s all subjective. Everyone will interpret it in their own unique way, and it’s a blessing for me to be able to provide that service.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

One thing I think people outside of creative fields sometimes struggle to understand is how much of the journey comes from being patient. Way before there are any results. From the outside, it might look like someone just plays music or releases a mix, but behind that, there are countless hours of digging for music, studying different mixing styles, refining your taste, and doubting whether what you’re doing will actually hit people the way you want it to. And on top of it all, you have to worry about collectives or other artists in the scene taking advantage of you. Ya’ll know who you are.

Unlike more traditional career paths, there isn’t always a clear map to look at and see where to go next, or even a guaranteed outcome for something like music. You spend a lot of time trusting your instincts and developing something that might not immediately make sense to everyone around you. Your family, friends, or straight-up strangers will tell you, “You don’t know what you’re doing,” or simply choose not to acknowledge it.

Almost every artist I admire has spoken about going through the same exact things. So I try not to stress about it as much anymore. The most important growth for me personally is often slow and subtle. You’re constantly learning, and that will never stop.

If there’s one insight I’d share with anyone pursuing something creative, it’s that if you’re nervous, doubtful, worried, or scared. Most times, it just means you care deeply about what you’re building. The key is to continue moving forward, trusting yourself, and allowing your work to evolve over time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/Officialdavidsol
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedavidsol
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@officialdavidsol
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/officialdavidsol

Image Credits

Jacob Plata