ANCIRA ON SOULECTION RADIO
ANCIRA
ANCIRA's take on budding LA-Based collective, Soulection. An immersive reading experience.
Orange hues pierce the evening sky. Days that end like this cannot help but captivate the masses, if only for a few moments, and renew appreciation of the beauty nature evokes. So many relate to this. They bask in capturing this moment figuratively and digitally. The sun subsides; the spectators clear. They've gotten their fix; their return to routine awaits. In the midst of everyone's exit, I stop you. Often overlooked is the aftermath of the sun’s burning cascade. Bear with me in these last few minutes before the colors vanish, giving us up to the night. What do you see?
California Now; painting by Bradley Hankey
We are witnessing a collection of what is left and what is yet to come. This blur between night and day presents us with a luminescent backdrop that complements the vibe I’m queuing up on the bluetooth. I scroll through Soundcloud tracks in search of show #326.
Play.
The vibe sets in immediately with the sound of the first chord. Soft percussion develops as the bass joins in. The light guitar strums. The subtle chimes vibrate. Anticipation fills ears, yours and mine. “Future beats...eclectic soul...forgotten jams... and timeless sounds...all brought to you by Joe Kay - this is Soulection Radio.”
As it plays through, we recognize numerous sounds, of which one would initially perceived as independent of each other, joining forces. Since when have booming trap beats, muzak, Brazilian funk, 1960s Motown, and high pitched early 2000s pop ever combined to produce a sound as irresistible as this? Somehow, it makes sense.
Soulection is not only a label; it’s a movement. Founded in 2011, Soulection was created by Joe Kay, Guillaume Bonte, and Andre Power. Kay grew up just outside of LA, and was introduced to the music scene through a friend who worked for Universal. He recalls, “being surrounded by it all unconsciously sparked something in me…. I got into instrumental music after discovering Stones Throw. I was blown away. Madlib, DOOM and even Dilla, though I wouldn’t realize who he was and how much of his music I’d heard until he’d passed…. Around that same time I discovered Beat Dimensions. Then I found Onra, FLYamSAM, all this weird, spacy stuff.” After delving deeper into the underground scene, Kay began to acquire mixing equipment, eventually having the resources to start up his own podcast series, Illvibes, that featured local underground artists. Through Illvibes, Kay met Bonte and Power, and what was initially a startup radio show based in L.A. grew to become a collective of artists that create music without limitations. Whether it be Ravyn Lenae’s sultry and soft as whisper vocals over a raw lo fi beat produced by Monte Booker or Goldlink’s annihilating lyricism topped with a belting gospel choir on a groovy house beat, the sound is progressive and of tomorrow. There are no limits to the artistry within this community. Nothing but divergent thinkers releasing variations of differing cadence and rhythm that make sense when heard and not spoken of.
Joe Kay
30 minutes into episode #326.
We furrow our brows and nod our heads to the samba influenced trap beat. This synesthetic sensation embodies shades of the sunset remnants that we initially admired before I pressed play.
I discovered Soulection through one of my ordinary, endless nights scavenging through Soundcloud a few years ago. These excursions tend to occur between the hours of midnight and 2 am. Aside from it being my most valued time of day, the dead of night suits my constant search for music thanks to the lack of distractions i.e. that acquaintance crossing my path who forces me to remove a headphone for a split second of painful small talk. So many relate to this. The silicon smile is too real… But back to my find - the gem that is Soulection Radio came to me through stalking the profile of a producer by the name of ESTA. I was hooked by his multi layered compositions. When I checked out the playlists he was associated with, there was Soulection; the outlet that would soon expose me to artists I now esteem as favorites of all time. My late night, new found love streamed incessantly until western eyes peeled open to a Sunday that I couldn’t help but slumber through.
From the moment I woke, my inclination to send all my friends links to the music I found was too strong to resist. Normally when I discover new music, I share with one or two of my friends who I think would enjoy it. This time was different. This need to share was deep rooted in how the music this radio show features is beyond genres. The sound of Soulection is not day or night; it is a fusion of the two. It’s those few minutes you and I luxuriated in the cross-fade of constellations and light beams before the music took over. I live for that cross-fade. It’s where I choose to dwell, and where I think a lot of people's interests intersect..
Ever since Soulection’s conception, the collective has grown to become one of the most listened to shows on Apple Music’s Beats 1. The radio show takes place every Saturday evening, from 7-9pm (PST). Not only has the radio show moved on to greater heights, but Soulection’s SoundCloud following has grown to 470K loyal followers. Joe Kay was even recognized in the Forbes 30 under 30 Music List in 2017. The future of Soulection looks nothing but promising.
1 hour & 30 minutes into episode #326.
We hear Joe Kay talk about the last few tracks played before he cues up the last 20 minutes of the set. You’ve been riding this trance with me open mindedly. I appreciate it immensely. After this, I’m headed to a Soulection concert and you’re more than welcome to join me.
You attend.
The venue is intimate. A line of low key 20 somethings in oversized tees with the occasional Soulection merchandise proceeds inside. The demographic is diverse as ever, racially and sexually mixed. A light fog infuses the room, highlighted by colored lighting that reflects off our
Joe Kay on Soulection Radio
skin, yours and mine. I’m hyped. Check the room - as an infectious beat shatters any potential sense of tension, introverts bob their heads to the frequencies. Unlike most in the crowd, I can’t help but dance to the music we’re all unanimously feeling. We're all in it, but so many can’t help but nervously laugh at my exaggerated movements. This is something that differentiates me and the typical Soulection listener. Although I’m similar to them in that I am introspective, such introverted qualities don’t apply to my physical. You can tell they feel the music, yet their awareness of the people surrounding them hinders any movement that strays from subtlety. That is until…
The show begins.
All the big Soulection names have come out tonight. Ta-Ku, Sango, Abjo, Monte Booker, and the legendary innovator, Joe Kay, are hosting the dedicated listeners of their artistic genius.
Sango, ESTA, and Joe Kay performing at Soulection live show
Unsuspectedly, the crowd converts from a tranquil sea of introversion to a tsunami of adrenaline and hybrid smoke. We engage in the excitement. I love it; you take it in. Each DJ brings their own MC flare as they mix the music, interact with us, and ensure a thorough bass drop. To me, there’s nothing better than vibing with people that listen to the same music as you; people that understand your craze. When fans of the music you listen to are few and far between, you lose yourself in the rare excitement that is being surrounded by a solid 700 of them at once. I don’t know if so many relate to this; it applies to this moment, right now. Just like the fix people get from seeing that majestic sunset; that’s how I feel about this intimate exchange of like interests. It’s necessary. Ironically, we are congregating all in favor of one specific genre of music that is made up of endless sub genres of music. I love thoughts like that. Joe Kay hits us with that final track. We indulge.
The show ends.
We exit the venue. Our conversation with the nameless is limited; we did luck out, though, with some newly acquired soundcloud likes and usernames of other music listeners.
That’s Soulection. A collection of forward thinking innovators heavily admired by the open minded introspectives of the world. Thank you for taking this journey with me. If you’re interested, come again sometime. Next time you find yourself taking in that magnificent sunset, hold out until the cross-fade. That’s where you’ll find me.
