Soulection is a Los Angeles-based music collective that serves as a platform and community for artists, musicians, and fans from across the world. DJ Joe Kay and artists Guillame '96' Bonte and Andre Power collaborated to establish the brand in 2011. Today, Soulection exists as an Apple Music 1 radio show on Beats1 Radio, an independent music label, festival, world-touring concert and clothing line.[1] The brand defines itself as uniting a "borderless, genre-bending musical movement".
Founders
Joe Kay
Joe Kay is a Southern California native.[2] He is a co-founder and current CEO and Head of Artists and Repertoire of Soulection.[1] Kay started a musical compilation podcast out of his grandmother's basement known as "Illvibes" in the summer of 2007.[3] Joe Kay transferred to California State University, Long Beach in 2011. A meeting with the program director and general manager of the university's radio station, KBeach Radio, secured Kay radio time that very same day.[2]
Andre Power
Andre Power is a co-founder and current creative director of Soulection. Power attended art school in San Diego and was a listener of Kay's Illvibes podcast. After participating in the event as an artist, Power became involved with organizing San Diego's Art in the Park. In 2010, Power invited Kay to DJ at Art in the Park and soon after made Kay a resident at the event.[4]
Guillame Bonte
Guillame Bonte is a French artist known as "96". He is a co-founder of Soulection. Bonte was an Internet friend of Joe Kay and Andre Power. Bonte is accredited with creating the Soulection logo.[5] His initial role in Soulection was art director.[2]
Early stages
Kay and Bonte initially conceptualized Soulection as a blog and platform for the community to arts and culture. After growing impatient to website development delays, the two created compilations of music they liked.[5] Soulection ultimately formed as an extension of Kay's podcast, Illvibes.[3] Kay envisioned two sides to Soulection: a radio show and original material released by Soulection. On January 24, 2011, the first show of Soulection Radio (Show #1) aired for an hour on KBeach Radio. The first Soulection compilation was released on the same day as well. With only a splash page and zip file of the radio show, they received 5000 downloads in their first compilation all through organic outreach.[6] The release was a compilation of 29 different artists.[4] After the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Soulection was contacted by Australian producer Ta-ku. Ta-ku proposed that the beat tape he had recently made within 24 hours, be released through Soulection and the proceeds of the release be donated to tsunami relief. Their second release, 24, was released for free on Bandcamp with an option for donation.[4] Soulection's fifth release, Mood by Evil Needle, became its best-selling release to date. The fourteen song album was released on October 31, 2011.[7] Joe Kay says it was around the time of this release that the Soulection team decided to seriously pursue the expansion of the Soulection brand. Soulection continued to release music under the Soulection label, releasing over 30 albums by 2015.[5]
Apple Music and Beats-1 Radio
In June 2015, Apple announced its streaming music service, Apple Music. Apple Music's first broadcasting station was called Beats 1 Radio. Beats 1 Radio was led by DJs Zane Lowe, Ebro Darden, and Julie Adenuga[8] and was contributed to by artists such as Drake, Q-Tip, Pharrell Williams, Dr. Dre, and Elton John.[3] Soulection was among the list of names chosen to serve as a tastemaker for the broadcast. The first Soulection radio show broadcast on Beats 1 Radio on July 4, 2015.[4] The show aired their 500th episode on April 11, 2021.[9]
The Soulection brand
Independent music label
Soulection has released 78 records including albums, singles, EPs, and compilations since 2011.Artists such as Sango, GoldLink, Sam Gellaitry, Monte Booker, IAMNOBODI, Tom Misch, and even popular streetwear brand Stüssy have worked to release music with the label.[10] 2021 releases under the Soulection label include Ari PenSmith's City Girl: Acoustic Performance, Jayla Darden's Exhausted My Options, Phabo's Soulquarius & Slippery, AYLØ's Clairsentience LIVE and three works from Lou Val: Tayo and the Dreamer, Eternal Sunshine, and Cruel Silence.[10]
Experiences
Soulection also functions as a touring festival and concert attraction. The brand holds a monthly event, The Sound of Tomorrow, in Los Angeles.[4] Their festival, dubbed "Soulection Experience", hosts a variety of artists and genres.[11] The group has been commissioned to perform in a variety of venues, as well. In 2013, Coachella invited the group to perform at the southern Californian festival. In 2015, Soulection performed to a sold-out crowd in the "Whale Room" displayed in The American Museum of Natural History in New York.[4]
Merchandise line
Soulection has also developed a merchandise line of clothing apparel and lifestyle items. Around the time of their 2014 music compilation, Stüssy and Soulection collaborated to release special edition t-shirts.[12] In March 2015, they worked with Dutch brand Daily Paper to design and create 300 limited-edition windbreakers.[13] Soulection estimates that about 60-70% of their overall revenue comes from merchandise and about 20-30% comes from selling music.[4]
Current team
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Joe Kay | CEO
Founder Head of A&R |
| Andre Power | Co-founder
Creative Director |
| Sahar Habibi | Director of Soulection Records & Operations |
| Dom Prieto | Chief Operating Officer |
| Andres Javier Uribe | Director of Worldwide Bookings & Production |
Discography[10]
2011
| Title | Artist | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Compilation | Soulection | January 23, 2011 |
| 24 | Ta-Ku | March 31, 2011 |
| Sankofa | AbJo | August 21, 2011 |
| The Sound of Tomorrow | BMB SpaceKid | September 26, 2011 |
| Mood | Evil Needle | October 30, 2011 |
| Luck & Love | Insightful | December 26, 2011 |
| Balanced | J-Louis | February 21, 2013 |
| Gradient | ESTA | March 7, 2013 |
| Pictures on Silence | Atu | March 21, 2013 |
2012
| Title | Artist | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Trust Me | Sango | February 28, 2012 |
| Outputs 3 | Koen | March 26, 2012 |
| They Soulection | Pheo | March 29, 2012 |
| Endless Fro | Kings | May 14, 2012 |
| Wasser | Jazzo & Melodiesinfonie | May 21, 2012 |
| Attoseconds | Sunclef | May 31, 2012 |
| Sunwalk | Modlee & Vlopper | June 4, 2012 |
| Da Rochina | Sango | June 14, 2012 |
| Esoteric | LAKIM | August 6, 2012 |
| Night Driven | Tryezz | August 27, 2012 |
| Moments | Koloah | September 6, 2012 |
| Bootyleg | Nangdo | September 20, 2012 |
| Never Too Late | Staycen x Koen | October 14, 2012 |
| The Shy Lanterns Glow | Insightful | October 21, 2012 |
| Pick Your Own Poison | Waldo | November 23, 2012 |
| Wohlklänge EP | Melodiesinfonie | December 3, 2012 |
| Opera | Harrisson BlackOldman | December 13, 2012 |
| Anagoge | AbJo | December 27, 2012 |
2013
| Title | Artist | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Balanced | J-Louis | February 21, 2013 |
| Gradient | Esta | March 7, 2013 |
| Time In Between | Soulection | April 4, 2013 |
| North | Sango | July 22, 2013 |
| In Bloom | Dpat | August 26, 2013 |
| Elevated | IAMNOBODI | September 30, 2013 |
| Soulection White Label: 001 | LAKIM | November 1, 2013 |
| Soulection White Label: 002 | Da-P | November 14, 2013 |
| Steps | Jo Def | November 18, 2013 |
| Thank You | Soulection | December 1, 2013 |
| Soulection White Label: 003 | Jarreau Vandal | December 12, 2013 |
| Soulection White Label: 004 | starRo | December 26, 2013 |
2014
| Title | Artist | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Soulection White Label: 005 | Zikomo | January 9, 2014 |
| 3 Years of Soulection | Soulection | January 23, 2014 |
| This is Her | LAKIM | February 24, 2014 |
| Soulection White Label: 006 | MIKOS DA GAWD | March 6, 2014 |
| Soulection White Label: 007 | Losco | March 27, 2014 |
| Soulection White Label: 008 | Tom Misch | April 10, 2014 |
| Unbound | Dpat | April 23, 2014 |
| Soulection White Label: 009 | AbJo | April 24, 2014 |
| 100k | Soulection | May 13, 2014 |
| Constructive Interference | Evil Needle & Sivey | June 23, 2014 |
| Soulection White Label: 010 | J-Louis | August 14, 2014 |
| Stüssy Collaboration | Soulection | September 5, 2014 |
| Soulection White Label: 011 | Pyrmdplaza | October 16, 2014 |
| Soulection White Label: 012 | Singularis | October 30, 2014 |
| Soulection White Label: 013 | oriJanus | November 26, 2014 |
2015
| Title | Artist | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Soulection White Label: 015 | Chris McClenney | January 15, 2015 |
| Short Stories | Sam Gellaitry | February 17, 2015 |
| Hours Spent Loving You | SPZRKY & Sango | March 8, 2015 |
| Love is King | Soulection | March 17, 2015 |
| May (feat. Ravyn Lenae) | Monte Booker | May 30, 2015 |
| Soulection White Label: 015 | Louie Lastic | July 23, 2015 |
| Soulection White Label: 016 | Monte Booker | October 29, 2015 |
| Soulection White Label: 017 | Sivey | December 11, 2015 |
2016
| Title | Artist | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Soulection White Label: 018 | ROMderful | March 14, 2016 |
| Summatime Fine | Mars Today | August 12, 2016 |
| Mona Lisa | Monte Booker & Naji | December 2, 2016 |
2017
| Title | Artist | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Promise Once More | Soulection | January 29, 2017 |
| To Me | Bowtye & Avalon Young | February 11, 2017 |
| Soulection White Label: 019 | DKVPZ | March 16, 2017 |
| Dreaming | Bowtye | April 13, 2017 |
| buries | Che Ecru | April 24, 2017 |
| Soulection White Label: 020 | Foisey | August 17, 2017 |
| Unite | Soulection | October 11, 2017 |
| Soulection White Label: 021 | j. robb | November 3, 2017 |
| Might Just (feat Krs. & Kingbmjn) | Naji | December 2, 2017 |
2018
| Title | Artist | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Soulection White Label:022 | Jared Jackson | May 17, 2018 |
| Soulection Black Label: Hablot Brown | Hablot Brown | July 29, 2018 |
| 1997 | Tay Iwar | August 25, 2018 |
| Soulection Black Label: Devin Tracy | Devin Tracy | September 30, 2018 |
2019
| Title | Artist | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Gemini | Tay Iwar | March 29, 2019 |
2020
| Title | Artist | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Fufu & Grits | Juls & Sango | May 28, 2020 |
| Tesuto | Mansur Brown | July 9, 2020 |
| City Girl | Ari PenSmith & Jonah Cristian | September 10, 2020 |
| Da Rochina 4 | Sango | September 24, 2020 |
| Romantic | AYLØ | October 7, 2020 |
| Soon As You Get Home | Rose Gold | October 14, 2020 |
| LNF | Phabo | November 18, 2020 |
| GEMS IN THE CORNERSTORE | Elujay & j. robb | December 3, 2020 |
| Clairsentience | AYLØ | December 19, 2020 |
2021
| Title | Artist | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Clairsentience LIVE | AYLØ | March 26, 2021 |
| Slippery | Phabo | April 9, 2021 |
| Cruel Silence | Lou Val | May 7, 2021 |
| Eternal Sunshine | Lou Val | May 7, 2021 |
| Tayo and The Dreamer | Lou Val | June 25, 2021 |
| Soulquarius | Phabo | July 16, 2021 |
| Exhausted My Options | Jayla Darden | August 26, 2021 |
| City Girl (Acoustic Performance) | Ari PenSmith | September 10, 2021 |
References
- 1 2 3 "Soulection". Soulection. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
- 1 2 3 "Ten Years Later, Soulection Is Still The Standard for Music Discovery". www.vice.com. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
- 1 2 3 "Soulection Brings The Sound of The Future To Beats 1". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Meadows, Kieran. "Inside Soulection: How An Unusual Music Startup Found The Sound Of Tomorrow". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
- 1 2 3 "Touching Bass: Soulection". www.vice.com. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
- ↑ "Joe Kay Believes Soulection Is a Way of Life". HYPEBEAST. 2019-08-13. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
- ↑ Mood by Evil Needle, 2011-10-31, retrieved 2021-10-22
- ↑ Popper, Ben (2015-06-08). "Apple announces its streaming music service, Apple Music". The Verge. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
- ↑ "SOULECTION on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
- 1 2 3 "Soulection". Soulection. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
- ↑ Soulection Experience 2019, retrieved 2021-10-22
- ↑ "Soulection". Soulection. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
- ↑ "Soulection x Daily Paper 2015 Spring/Summer Coach Jackets". HYPEBEAST. 2015-05-07. Retrieved 2021-10-22.