Soulection

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Soulection Logo Soulection.jpg
Soulection Logo

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".[ citation needed ]

Contents

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

Beats1 Radio Logo Beats 1 logo.svg
Beats1 Radio Logo

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[ when? ] team

Soulection Team [1]
NamePosition
Joe KayCEO

Founder

Head of A&R

Andre PowerCo-founder

Creative Director

Sahar HabibiDirector of Soulection Records & Operations
Dom PrietoChief Operating Officer
Andres Javier UribeDirector of Worldwide Bookings & Production

Discography [10]

2011

TitleArtistRelease Date
CompilationSoulectionJanuary 23, 2011
24Ta-KuMarch 31, 2011
SankofaAbJoAugust 21, 2011
The Sound of TomorrowBMB SpaceKidSeptember 26, 2011
MoodEvil NeedleOctober 30, 2011
Luck & LoveInsightfulDecember 26, 2011
BalancedJ-LouisFebruary 21, 2013
GradientESTAMarch 7, 2013
Pictures on SilenceAtuMarch 21, 2013

2012

TitleArtistRelease Date
Trust MeSangoFebruary 28, 2012
Outputs 3KoenMarch 26, 2012
They SoulectionPheoMarch 29, 2012
Endless FroKingsMay 14, 2012
WasserJazzo & MelodiesinfonieMay 21, 2012
AttosecondsSunclefMay 31, 2012
SunwalkModlee & VlopperJune 4, 2012
Da RochinaSangoJune 14, 2012
EsotericLAKIMAugust 6, 2012
Night DrivenTryezzAugust 27, 2012
MomentsKoloahSeptember 6, 2012
BootylegNangdoSeptember 20, 2012
Never Too LateStaycen x KoenOctober 14, 2012
The Shy Lanterns GlowInsightfulOctober 21, 2012
Pick Your Own PoisonWaldoNovember 23, 2012
Wohlklänge EPMelodiesinfonieDecember 3, 2012
OperaHarrisson BlackOldmanDecember 13, 2012
AnagogeAbJoDecember 27, 2012

2013

TitleArtistRelease Date
BalancedJ-LouisFebruary 21, 2013
GradientEstaMarch 7, 2013
Time In BetweenSoulectionApril 4, 2013
NorthSangoJuly 22, 2013
In BloomDpatAugust 26, 2013
ElevatedIAMNOBODISeptember 30, 2013
Soulection White Label: 001LAKIMNovember 1, 2013
Soulection White Label: 002Da-PNovember 14, 2013
StepsJo DefNovember 18, 2013
Thank YouSoulectionDecember 1, 2013
Soulection White Label: 003Jarreau VandalDecember 12, 2013
Soulection White Label: 004starRoDecember 26, 2013

2014

TitleArtistRelease Date
Soulection White Label: 005ZikomoJanuary 9, 2014
3 Years of SoulectionSoulectionJanuary 23, 2014
This is HerLAKIMFebruary 24, 2014
Soulection White Label: 006MIKOS DA GAWDMarch 6, 2014
Soulection White Label: 007LoscoMarch 27, 2014
Soulection White Label: 008Tom MischApril 10, 2014
UnboundDpatApril 23, 2014
Soulection White Label: 009AbJoApril 24, 2014
100kSoulectionMay 13, 2014
Constructive InterferenceEvil Needle & SiveyJune 23, 2014
Soulection White Label: 010J-LouisAugust 14, 2014
Stüssy CollaborationSoulectionSeptember 5, 2014
Soulection White Label: 011PyrmdplazaOctober 16, 2014
Soulection White Label: 012SingularisOctober 30, 2014
Soulection White Label: 013oriJanusNovember 26, 2014

2015

TitleArtistRelease Date
Soulection White Label: 015Chris McClenneyJanuary 15, 2015
Short StoriesSam GellaitryFebruary 17, 2015
Hours Spent Loving YouSPZRKY & SangoMarch 8, 2015
Love is KingSoulectionMarch 17, 2015
May (feat. Ravyn Lenae)Monte BookerMay 30, 2015
Soulection White Label: 015Louie LasticJuly 23, 2015
Soulection White Label: 016Monte BookerOctober 29, 2015
Soulection White Label: 017SiveyDecember 11, 2015

2016

TitleArtistRelease Date
Soulection White Label: 018ROMderfulMarch 14, 2016
Summatime FineMars TodayAugust 12, 2016
Mona LisaMonte Booker & NajiDecember 2, 2016

2017

TitleArtistRelease Date
Promise Once MoreSoulectionJanuary 29, 2017
To MeBowtye & Avalon YoungFebruary 11, 2017
Soulection White Label: 019DKVPZMarch 16, 2017
DreamingBowtyeApril 13, 2017
buriesChe EcruApril 24, 2017
Soulection White Label: 020FoiseyAugust 17, 2017
UniteSoulectionOctober 11, 2017
Soulection White Label: 021j. robbNovember 3, 2017
Might Just (feat Krs. & Kingbmjn)NajiDecember 2, 2017

2018

TitleArtistRelease Date
Soulection White Label:022Jared JacksonMay 17, 2018
Soulection Black Label: Hablot BrownHablot BrownJuly 29, 2018
1997Tay IwarAugust 25, 2018
Soulection Black Label: Devin TracyDevin TracySeptember 30, 2018

2019

TitleArtistRelease Date
GeminiTay IwarMarch 29, 2019

2020

TitleArtistRelease Date
Fufu & GritsJuls & SangoMay 28, 2020
TesutoMansur BrownJuly 9, 2020
City Girl Ari PenSmith & Jonah CristianSeptember 10, 2020
Da Rochina 4SangoSeptember 24, 2020
RomanticAYLØOctober 7, 2020
Soon As You Get HomeRose GoldOctober 14, 2020
LNFPhaboNovember 18, 2020
GEMS IN THE CORNERSTOREElujay & j. robbDecember 3, 2020
ClairsentienceAYLØDecember 19, 2020

2021

TitleArtistRelease Date
Clairsentience LIVEAYLØMarch 26, 2021
SlipperyPhaboApril 9, 2021
Cruel SilenceLou ValMay 7, 2021
Eternal SunshineLou ValMay 7, 2021
Tayo and The DreamerLou ValJune 25, 2021
SoulquariusPhaboJuly 16, 2021
Exhausted My OptionsJayla DardenAugust 26, 2021
City Girl (Acoustic Performance) Ari PenSmith September 10, 2021

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