For those unfamiliar with Soulection, the LA based collective are a record label, radio show and niche family of creative music makers worldwide. Joe Kay, who founded Soulection, has created one of the most diverse talent pools in independent music, intertwining the grooves of hip-hop and rap and distilling them through house and jazz music.

With artists like Ta-ku, Stwo, Sango, ESTA and Mr Carmack all associated and considered part of the Soulection family – it’s easy to see why they’ve created such a loyal following in the short 5 years they’ve been around.

The weather on the 1st didn’t look exactly welcoming for a 6 hour night at a rooftop venue, but nevertheless, revellers began arriving en masse. Kicking off in the late afternoon, punters were invited in warmly by the smooth sounds of Sydney local Oshan. Starting with slow jams and light hip-hop, the young producer began to test the waters – introducing classics from TNGHT and Cashmere Cat.

At 7:30, The Whooligan took over from Oshan, which was met with a huge cheer from the crowd. Feel good house tore through Taylor’s Rooftop, gaining “oohs” and “yiews” throughout the set. Closing his set with ignorant rap tunes, The Whooligan had successfully kicked the crowd into the next gear.

Armed with a huge grin, the man who started it all entered the booth. The Whooligan and Joe Kay exchanged a few words before the Soulection founder started to prepare for his opening song. Opting to start tame, Esta’s remix of ‘Hotling Bling’ was played to a crowd of punters who were raring to go. The feel good tunes didn’t last for much longer, with Joe Kay presenting trap rompers from Mr Carmack and Travis Scott. Over the course of the next hour, the bossman never stuttered – keeping the energy going with banger after banger.

Looking overtired, the man of the hour (arguably) stepped up to stage. A few words and a hug were shared between Joe Kay and Esta – a moment truly highlighting the beautiful bond between the Soulection family. From the get go, Esta brought through heavy rap tunes and trap belters. Dropping ‘Moshpit’ by Flosstradmus was a turning point, sending the crowd into a frenzy while bringing the show to an incredible climax. Closing, Esta ended his set with a few of his originals and of course, ‘My Boo’ by Ghost Town DJ’s.

Soulection are continuing to bend the rules of genres, with their tight-knit community continuing to provide artists the creative freedom needed to innovate. The collective have tapped into the hyperconnectivity of the internet age and from this point the only way is up. 

After witnessing Soulection’s second sold out Sydney show, I’m extremely excited to see where the collective are heading in the future, and am hoping they’ll return for another tour in the near future.

Photo by Jordan Munns.