Soulection Brought The Sound Of Tomorrow To The OKAYHOUSE At SXSW 2015 [OKP TV Recap]

When music writers try to describe the Soulection sound, words become terribly inadequate. The Los Angeles-based, global-reaching collective of producers and DJs has become a seismic force in today's indie music culture, blending hip-hop, r&b, house and ambient music into a style that's so progressive--and so vibrant--it defies description. To call the work of Abjo, Esta, IAMNOBODI or Andre Power "neo-r&b"; "future-beat" or "post-hip-hop" just doesn't convey the sonic experience. Soulection has made it their musical mission objective to defy every possible classification--and therein lies the joy.

And so when a massive roster of Soulection artists rolled through Okayplayer's South by Southwest showcase last month, the results was wild, eclectic and unforgettable. The evening opened with Power, one of the label's co-founders, going head-to-head with Julio "The Whooligan" Galvez at the decks, volleying tracks back and forth like a world class match of DJ tennis. The tandem pushed the Okayhouse to an early peak with the white label house remix of "Spanish Joint," clearing the way for Abjo, Esta, and IAMNOBODI--who was making his first-ever American live appearance. As the speakers of the Bungalow quivered with seismic bass, a capacity crowd swayed back and forth to each track, clearly on board and hip to the forward-thinking genre erasure that Soulection puts into practice.

On that night in Austin it didn't matter whether it was reworked '90s r&b, modern Soundcloud standbys or the untouchable superpower of Kendrick Lamar's "Alright," the multifaceted clique put on a blistering display of musical talent--all in the name of positive vibes. To watch the entire crew jump in sheer bliss, along with the crowd, to Esta's drop of Sango's "Me de Amor" was a moment of confirmation: Soulection has so much more to offer than just new music. Its artists thrive off an approach that spurs collective bliss, never mind the labels, tags or hackneyed divisions. Watch the video recap of Okayplayer's SXSW Soulection showcase below and be sure to check the group's current tour dates via the flyer below--Portland, you're next.