Souled Out: the Soulection X Madcap Takeover

April 5, 2016

Souled Out: the Soulection X Madcap Takeover
ESTA – Joe Kay – Montell2099 - Totems - Eastern Bloc

On Saturday the 30th of April, Red Bull Sound Select and Madcap present a double headline performance from Soulection’s ESTA and Joe Kay (US) at Auckland’s Neck of The Woods venue, with support from local acts Montell2099, Totems and Eastern Bloc.

“This party will bring the hottest young electronic music producers in New Zealand together with the Soulection family from the USA,” says Madcap founder Haydn Middleton. “Over the last five years, Soulection have created a global movement of taste-making hip-hop, beats and soul producers and DJs. Having ESTA and Joe Kay out for this show is pretty special.”

Both hailing from California, Joe Kay and ESTA are both crucial Soulection players. The co-founder and head of A&R, Joe Kay has taken Soulection from local college radio to the heights of Beats 1, along the way expanding it into a record label, artist collective, events brand. With second-to-none skills as a broadcaster and DJ, his drive to share the “sound of tomorrow” has helped Soulection become a globally-recognised force. His philosophy? Do what you love.

"I’ve been wanting to visit NZ for years," Joe Kay says. "I’ve heard so much about the music and art culture there. To be able to experience the culture for my first time with my friends is a blessing. Can’t wait to share the Soulection sound and take photos."

An open-eared producer and DJ, ESTA’s borderless approach to creativity ties together a divergent range of eras and genres, drawing inspiration from the likes of Hudson Mohawke, Dilla, Cory Henry, 9th Wonder, Taylor McFerrin, M-Phases, D’Angelo, and Just Blaze along the way. The fruit of his labour is sensual dancefloor productions dripping in vibe and dimension. Since connecting with Soulection, ESTA has released several notable EPs, collaborations, remixes, and performed across the globe.

“[I] always dreamt of coming to NZ to check out the culture, food and sights,” says ESTA. “Now I get to come and play music with my brother Joe Kay and [our tour manager] The Whooligan. Nothing less than blessed."

Alongside Joe Kay and ESTA’s double headline performance, The Soulection Madcap Takeover will also mark the first Red Bull Sound Select performance from Auckland-based producer/DJ and SoundCloud star Montell2099. “The first time I met Montell2099, I was blown away by his production, performance and humility,” Middleton says. “There are a lot of guys making beats in New Zealand right now, but he seemed content with what he’s doing, quietly killing it without boasting about it.”

Regularly racking up 100k plus plays on a song on SoundCloud, Montell2099’s idiosyncratic beats could be the soundtrack to a nightclub at the end of the universe. Over the last year, they’ve caught the ears of Soulection’s Mr. Carmack, Sango and Joe Kay. The result has been strong international support for a small town kid who moved to Auckland for audio engineering school and found his sound along the way.

“Being able to play alongside Soulection is a super dope opportunity for me,” Montell2099 says. “The whole movement has been a big inspiration. It’s a real blessing to share the stage with them and meet them in person. Also, joining Red Bull Sound Select makes it feel like hitting two birds with one stone. I’m stoked to be a part of the program and look forward to improving my music and taking advantage of the opportunities as they come.”

On the night, Joe Kay, ESTA and Montell2099 will be joined by underground Auckland legend Totems and Wellington club music duo Eastern Bloc. A smart and intuitive beatmaker and live electronic music performer, Totems has been exploring the depths and potential of bass music for several years now. With Elixir, his 2015 album release through respected post hip-hop label Cosmic Compositions, Totems reframed old school UK jungle, southern screw music and circa 2000s trap rap into a compelling and moody dancefloor sound for the 21st century. A sometimes guitarist and scream vocalist, while Totems builds his electronic live sets drum machines and keyboards, his performance energy taps into the very best aspects of punk rock.

Eastern Bloc is the duo project of longstanding Wellington DJ Marek and emerging producer/DJ Artur aka Beat Mob. Over the last two years, their original productions, bootleg remixes and fresh take on Jersey Club music has won them praise from Vic Mensa, MIXMAG Magazine, Nest HQ and the Complex and Vice media networks. In that time, they've also shared stages with Flosstradamus, Hoodboi, Flume, Danny Brown, Mr. Carmack and Lunice amongst others. Since the release of their iTunes and Apple Music charting debut EP Flamingo in November, Eastern Bloc has been busy performing at festivals across New Zealand including Splore and Rhythm and Vines (where they curated and hosted the Bloc Stage).

With Red Bull Sound Select, Madcap and Soulection coming together for one huge night of genre-blending music, Saturday the 30th of April looks set to be one of the most essential calendar dates of the year for beats, hip-hop and soul in Auckland. RSVP now for $3 entry atredbullsoundselect.com/nz.

-Ends-

© Scoop Media