Since 2011, has offered a kaleidoscopic sonic ecosystem for every Soundcloud junkie, music blogger, and crate digger to discover and expand.
15 years later, the grandeur of what they’ve since built could have never been imagined. A devout following selling out every event in every corner of the world, mixtapes and merchandise, making history as the first collective invited to perform at Coachella. 15 years later, and they’re still just getting started.
The momentous occasion was a homecoming, celebrated with a sold-out Los Angeles edition of , drawing nearly 9,000 attendees to Reframe Studios Outdoors. CEO and Co-Founder beamed with pride to see Soulection do exactly that it was always meant to do: bring people together.
“It’s our hometown, it’s where all of our crew and our team is,” Kay shares on the October 3rd milestone. “A lot of our family and friends are coming. For some family members, it’s their first time. It’s a moment for sure, to host our people.”
One of the hottest Los Angeles days with record high temperatures, complimentary fans and water bottles were enough incentive to get people to brave the heat and sweat out the life they left at home. With seemingly every age and ethnic background in attendance, nothing was stopping anyone from indulging in the high of music without borders.
Sets ranged from Kay himself, to esta., to Sango, individually captivating audiences with flips and funk. But it was headlining set that made the event particularly historical.
Clash spoke with Kay in February 2026, where he expressed the unwavering desire to bring into Soulection’s world. Just eight months later, that wish had an impressive turnaround. “It took fifteen years, but it was right on time,” Kay reflects.
Nothing less than a psychedelic experience, A played to an ocean of attendees completely plugged in and unleashed. Cycling through classic gems from his own catalog, the Grammy-winning DJ and producer even recreated Shay Lia’s viral dance moment with the songstress right beside him, a wink to the fanbase that has witnessed his meteoric rise from its very inception.
The night was particularly electrified with special guest performances from Joyce Wrice, Jordan Ward, Blxst, Lucky Daye, SiR, Samara Cyn, and Alex Isley. Artists including Lizzo, Snoh Aalegra, Sasha Keable, Destin Conrad, and Omarion were also in attendance, stripped to their most human through sweat, dance, and joy.
But it was sets from female DJs Miss Milan and Ayanna Heaven that truly rounded out the show. Their feminine touch critical, Kay made it a point to acknowledge why women are a vital pulse in Soulection’s legacy. “Without women, we wouldn’t be here. Women really keep us going. Even on our team alone, like on the backend, they’re women. We have such a strong management team and we really empower women, they’re such a huge part of what we do.”
Soulection’s most important cultural contribution is the collective’s ability to celebrate and unite global sounds. From West African jazz, to Brazilian funk, to Jamaican reggae, to Nigerian Afrobeats, Kay crate digs every crevice of the world, making his sets a mosaic of sound. When asked if there was a musical subset he wishes more people were privy to, the musical anthropologist beamed. “Lisbon has a scene that I really love. They make this Afro-electronic sound called Batida. It’s very drum heavy, a lot of percussion. It has house elements to it, but the drums and the rhythms are slightly offbeat. When you hear it, you’re like, ‘What is this?’ It feels like you’re in a jungle. I feel like not enough people know about it, so that’s why I’m here.”
And Kay will continue to be here, carrying out his purpose by making the world feel just a little smaller through music, community, and love.
Growing Soulection from a local Los Angeles radio show into a global music discovery and cultural platform, it seems there’s plenty more history left to be made.
Words:
Photography: Jojo Gonzalez + Ellen Gobeille