Strictly Social is an ongoing series of performances that brings evenings of eclectic soul fusion for the sophisticated and forward thinking-inhabitants of the city of Los Angeles.
Driven by an energy that combines the experimental openness of electronic music with the raw power of soul music, it has consistently brought some of the world’s most eclectic and soulfully inclined artists to LA. The likes of Mark de Clive-Lowe, Anthony David, Lisa Shaw, Sonnymoon, Jessie Boykins III, and Kissey Asplund (to name a few) have all graced the stages of Strictly Social’s evening cyphers.
This past Thursday night (8/15/13) saw the celebration of its sixth year anniversary of bringing the latest of soulful and experimental sounds to the city of lost angels. Powered by Nu-Soul Magazine & Soul Union in connection with Project Live LA and Soulection it also boasted support from Fusicology, The Mint Collective, Smog Records, Miss Wax, and your homies right here at ILLSOCIETY.
Featuring a stellar line up of innovative and spirit-animating artists, it was a night to behold and remember. Following DJs Joe Kay, SPILL and DESTROYER welcoming the audience into the Bootleg Gallery on the 1’s and 2’s, soul maestros Jarell Perry, ESTA, Nikko Gray, Atlantic Collection and Sango all lit up the stage with genre-defying sonic excursions into the beautiful unknown.
First up, Jarell Perry touched the mic with the presence of a poised, eager, and focused entity. Sending reverberated chants of a loving and explorative soul into the atmosphere of the venue, the MTV Buzzworthy artist lulled the crowd with jams from his critically acclaimed debut LP, “Simple Things,” showcasing the liquid-draped, collage-esque beats, wide-panning, piercing vocals, and sophisticated, futuristic R&B steez he has been humbly making a name for himself on the LA scene (and beyond) with.
As he departed, an angel rose to the occasion. Nikko Gray graced the stage with an ethereal performance that put the e-s-s in goddess (that “e-s-s” standing for “elegant-sonic-seduction”). With movements of prose, the UK and Netherlands-raised, LA-based songstress conveyed she is no stranger to the game, and no stranger to her own spiritual energy. Her performance was poised, alluring, in tune with the audience, and free as she wanted it to be, all at the same damn time. While she may be new to some unfortunate ears, she is a comfortable veteran in her craft. Shy she was not in conveying this to every listener in the audience as she strolled through selections from her solo album “Love Seen” and other projects, including some of her stellar collaborations with producer AFTA-1. To be honest, there was not one member in the immediate surroundings that wasn’t captivated by her majesty.
Rising beatsmith and Soulection Dream-Team member ESTA was up next with a fly set that made the speakers sway along with the crowd they were pouring the music out to. Surfing through smooth collages of heavy bass, boom bap, soul, and electronica like it was no one but the room’s business, he brought the night alive after the two sultry sets that preluded his. We turned up and all around, to say the least. All that was missing was him dropping his latest buzzworthy beat, “Skyscrape ($ade).” You might’ve seen the god (a.k.a. myself) crowd surf. Just saying. Regardless, the set was full of soul.
Atlantic Connection was next to connect with the audience.The LA-based DJ/producer took us on an intimate journey into how he’s pioneering his own style of “future soul” with his signature blends of soul, R&B, dubstep and bass music. It was some orgasmic audio space trip shit. That’s the only way I can put it. Listen to his projects, “Love Architect,” “Love Architect Remixed,” and latest EP, “The Limit” to let your ears experience what ours did.
The headliner of the night was Soulection’s own rising powerhouse, Sango. The world’s beginning to take notice of this Grand Rapids-based, Seattle-born producer and his set was a beautifully energetic journey into why. Not a head in the immediate crowd was seen without their head-nodding if not lost in full-blown body motion. We were all swimming in a live-mix of his stellar blends of soul, R&B, future bass, hip hop, and broken beat, fusing them together with seamless vocal chops and hypnotic grooves. Other than his already stacked catalogue of refixes, EP’s and beat tapes that have gained worldwide support, his latest offering “North” is perhaps the best example of this magical sound we were drifting in bass-heavy, rhythmic space to. The whole set was a sweat inducing, soul-trance, hypnotizing us with how Sango is poised to elevate the definition of “future” music.
We hope you were there. If not, we wish you were there.
Congrats to Strictly Social for their 6th year,
it was a soulful pleasure.
Peace gods.
All photos shot by Tatsu
See rest of the party pics on Facebook.
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