Andre Power is the co-founder and art director behind the music and artist collective, Soulection, and as a traveling DJ, Power has traveled the nation and world promoting the music of up-and-coming artists and marrying the powerful influences of both music and art.
He recently chatted with Adorama about his start in the industry, how Soulection came to be, and how rising artists can help change the world of music.
Q: How did you first get started in the industry? Did you have that “a ha!” moment when you knew you’d be a creator and DJ?
A: I moved to San Diego, California about 8 years ago, and being a new creative in the city, it was a little hard to get involved in the art community. Long story short, my friend/roommate and I took matters into our own hands and turned our home into a safe space for artists to come meet, create, and collaborate. Months after, we had our first official art show which caught the attention of many unique and talented artist from the community and gave us the motivation to move forward and expand. Fast forward about a year later, I began curating an event in San Diego called Art in the Park, and ended up having Joe Kay come to DJ. From then we built a friendship and the birth of Soulection came soon after that. DJing for me didn’t really come until about a year after Soulection began, and I would say that my main motivation at that point was sharing music from these amazing artists we were connecting with, and also sharing music that influenced me personally.
Q: One of the most common questions we get from our readers is: what gear do you use? Can you tell us about what equipment you always have with you when working?
A: I started out using turntables and Serato, but after a hand injury and surgery November 2015, I converted to Traktor and the Kontrol X1 and Z1 controllers (, each). These trigger and cue based controllers made it possible for me to still DJ while in physical therapy, during the healing time, and the months of me learning how to use my right hand again. I still use this gear today but can switch it up from time to time.
Q: How did Soulection come to be? Tell us the story of its founding, mission, and how you hope it’ll impact the industry.
A: When I met Joe Kay in 2010, he had the vision for Soulection. This vision was the radio show as well as creating a platform and outlet for the post genre sound that Soulection became known for. We both wanted to create something that would fill this void in music—where bedroom artists/producers could finally be heard and recognized for their talents, and amplified to an audience who was looking for more than mainstream.
Independent artists weren’t being heard, and needed to be. Everything we’ve done since then has been a very organic, natural progression, and very DIY, which is how I feel we made some noise and impacted the industry. We feel our supporters trust us when it comes to curating music, but also people of all roles in the music industry have come to trust us.
Q: Where do you look for inspiration? Who are some other performers you look to?
A: I find inspiration in my daily experiences and conversations. Being a traveling DJ at this point, I meet a lot of people who all have amazing stories about life and love, which becomes the fuel to my creativity. So between that and my personal life experiences, I find myself applying all of this to my creative process. I find myself looking to other Soulection artists and DJs for this as well, since something we always focus on within our crew is the family aspect. We tend to go through things in life together.
Q: Tell us about your most memorable set. What made it stand out among the others?
A: My most memorable set would have to be September 5th, 2014 in Los Angeles. This set was special for a few reasons, but the main thing that made it so special was it was my 30th birthday. I had a personal goal to visit Europe before I turned 30, and Soulection made that possible back in August 2014, one month earlier.
This tour in August was a life-changing experience for me and gave me a boost of confidence when it came to doing the September set. That September day was also the launch of the Soulection x Stussy collaboration, which included a compilation, a collaboration t-shirt, an in-store in LA, and an after party at the Echoplex, where I played this memorable set.
Q: What advice do you give to an aspiring DJ or musician looking to make his/her debut into the world?
A: The main piece of advice I can give is: make art from the heart. Don’t ever try to rush the process for fame and fortune, and always stay true to yourself. Like anything in life, if you try to take a shortcut, there may be unwanted obstacles, and your destination may not be appreciated as much—or you miss the beauty in the journey! Perfect your craft, focus on your work, and it will eventually pay off in some way, but patience is key.
