La Soülchyld on Flipping R&B/Soul, Dropping an album and making #NewBlackHistoryMusic

Who is La Soülchyld, for those who do not know you?

I am a 22-year-old producer who likes to create music that invades the soul and give my listeners an exciting experience while listening to my work. I was born in Rwanda but I am also Ugandan.

Let’s get down to it, the music. Your sound is eclactic and elemental (with an African tribal touch), where did it all start and why this line of sound?

I started finding my own sound around 3 years ago when I created the name La Soülchyld. It began with me flipping R&B/Soul songs like “I Can Love You” by Mary J. Blige, “You’re Makin Me High” by Toni Braxton and such. Along the way, I kept growing thanks to the amazing collaborations I did with artists like RIVR, Kalo and a long list of other amazing producers whom I learned from. After a few years of producing, I found myself with a sound that I could start experimenting with and that’s when I started infusing Latin/African percussion into my work. The reason I chose that line of sound is that I wanted to represent my continent and give my (mostly US) listeners a chance to fall in love with the sounds of Africa.

3 December 2018, you blessed us with Endless which you worked with Zuks. Please share a bit more about that joint.

s/o to the homie Zuks, he is very talented. At first, he sent me that idea almost finished but I remember at the time he was not feeling the 808s he put. So after receiving the stems, I started working on the build-up to get a sense of the direction it was heading and when I felt the percussive elements were right I just let loose. Messed around with my drums and tried creating an 808 line that I felt was addictive and simple then gave it a structure

…and when it came to putting them all together it almost felt like a missing puzzle piece, it just made sense.

sound packs a fat bass and how it fuses smoothly with the other elements make you stand out. How do you do it?

I always spent time experimenting and in the early days when I started as La Soülchyld I found myself focusing on certain aspects of my beats, that being my 808s and my percussion. Once I noticed that. I took time to learn about 808s and listened to more world music that had different percussive elements and when it came to putting them all together it almost felt like a missing puzzle piece, it just made sense. Another contributor that helped me with fusing these elements is my knowledge with the platform I use to make music, Logic Pro X. I have been working with Logic Pro X for 5 years and I am very comfortable with the system.

With so much saturation in music (especially on the net), how do you keep your head above waters and remain fresh and authentic?

The best way I try to do that is by focusing on myself and not worrying about what’s happening online. I take my time with my production and try to find what’s the best way to approach each piece and really move at my own time. By focusing on the quality it helps with my authenticity and brings the right fans to my music. Luckily I am still quite quick when it comes to making ideas and I am able to release a song every month so that helps with keeping above waters.

Speaking on authenticity how’s the vibe like during black history month in your town/city?

Sadly I wouldn’t know. I am currently living in Canada focusing on my Masters in Production. However, I do still read about the amazing things young Ugandans & Rwandans are doing for their country and its always inspiring.

What is the name of your new project?

My new project is titled LSCHYLD III. LSCHYLD obviously is my short way for writing La Soülchyld. I started this series after my first EP called Chapters of Soül. I released all my best work under the LSCHYLD series and wanted to continue that however instead of making it an EP like the previous 2 I turned it to an album. I felt all the work going into the project was worthy to be on my first album and I’m very happy with it and the amazing features I got on.

What is the most memorable experience with regards to putting together this work?

There were two moments I won’t forget. One was when Michael Akhari sent me back the stems for his guitar part. I have always said he is a beast when it comes to slick guitar work and creating memorable melodies that haunt your mind. So getting back the stems for track 2 I was at a loss for words because I never expected him to exceed the high expectations I already had. The second one was when I found the sample for Moonlight II. The album was already done and was about to be released the next day but I came across that sample and started working on it asap. I managed to finish it and release it along with the others and yea it was fun working on that track.

What can listeners look forward to in the album?

Just some quality Soül. Tried to step outside my comfort zone with different production techniques I don’t normally do, instrumental structures I don’t usually make, going back to sampling tracks I wouldn’t usually sample and really just find new ways of pushing my sound. Focusing on displaying some sort of emotion with each track and communicating that to the listener with different instruments. People can also look forward to the amazing collabs that came out of this project.

Where can our readers get a hold of more of La Soülchyld?

You can find me on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Spotify and most streaming services.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lasoulchyld
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lasoulchyld

Written by: Bafana Mjakana