VICE Spotlight: emjaysoul

Young and unassuming, emjaysoul’s production speaks a language older than himself. 

The 19-year-old’s sonic discography is a curation of early 90s hip-hop chops, boom-bap era sampling, and often dips into dance and electronic-house territory to keep you on the edge of your seat.

To say he’s a jack of all trades is reasonable, but his studious approach to the craft is what makes emjaysoul one-of-one.

Emjay Soul Rider Hastwell, creatively known as emjaysoul, grew up on hip-hop and R&B’s prime music era of the 90s, solidifying his interests and tastes from a young age.

“My dad was really the reason why I fell in love with East Coast artists and producers – Nas, Mos Def, DJ Premier, RZA,” he told VICE.

“I always felt like music from New York specifically was something that resonated with me. From the production to the way these artists rapped and carried themselves. It was always something I admired.”

“But there were also times where he would play some Rage Against The Machine or the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, which gave me a whole different angle on music and production.”

Though emjaysoul was never able to harbour a strong connection to his

Austrian-Russian background, as nothing got passed down, the culturally-enriching world of hip-hop gave him a place to be and a sense of belonging. 

“I’ve gone so in-depth with listening to rappers talk about their art and the stories that come with the music. I feel so connected to the genre in a way that it feels like home to me.”

“I don’t think my grandparents are big fans though,” he said.

emjaysoul’s humble beginnings of beat-boxing on the streets at the age of 10 was powered by an innocent and endearingly-naive ambition to be discovered by huge label executives. 

Soon, all of that drive and energy was directed to a Maschine Mk1 – a drum machine that was gifted to him by his dad when he turned 13. Though he neglected to explore it at the time, his first ever brush with beatmaking is forever imprinted on the pads and panels of that instrument.

“I was so confused by it and actually didn’t even use it for like a year thinking that it was a stupid gift, but in reality that’s what started it all,” he said.

“I would just have fun and make some random noises and beats on it. But then I got older, and thought to myself that maybe I can actually make this work.”

Alongside the previously mentioned legendary producers DJ Premier and RZA, Mr Green and Kaytranada are names that resonate with emjaysoul sonically.

Though the sounds of internationally-renowned artists have impacted emjay’s own attitude to music, it’s his fellow creative peers AR the Eternal, Cherry Rype, Guano C, Zion Garcia and Sollyy that have helped him learn more about music beyond his own understanding.

“I like to listen to what’s being made in the scene by my friends and try to understand how they’re doing what they’re doing. I like to break down the techniques used and learn from their genius.”

emjaysoul is as raw, genuine and unfiltered as his music. Much of his releases at this point have been cases of “I might as well put this out and see if someone likes it and if not, oh well, I do”, choosing not to succumb to the formulaic industry rollout that guarantees streams, likes, or attention. 

His lust for life, and consistent drive for creating, has put him in spaces that are authentic and wholly true to the actual purpose of music: to make someone feel something.

“Some projects are planned thoroughly, some loosely and some not at all. A few years ago I dreamt about making music with the people in my city, and that’s what’s happening right now,” he said.

“I love the feeling of being in the studio with artists and just enjoying ourselves, and being able to say fuck it, this is what we’re going to make because it feels real and unique.”

Australia’s journey to being recognised by the world as an exciting creative hub, that deserves attention, is still an uphill battle. Regardless, emjaysoul is determined to be part of that push for acknowledgement.

“I just want us to embrace our own voice and culture even more than we have in the past. I’m not saying that you can’t be inspired by overseas artists, but we should continue to make it our own and represent Australia with our art,” he said.

“We come from a beautiful country with so many talented individuals and the world needs to know it.”

Adele is the Junior Writer & Producer for VICE AU/NZ. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter here.

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