Soul Strut 25. This is the End.

[RAJ]

What's up everybody? Happy New Year! After much deliberation, I have decided to close the site on its 25th birthday (October 31, 2024). I realize this place is way past its "sell by" date, but there have been a few moments where I thought I could spend time to revitalize the community and get back in the game. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like that will happen anytime soon with other real world movez taking higher priority. I would like to thank all of you (especially those who stuck around during in the lean years post 2012). It means a lot. I'll will try my best to post memories and give the site a proper send off... maybe do one last mix or two. Godspeed everyone!

- Raj

 

[Jimster]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. I could see this coming and fully understand the move. Life, and social media ploughs on and on.

I'll miss it because it was one of the few places we could talk shit globally and generally agree. Made a lot of friends here and it's gotten me through a lot of tough times.

Pleasure to meet you, if you're in town again, holler.

 

[billbradley]

It's been a good run Raj. With so many social media options most of the forums have all died off one by one. Thanks for keeping SoulStrut running as long you have. I've made a lot of friends here also that I still talk to regularly. Hope to see you in Austin again sometime.

 

[RAJ]

Jimster said:

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. I could see this coming and fully understand the move. Life, and social media ploughs on and on.

I'll miss it because it was one of the few places we could talk shit globally and generally agree. Made a lot of friends here and it's gotten me through a lot of tough times.

Pleasure to meet you, if you're in town again, holler.





Thanks Jim! I will always consider you a friend and will always holler when I'm in the UK again.

 

[RAJ]

billbradley said:

It's been a good run Raj. With so many social media options most of the forums have all died off one by one. Thanks for keeping SoulStrut running as long you have. I've made a lot of friends here also that I still talk to regularly. Hope to see you in Austin again sometime.



Thanks Bill! The death of forums and the Tik-tok-ization of social media was the nail in the coffin for me. I can't keep up and never will at 48. I will never stop digging and plan to frequent Austin many times in the future.

 

[Electrode]

Thank you for everything. To paraphrase Sly's "Sing A Simple Song", we've all shared life's ups and downs. We had our laughs, had our disagreements, made friendships and shared knowledge. It sounds corny, but this place also helped me grow as a person. With every record show, concert, DJ night or whatever meetup where people here have come through, I became more social and outgoing. Much appreciation.

 

[RAJ]

Electrode said:

Thank you for everything. To paraphrase Sly's "Sing A Simple Song", we've all shared life's ups and downs. We had our laughs, had our disagreements, made friendships and shared knowledge. It sounds corny, but this place also helped me grow as a person. With every record show, concert, DJ night or whatever meetup where people here have come through, I became more social and outgoing. Much appreciation.



Thanks Electrode. You're an OG that's for sure!

 

[HAZ]

It had to end sometimes. Soulstrut elevated the world of crate digging to another level. Music, records, friendships. I can't believe it's been 25 years, Thank you Raj.

 

[ketan]

Thank you for starting this majestic place and keeping the lights on the last few years. Even though the number of active thraeds has dwindled, it's been great having this small community of regulars to share a bit with. And the ghost bomps from the glory days continue to amuse and educate.

 

[kicks79]

25 years is no joke. This site taught me so much about digging and introduced me to many friends and peers that I might not have met otherwise. I even kinda miss being hazed by Fauz Rillz back in the day.
Thanks for the memories Raj.

 

[dizzybull]

This entire website should be preserved by the Smithsonian. It’s important, dammit.

 

[Yemsky]

200+ Likes on FB and 100 comments


500 (!) Likes on Instagram and 150 comments
A mere hundred views views and a dozen comments on soulstrut.com
This probably explains that the struggle is real.

Thanks Raj for keeping it going for a quarter of a century. I was actually wondering over the holidays how long you would keep it going...
TWENTYFIVE years makes you realise how old many of us are by now or (if you were NOT around at the turn of the millenium) how much of this digging culture you missed when it happened "live".
A BIG Thank You to all who have contributed to this site and shared their passion and knowledge.

The alternative to shutting it down would have been to set up a 25th anniversary merch shop: Tee Shirts (!!!), coffee table book... bring it on!

Maybe you can still do that!?!?!!!

 

[RAJ]

Thanks Yemsky. It's inspiring seeing all the response. How quickly I forgot how entrenched this place was in a lot of people's lives. I definitely feel there needs to be some mementos.

 

[Danno3000]

Oh wow! This is sad but, i suppose, inevitable.

Raj, you created something special. All these years later and some of my closest friends originate from Soulstrut. It added to my life in a real, beautiful way.

I remember meeting you for the first time and being confused that you didn't look at all like what I expected from "Raj Mahal".

I will forever respond to Eli Lake's tweets with, "I know you from soulstrut, punk!". He never acknowledges me.

Diplo still owes me a Leon Thomas LP. I will never forget.

I miss the days when I'd meet someone into soulstrut music and i could expect that if they didn't pose on the strut, they'd lurk. The alternatives are just so underwhelming.

Excuse me i have something in my eye...

 

[Danno3000]

Yemsky said:

200+ Likes on FB and 100 comments


500 (!) Likes on Instagram and 150 comments
A mere hundred views views and a dozen comments on soulstrut.com
This probably explains that the struggle is real.

Thanks Raj for keeping it going for a quarter of a century. I was actually wondering over the holidays how long you would keep it going...
TWENTYFIVE years makes you realise how old many of us are by now or (if you were NOT around at the turn of the millenium) how much of this digging culture you missed when it happened "live".
A BIG Thank You to all who have contributed to this site and shared their passion and knowledge.

The alternative to shutting it down would have been to set up a 25th anniversary merch shop: Tee Shirts (!!!), coffee table book... bring it on!

Maybe you can still do that!?!?!!!







It makes me sad. FB and IG are so obviously inferior than this medium for fostering community and conversation.

 

[HAZ]

That there hasn't been a Soulstrut book is crazy. This was ground zero for so much stuff. Where would you even begin?

 

[Danno3000]

HAZ said:

That there hasn't been a Soulstrut book is crazy. This was ground zero for so much stuff. Where would you even begin?




Howard come visit me in Toronto! It's been too long. I'm not even sure anymore whether the dollar cinema was real or just a fever dream.

 

[HAZ]

Danno3000 said:



HAZ said:

That there hasn't been a Soulstrut book is crazy. This was ground zero for so much stuff. Where would you even begin?




Howard come visit me in Toronto! It's been too long. I'm not even sure anymore whether the dollar cinema was real or just a fever dream.




Cote Des Neige plaza was great too. We saw Ong Bak there!I think we walked out of "Are we there yet?" at Dollar Cinema. I remember us watching "Flight of the Phoenix" there. I completely forgot that movie until this moment.I haven't been to Toronto in ages but I will visit this summer. We need to go for Indian food!

 

[dukeofdelridge]

main messageboard of the world

 

[Danno3000]

HAZ said:



Danno3000 said:



HAZ said:

That there hasn't been a Soulstrut book is crazy. This was ground zero for so much stuff. Where would you even begin?




Howard come visit me in Toronto! It's been too long. I'm not even sure anymore whether the dollar cinema was real or just a fever dream.




Cote Des Neige plaza was great too. We saw Ong Bak there!I think we walked out of "Are we there yet?" at Dollar Cinema. I remember us watching "Flight of the Phoenix" there. I completely forgot that movie until this moment.I haven't been to Toronto in ages but I will visit this summer. We need to go for Indian food!





ok it's a date come visit and we'll get indian.