On Record Store Day 2022, OTJF invited 50 people from our community to come together to listen to two essential Neo-Soul albums released 20 years apart from one another. An effort in pushing conscious listening to the ever-expanding community of record collectors and tastemakers, our intention was to create a space for people to share their excitement over their favourite albums and with insights around the albums' creation to drive the conversation forward.

With D’Angelo providing the soundtrack on a temperate summer day to start off the first edition, we had our community of musicians, designers, illustrators, DJs, and fellow music enthusiasts from all walks of life come together to share in the excitement of an album that’s important to each one of them personally. Cleo Sol then proceeded to simmer the heat down with our second session in the evening having an almost meditative listening experience. The entire day felt like the best parts of simpler times when we were younger - away from screens, passing around food and drinks, sharing our love for music together while being present in the moment.

We also brought with us a set of curated crates, housing other Neo-Soul and RnB records in our collection that serve as perfect accompaniments to the afternoon for people to check out. Apart from our records, we also curated a special zine and a limited edition tote bag alongside other merchandise to make the day truly memorable.

D’Angelo’s Voodoo: The second studio album from a pioneering legend of the Neo-Soul movement set the tone for the day. Serving as a historic marker for its contribution to modern music and chronicling one of the few instances of the Soulquarians involvement in creating a work of art, ‘Voodoo’ is seminal in its existence.

Cleo Sol’s Rose in the Dark: is a Neo-Soul album through and through, with meditative lyrics and Cleo's voice reminding us of the individual trying to make sense of – or just getting by amidst – that chaos. It’s a perfect accompaniment to ‘Voodoo’, made two decades later but showing us how music is able to influence beyond the time that it was created in and the impact it has on those that are far away too.