Soul Clap's Latest Album, WTF (World Transformation Force), Delivers an Environmental Message

Charles Levine sits in his home studio surrounded by all sorts of equipment. A handful of keyboards are mounted on one wall, while a shelf of vinyl records peeks out from between two large speakers. Various synths are piled together in a corner and a large turntable and mixer take center stage.

Levine and his music partner, Eli Goldstein, comprise the DJ duo Soul Clap.

The two met in the early ‘90s while in high school in their hometown of Boston. They quickly realized they had similar tastes in music and gravitated to the same genres. Often while spending time at a record store, Levine and Goldstein would pick up the same albums. It wasn’t long before they combined their record collection and formed an alliance.

“By 1997, we were both set up with turntables,” Levine tells New Times over Zoom.

“[When we first met], we started talking about music and formed a friendship,” he adds. “We had a lot of similarities, but we also educated each other about different styles of music. There’s been a lot of growth, and it’s crazy to think of everything we’ve accomplished together.”

Soul Clap was officially formed in 2001. Over the ensuing decades, the two friends have released albums together, cofounded a record label (Soul Clap Records in 2012), and worked on countless collaborations.

Although Levine is based in South Florida and Goldstein is based in upstate New York, the duo performs all over the world. They recently performed at Hard Fest in Los Angeles to a crowd of nearly 90,000 spectators.

Up next on their touring schedule, Soul Clap is performing at the 94th Aero Squadron in Miami on Saturday, August 14. Will Renuart of Electric Pickle and ATV Records fame is producing the show as part of the Pickle Pop-Up series.

The show was originally scheduled for ATV Records — a rather intimate, enclosed space. Owing to growing concerns regarding indoor venues and large crowds, Soul Clap decided to switch to an outdoor space. Regardless, prepare for a night of mixes, new releases, and lots and lots of vinyl spinning.

“Eli and I were overdue for an all-night Soul Clap play in Miami,” Levine says.

After Miami, Soul Clap has a few shows lined up in New York, Atlanta, Nashville, and Boston.

“We’re in a really great place musically,” Levine says of his 20-year partnership with Goldstein. “So I’m pretty confident these upcoming shows are going to be fantastic.”
The duo's latest album, WTF (World Transformation Force), released via Fool's Gold Records, dropped on Earth Day and stays true to Soul Clap's house-music roots while also giving a nod to the sounds of the early rave scene. The album's underlying message focuses on environmental and societal issues plaguing the planet.

There’s so much going on in the world, Levine says, that music is a unique tool that can be used to both educate and uplift people.

“This album really embodies our personal growth and our musical growth. I think it’s the most concise album that we’ve done,” he elaborates. He looks off into the corner of the room to where his turntables sit while touching his chin. “I’m very proud of this body of work,” he adds after a pause.

Levine has been traveling to Miami for over a decade for gigs, including annually for Winter Music Conference and often for a few months during the winter. Three years ago, however, the producer decided to make the move permanent. He now happily calls Miami home.

“I am so grateful to the community here for accepting me. It wasn’t until I moved here that I fully realized how special Miami is,” he says, adding that he hopes to continue to make a name on the local scene.

Despite the distance between Miami and New York, Levine and Goldstein have not stopped pumping out music. Over the last year, Soul Clap has been able to evolve and tap into undiscovered creative growth. From running their record label to performing on Twitch streams during the pandemic to putting out a new record and series of solo releases, the two high-school friends have kept busy.

Later this month, Levine plans to head to New York for some studio time with Goldstein.

Wearing a thick gold Cuban link chain, he swivels in his chair. He twists and tugs at the hairs on his head as if plucking a new, brilliant idea.

“I’m so excited for this next chunk of creative time,” he says. “I think we’ve finally cracked the code.”

Soul Clap. 11 p.m. Saturday, August 14, at the 94th Aero Squadron Restaurant, 1395 NW 57th Ave., Miami; 305-261-4220; 94miami.com. Tickets cost $30 to $40 via ra.co.