Sound Systember 28

UK Sound Systems Today 

 

Nearing the end of this project & still much to cover, this post will be quite a hodge-podge of musical shares. I've tried to move this labor of love along through time up to the present day. UK Dub today is as heart-felt as ever. Sound Systems still hold a place blessed by many. There are artists, producers, selectors, & crews out there making the pure Sounds everyday. Here is a handful of divergent Sound Systems working hard to carry forth the gauntlet of Sound culture in the UK.

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Bristol is the source of Massive Attack's granulated electronica & was ground zero for trip-hop, jungle & DnB throughout the 90s, but the city would be an entirely different entity if not for Sound System culture. One of the many crews continuing Bristol's pioneering legacy today is Maasai Warrior, the seven-piece self-proclaimed 'Thunder Weight Sound' born in the St. Paul's area in 2010. Led by Ben Maasai & made up of Sound clash veterans, MCs, & selectors loaded with one-of-a-kind Dubplates, Maasai are a longstanding source of pride for West Country Sound Warriors.

 

 

Maasai Warrior Sound System – A Taste of...Dubplates, NØ Comp., 2024.
all decryption codes in comments

Precision Device cut 1
The Return cut 1
Albrosie Police & Soldier cut 2
Rockaz to Rockaz
Sizzlin’ (Tribute to Frankie Paul Skengdon label)
Love Gone Wrong Dub
This is My Prayer vocal cut
Rasta Mafia cut 2
Stop the Robbery (Tribute to Early B)
Visitors from Outta Space cut 1

 

 

 

 

Sound System culture can sometimes be a purist pursuit, following a strict rulebook penned from the System Elders of the past. Occasionally, though, someone comes along & disrupts the order. You'll find that in Kai Dub's experimental productions as Dub Forward. Formerly a member of Maasai, as a solo producer Kai Dub crafts his niche from the Casio rhythms of DigiDub & dark, brooding basslines drenched in space echo. As resident producer & owner of the Dub Forward label Kai can usually be found behind walls of equalizers, compressors, & turntables, fuelling the dance on various Systems in his native city of Bristol.

Here's an EP from Kai Dub on the Lion's Den label, teaming up with some of the Lion's Den Sound System crew & some bonus tracks from his own Dub Forward label.

 

Kai Dub - Fresh like the Morning (& more), Lion's Den/Dub Forward, 2020.

Fresh like the Morning - Jesse Royal
Fresh Dub - Kai Dub
Rastafari - Wellette Seyon
Rastafari Dub - Kai Dub
House of Gold - Donovan Joseph
House of Dub - Kai Dub
bonus tracks -
Stay Tuff - Tenastelin
Tuff Dub - Kai Dub
Africa Forever - Donovan Kingjay
Forever Dub - Kai Dub

 

 

 

 

Here's a recent re-working of tunes from the original Maasai Warrior Sound System, from the time when Kai was a member, done in his Dub Forward style...

 

 

Kai Dub – Dubz from 2007, Dub Forward, 2023.

Fly Away
Dub Away
Heavy Vibration
Heavy Dub
Ital Drive
Dub Drive
Dedication
Dedication Dub
Youths of Today
Youths of Dub
Shaker Dub
Shaker Dub continued
Strong Stance
Strong Dub
The Creator
Creator Dub
Survivor
Survivor Dub

 

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Undoubtedly one of the best sound systems the UK has to offer, Sinai Sound System out of Sheffield have been regulars at Outlook over the years. In 2019 they brought their custom built Sound & a stack of killer Dubs. Producing predominately on 80s & 90s hardware, inspired by all the greats from the 1970s Roots & Dub to present day Steppers style, their Sound System presents UK influenced Roots reggae music in the traditional style with Cheff at the controls.

Here's a set recorded live at SUBDUB 21 in SUBDUB Arena, Saturday 7th September 2019... 

 

 

Sinai Sound - Live at Outlook, SubDub, 2019 

 

 

 

 

This is there first attempt at studio work...

 

Sinai Sound System - Melodies from the Mountain, Sinai Sound, 2020. 

Side A -
Melody from the Mountain
Dub from the Mountain (Cut 1)
Dub from the Mountain (Cut 2)
 

Side B -    
A New Creation 
A New Creation in Dub (Cut 1)
A New Creation in Dub (Cut 2) 

 

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Electrikal Sound System are a forward-thinking consortium of bass music event specialists hailing from Edinburgh, Scotland. Established in 2009, their distinctive, premium quality 50kw custom-built Sound System is optimised for sub-bass frequency music.

As a collective they supply the Sound System, décor, & lighting for events & festivals across the UK – including the Boomtown Fair Street Party, Belladrum's Temple of Dub, on board the famous Croatian boat parties of Outlook & Dimensions as well as providing a skate ramp stage in collaboration with Sika records at NASS Festival.

Electrikal Sound System are here to help us party. All we need is the Power.

 

 

Electrikal Sound System – Turn Up the Power, NØ Comp., 2024.

Intro
Gorillaz in the Midst
Dubplate Skooler
Unite I & I
Riches on the Water
Diametrikal Electrikal
Gettin’ Hot in Here
Ganja Rubadub
Outro

 

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Next we'll uncover Undercover Cockney. One of the newest Sounds I'm sharing today, Undercover Cockney are Nick Philpin & Paul Emile from London. They both have eclectic backgrounds as touring musicians, producers , Deejays, & general musical malarkey. Drawing inspiration from London's melting pot of Sounds, setting out to create a musical experience that seamlessly merges Dub, traditional reggae, & rocksteady with both classic & contemporary influences. The result is a fusion of genres that transcends boundaries. The duo flawlessly incorporate electronic & rock'n'roll elements into their Dub & reggae foundation.

Underground Cockney do live sets across the UK & have their own radio Clash.

Here's a mixtape of one of their live sets from earlier this year…

 

 

Undercover Cockney – Mixtape 2024.

 

 

 

 

Their only release to date is this single from a soon to be released album Double Double. The single features vocalist Coco Malone with Horsemouth toastin' & percussin'.

 

 

Undercover Cockney - Am I Good Enough, self-released, 2024.

Am I Good Enough

Am I Good Enough Dub
bonus track -
City Dub

 

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Last up is Bokeh Versions Sound System.  Their sound is the most cutting edge of all the Sounds I've shared today.

Bristol's electronic music scene is an invigorating one, with labels, promoters, DJs, & producers springing from the city's Dub reggae roots. In recent years, label crews like Timedance & Livity Sound have adapted Dub, dubstep & other sub-bass-focused genres into new styles of UK techno.

Others like Bokeh have come at the city's heritage from a different angle. Over the last few years, Bokeh Versions has drawn from myriad influences connected to Bristol's DIY Sound System culture & an international roster of Dub, dancehall, reggae, industrial, & noise artists.

Here's an extensive mix from BKV Industrial & Robin Stewart featuring nearly all the artists associated with Bokeh & the Bokeh philosophy. The styles are widely varied but it is easy to follow the thread they have in common, a fine thread of richest silken Dub. Nearly two hours worth of top-notch tunes...

 

 

Various - The Sound of: Bokeh Versions, Bokeh Versions, 2022.

Rocket Repairs - Tradition
Never Play Dat 2021 - Lopo
TrustInDigikal - Seekersinternational
I Came I Saw - The Bush Chemists
Yahweh the Redeemer - TNT Roots
Eriksson – Bad Tracking
Shadow - Grove
Il Sonno Del Gigante - Sea Urchin
Desert K&Q Love Riddim - Smurhy
MIZUNOKUNI Side A - Gr◯un土 + Kabamix
YMFEES - Leslie Winer and Jay Glass Dubs
DRK BLNT - Sunun
Tears of the Righteous – TNT Roots
TrialByFire - Seekersinternational
Asa (Tahtib Tehbat) – Sea Urchin
Compound Dub – Jay Glass Dubs
Compound Dub (Kinlaw remix) – Jay Glass Dubs
Look Out Riddim – Low Jack
Cyborg Riddim - Tukinno & King G
Love di People (Cakedog version) - Sikka Rymes
Walk & Stagger – G Sudden
A Lifetime of Broken Dreams - Répéter
Sempre - Felinto
Growing - SRS
Não Tem Volta - Felinto
Bandersnatch - Mars89
Midnite – Johah Dan
Mix Over (Velkro version) – Buddy Don
Dark Just - Sunun
Dark Just (Kinlaw remix) - Sunun
Putting the Danger Back on the Road (live) – Leather Rats
The Summoning – Voodoo Tapes
Hedi Dodici Luglio – Sea Urchin
NEW MED - Aquadab & MCA
LoversDedicationStation - Seekersinternational
Growth - Smurphy
Last Gasp (featuring Rajib Karmakar) – Only Now
Growing (Lawncare version) - SRS
Pulviscolo Del Sonno, La Prossima Relatà – Sea Urchin

 

 

Soundward into the future,
NØ