Music
How Jamaican soundsystem culture conquered music
From Sir Coxsone to DJ Kool Herc, soundsystem culture has played a pivotal role in music's evolution. So before Red Bull Culture Clash Atlanta 2018, here's a brief history of the soundsystem.
In the 1990s, the idea of the Jamaican soundclash – a fierce sound battle between rival soundsystems – took off around the world, from the Caribbean to the US, Japan to Scandinavia. A series of World Clash events showed just how far soundsystem culture had travelled since its early days on the streets of Kingston, Jamaica, in the '50s.
Since then, Red Bull Culture Clash has been helping keep the spirit of the soundclash alive by pitting guest crews against one another. Since 2010, Culture Clash titles have been snatched by the likes of Mikey Dread's legendary dub soundsystem Channel One, Skepta's Boy Better Know, a Rebel Sound collective feature Chase & Status, David Rodigan, Shy FX and MC Rage, Dre Skull's Mixpak and Jamaica's Unruly.
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A Brief History Of… Soundsystems
A short animated film explaining how carnival soundsystems work and how to set one up.
Before teams led by Govana and Jada Kingdom (Strike Force), Ding Dong, Teejay and Romeich (Romeich Entertainment), King Bubba, Barry Hype and Billy Chin (Riddimstream Platta) and Salaam Remi and Spragga Benz (Do It For The Culture) re-up on dubplates and do battle at Red Bull Culture Clash Kingston 2019 on November 2, here's a quick look at how Jamaican soundsystem culture conquered the world. And above, watch a short clip on how to set your own soundsystem.
Now that's a soundsystem
© Kane Hibberd/Red Bull Content Pool
Jamaican soundsystems started out playing US R&B records
Reggae and dancehall were just a twinkle in their pioneer creators’ eyes when the earliest soundsystems were set up in the '50s. These systems – stacks of speakers set up on the streets of Kingston, Jamaica, playing US rhythm and blues records – were led by Jamaican hall-of-famers Duke Reid and Sir Coxsone, whose names matched their status in the community. They earned their regal ranking by winning soundclashes – a then-informal battle between two sound systems set up near each other.
Says roots reggae star Luciano, "Jamaicans on whole, they love the competition. They love to prove themselves that they can really outrun someone. It's just our nature of 'I and I' people. That's why you have so much creativity and so many great singers, because the competition level is so high right here."
Crate-digging for gold is one of the keys to soundsystem success
© John Smisson
But things evolved… and fast
In the '60s and '70s, DJs and selectors became just as important as the music. They had to cherry-pick from mountains of fresh, local music by the likes of King Tubby, Joe Gibbs and Lee 'Scratch' Perry. Dub pioneer Tubby started creating 'specials' – or exclusive tracks – to be played by his and other systems.
This morphed into something else entirely with the advent of dancehall, and DJs like Yellowman, Tenor Saw and Burro Banton. They introduced live vocalists and MCs, who talked down their rival soundsystems and tested out new music, paving the way for the dubplate: pre-existing tracks cut with a shout out for their soundsystem. Some of the earliest dubplates, says UK reggae and soundsystem veteran David Rodigan, came from Jamaican soundsystems Bass Odyssey and Killamanjaro.
This is a dubplate
© PYMCA/UIG via Getty Images
Soundsystems have always been a team effort
Everything about Jamaican soundsystem culture is rooted in competition, including the size of a crew's speakers. As things got more and more out of hand, speakers began to tower over audiences, with stacks reaching 3.6m high and wide. This kind of ambition required a team effort, though. Soundsystem crews would look after their own bookings; build their own amps and speakers, designing them for specific sonic requirements; test their own systems to ensure they worked properly and build everything around their in-system selectors and MCs
Soundsystems: A team effort
© John Smisson
Soundsystem culture quickly spread to the UK...
Jamaican migrants to the UK in the '50s and '60s started gathering in houses and basements for events called blues parties. These required a soundsystem and party-goers paid an entrance fee to cover the costs. Lloyd Coxsone's Sir Coxsone Outernational were one of the UK's best-known early systems, and were followed by Jah Shaka, Channel One, Iration Steppas and Saxon Studio International.
The biggest names in Jamaican music came over to perform with these soundsystems and this unique take on the culture had a huge influence on the style of Yellowman and others back in Jamaica. In the UK, soundsystem culture dominates Notting Hill Carnival and has influenced everything from rave and free parties to festivals and, of course, Red Bull Culture Clash.
The tools of the soundsystem trade
© John Smisson
… and to the US
Selector Tony Screw set up one of New York's early reggae soundsystems, Downbeat International, in the 1970s. But just as pivotal was DJ Kool Herc. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Clive Campbell – Herc's real name – witnessed first-hand the dancehall parties thrown by neighbourhood soundsystems, and experienced Jamaican MCs delivering their rapid-fire toasts. Moving to the Bronx, Herc eventually set up his own soundsystem, creating the break and laying the foundations for hip-hop in the process. His Herculords soundsystem was a massive influence on Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five and Afrika Bambaataa's Zulu Nation, among many others. The rest, of course, is history.
DJ Kool Herc
© PYMCA/UIG via Getty Images
