Hidden in plain sight in Toronto, Southern Ontario, and beyond, are a few locally owned sound systems, born out of the same spirit that first inspired the practice of throwing sound system-focused parties to begin. The current purveyors are an equalizing force for the commodified offerings of the EDM machine that most have come to associate with dance music. This culture is not perpetuated out of spite of the mainstream, but rather a desire to share a deeply held passion for music and shared experience on a more personal level than most clubs offer. The systems themselves offer not only a heavy, physical experience of sound, but also serve as a focal point for the community to gather around. The difference between this and most club experiences is palpable not just in sound, but also in the intention and energy exchanged between performers, organizers and attendees.

Sound system culture was born out of necessity. In 1950’s Jamaica, impoverished communities came together to dance and connect over something positive at block parties featuring local DJs (selectors) playing through powerful, custom sound systems. Its traditions evolved within Jamaica and eventually went on to globally influence countless artistic collectives and musical subgenres by sharing its practices, terminology and community focus with anyone who had something to gain from it.

Photo by Kevin G.

Sound System Weekend

Bass enthusiasts were recently treated to back-to-back parties over Thanksgiving weekend, appropriately enough, when Last Planet, The Deep End and Master Lab enlisted two locally built and operated sound systems to power some big international bookings.

Shadow Play, an event curated by Last Planet, The Deep End and PixelCorn Productions, featured UK-born dubstep legend DJ Youngsta on the Iron Lung Soundsystem, supported by some of the most talented and fast rising producer/DJs in the area in Distinct Motive, Freeza Chin and Stranjah. The event came off as an excellent blend of old and new, holding onto much of the original aesthetic dubstep and half-tempo bass music is known for in its sweaty, dingy setting, while showcasing a promising future for the scene in Toronto.

The following night, Master Lab hired the near-legendary 40hz Soundsystem for their drum and bass focused affair. Local heavyweight Gremlinz set the stage for LSB, Skeptical and Jubei, a trio of UK-based producers all known for their dark and sub-heavy takes on the genre. The event featured an ominous, dark room, saturated with bass and fast paced percussion while minimalist visual projections and lights illuminated the high, cathedral-style ceilings of The Lithuanian House.

Photo by Kevin G.

Venues

Finding proper spaces to host these events can be a struggle. Both parties were met with venue issues related to excessive noise late into the night. Shadow Play was forced to move locations just days before the event due to sound restrictions being imposed on their originally planned space, forcing organizers to choose between their preferred space and sound system. The favourable choice was made to keep the sound and move the venue, though this undoubtedly threw the organizers for a loop. The Master Lab show was shut down early (though only by about 45 minutes), when a few police officers with bright flashlights entered the dark dance to investigate the source of a noise complaint. Thankfully organizers and police were able to compromise and give the show a suitable ending with a few more tracks, rather than cutting it off immediately.

In both cases, the experiences of attendees were saved from any critical blows, though the issue is an ongoing challenge for organizers: How do you throw a party with pristine and all-encompassing sound that showcases the music as it was intended to be heard, while keeping it in or near a densely populated area so as not to alienate or inconvenience your intended audience?

Photo by Kevin G.

This expectation of convenience presents the largest aspect of the issue. While there is a core following present at each show, many of which travel far from their homes to come into the city for each event, promoters need a reliable, high turnout in order to keep reinvesting and growing the scene. Toronto and the surrounding areas offer a wealth of unused, industrial-type buildings that would likely meet the needs of a party. Large indoor spaces for people to gather with no neighbours to bother are plentiful, however organizers understandably hesitate to commit their energy and focus to a space that some may not be willing to travel to. Likely a relic of North American club culture, this is somewhat ironic considering that the marriage of sound system culture and bass music was born out of the rejection of the associated musical styles by most mainstream venue spaces, with many raves happening far outside of city centres where it was unlikely anyone would be bothered.

Photo by Kevin G.

So, why bother?

The need for a strong underground scene is very important. In any artistic pursuit, creators need space to learn, experiment and grow. In the case of musicians, producers and DJs, they need a space to explore their art and present material; To feel its energy in its intended space before heading back to their laboratory to adjust and refine. The parties and sound these systems provide nurture creativity, providing access to a community that can help shed light on getting from A to B. Mainstream festivals and EDM shows can be alienating and unwelcoming, often keeping the hired talent segregated from the crowd. The people who get to be involved are on one side, and the people who get to watch on another. That is, until someone takes it upon themselves to create an inside of their own.

All of this is not to say that there is an “us vs. them” mentality on either of these two sides of dance music. While being somewhat opposed in the motivation to create them, it is important to note that what comes out of both is simply a product of the collective energy contributed – how people act, interact and share with each other, and the level of respect shown to the spaces and organizers that make it possible. There is good and bad on both sides, as with anything, but it is my belief that the growing sound system culture in Southern Ontario as it relates to bass music has something seriously positive to offer. The ideal result being that local creators are raised up to the point where they start to garner international intention. This is how some of the most impactful movements in dance music have been born.

I still regularly attend many large-scale events to see performers I am interested in, but find community and inspiration more easily in spaces like I have described. This, above all, is something to truly appreciate. A handful of individuals have taken it upon themselves to make something happen, and we all have the chance to benefit from it, and contribute if we desire. This community mentality and positive energy as a driving force is intoxicating in the best way, indirectly seeking to spread peace, love, unity and respect instead of trying to package and sell it as an experience.

Visit 40hzsoundsystem.ca for more info on this system, and for a list of shows it will be powering in the near future. This crew works tirelessly and always seems to have something new and exciting in store. Their Facebook page is also a great resource for shows and music.

Check out the Iron Lung Soundsystem on their Facebook page. They are based out of London, ON and are quickly gaining a reputation synonymous with powerful sound and a wide range of explorative bass music.

I stopped myself from plugging upcoming shows (of which there are many!), and instead will point you to the Toronto Junglists Facebook page as a great resource for events, in addition to the individual promoters pages. They compile a list of shows on a weekly basis, and seem to have a knack for regularly finding those hard-to-reach parties.

Thanks to the promoters behind the aforementioned shows for the work they do and for supporting this piece, Master Lab, The Deep End and Last Planet. Two more promoters must also be mentioned; Rumpshakers and Spectrum, for regularly bringing a wide range of creative talent to the city while simultaneously showing support for local DJs and producers.

Finally, keep in mind this is just one persons view of the scene. There is so much more out there to be discovered. Some internet research and the courage to show up to a show on your own, if necessary, can take you a long way. Big respect to everyone else out there supporting, creating, and following their own path!

Edited by Kevin G.

The post This is a Signal: Sound System Awareness appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

The term ‘soundsystem’ dates back to 1940s/50s Jamaica, when people in poor areas of Kingston would gather in large public spaces for an outdoor party as a way to celebrate and connect with the local community. Whoever had the best speakers in the neighbourhood would bring them out and play music for everyone, sometimes selling drinks or charging a small fee for entrance. These kind of ‘pop-up’ parties became very popular and by the mid-late 60s a number of different large soundsystems (which refers to the party itself, not just the speaker system) existed, competing with each other for the fame of having the biggest and loudest system in town. Parties were often a combination of two or more ‘rival’ soundsystems. Referred to as a soundclash, DJs from each system would take turns playing music to see who could hype the crowd up the most – an obvious precursor to modern DJ battles.

As technology improved and the (usually custom-built) speaker systems themselves became bigger and more powerful, DJs began to focus on production, creating music engineered for and exclusive to their soundsystem to give a creative edge over the competition. Referred to as ‘exclusives’ or dubplates, these productions, always limited to just a single copy to be played by the DJ, was the key to exciting crowds and boasting the best soundsystem in town. Soundsystem parties were known not only for the giant stacks of powerful speakers and bass-heavy reggae, ska and dancehall music they featured, but also served as a cultural epicentre for the local community, bringing people together and providing a shared-positive experience for all in attendance.

With a massive migration of Jamaican immigrants into the UK in the early 70’s, soundsystem culture and the influence of Jamaican music followed, and over the next 40 or so years injected many of its traditions and sounds into various genres of electronic music.

Because this music and culture are so focused on the live experience, videos and audio recordings cannot begin to do justice to the energy and heavy sound created. To give some idea, the legendary Channel One Soundsystem at their annual Notting Hill Carnival party in London;

Today many of these soundsystem-inspired traditions have found their way into various dance music genres, the most obvious of which are dubstep and jungle. Though these genre labels are broad, many parallels can be drawn from each to practices that began in Jamaican dub and soundsystem culture; Often minimal productions with heavy bass, driving rhythms, and a continued practice of using dubplates and playing exclusive music never to be released for public consumption. It is common in many bass music circles in the UK for producers to release a version of their track, and have a remix dubplate that they only play live. This can drive fans mad, especially in a time where we can easily listen to a song that is stuck in our head on repeat until we are tired of it, but makes for explosive energy at live shows, often hearing slews of unreleased material the way it was meant to be heard; on a giant, custom-built soundsystem.

Dubplate version – sorry for the poor quality – as I’ve explained – this records exists only in Kahn’s record bag.

Bonus; An Om Unit dubplate of the same song, and a video of Diplo showing off a Major Lazer/Madonna dubplate.

The origins of both jungle and dubstep specifically trace back to the melding together of Jamaican and UK dance music; Taking production techniques and signature traits from dub and combining them with the gritty, aggressive rhythms and bass-weighty sounds prevalent in the UK. Though dubstep in particular has taken on a more mainstream sound of its own in North America, its deep, dark and dubby roots are still being explored by producers such as J:Kenzo, Kahn and Mala, to name a few, as well as on labels such as DEEP MEDi Musik, Tempa and DMZ. With a minimalistic mix leaving the majority of the room for big bass wobbles, original (now often referred to as ‘deep’) dubstep features many traits of dub and reggae music; simple bass melodies, slow, shuffled rhythms, and a litany of percussion sounds to help progress the song as their structures are often simple and based around one idea.

Currently standing in direct opposition to the bright and shiny production of popular big-room EDM styles, soundsystem culture has spread throughout the world. Anyone who feels they need a break from the LED-screens, bright lights and sounds featured in most large dance music shows these days would do well to find a proper soundsystem near them (or if you can’t find one, build your own!). My introduction to this culture in Toronto was with the 40hz Soundsystem; A locally owned, completely custom-built collection of some of the biggest subwoofers I’ve ever had the pleasure to dance in front of. After attending my first Harvest Festival (thrown by Toronto’s own Promise events – well known for their Cherry Beach Sunday parties every summer), I started to follow the 40hz system around. At first, I thought it funny (though logical, given my taste for bass) to be following a set of speakers to find good events instead of a proven promoter or nightclub, but soon found that I was being exposed to a plethora of new music, and meeting much more interesting and open people at every event I went to (when compared to the usual King & Queen West club crowd especially), and breaking my routine of always going to the same few venues to dance.

Soundsystem parties often pop up in locations that aren’t proper venues, feature a broader range of music than found in downtown clubs, and attract people who are looking for a change from the usual stand-in-line for too long and overpay-for-drinks experience that most equate with a night of dancing. Though every party, system and individual experience are different, I find there to be much more substance in following around a soundsystem in both the vibe of the party as well as the type of people that attend. This is likely due to the fact that the organizers care about keeping a good reputation of providing a unique experience and quality sound to their attendees, which then contributes towards a feeling of community that is very welcoming and not easily replicated.

Click HERE for a short Vice documentary on PK Sound, a Vancouver-based company building soundsystems that grew out of Shambhala Music Festival.

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