A journey into the physical nature of the bass: to North Wales to the United Nations Of Dub Weekender, the biggest Dub-Event of all time.
Text: René Wynands, photos: Giulia Mameli
We are at the center of one of those post-war camps on the west coast of Britain; in North Wales to be precise. Melt water drips through the ceiling. Buckets, bowls and canisters are strategically distributed in the room and catch the uninvited water. Outside, the world is going down in a blizzard. It's also uncomfortably cool inside. Our gaze wanders through the equally large and ugly multi-purpose hall. Marilyn Monroe as a cheap “Warhol” copy looks down on us. In the cold cleaning light, the barren room gives no indication that in a few hours the spiritual magic of music will unfold here, blissfully unifying all those present in the great vibe of the bass. It is still quiet. A few guests who appeared too early lounge in the stands, drink a Red Stripe as a precaution and watch the small group of gray-bearded men struggling with large boxes and heavy loads. With routine serenity, they balance loudspeakers, pull cables across the hall and set up the control center of their boss and today's master of ceremonies: Jah Shaka. The man who stuck steadfastly to roots reggae and remained true to his uncompromising "warrior style" when mainstream reggae had long since turned to dancehall and sleng teng. It was he who drove the development of the stepper sound almost single-handedly and inspired the most creative of his disciples to produce their own "Warrior Style" and in the 1990s the genre of the UKDub to be born.
At midnight the time has come: Shaka put on the first record: Johnny Osbourne. The crackling vinyl spun on a Stone Age turntable high above the control stand. Then comes Burning Spear. No transition, let alone skilful mixing. Needle up, record down, new record on, needle down - no stress, no juggling. After all, we're not dealing with a soundtrack here. Every song gets the attention it deserves from the first note to the last. The pause that occurs when changing records serves for reflection, is a testimony to the appreciation of the next song, a moment of anticipation inspired by silence. Shaka dedicates half an hour to the roots legacy of the 70s, then it's Steppers Time and the assembled Dub- Believers start to move. With small, swaying mooves, the bodies swing in time with the bass waves. Slowly the meditative, even spiritual atmosphere typical of Shaka-Dances begins to spread in the room. The ugliness of the location that borders on the absurd is forgotten, the wintry North Wales - the whole world is shrinking to the here and now, to the Dub-Sound that travels in the mind and body and makes us ecstatic participants in a worship service on behalf of Dub can be.
It is the first evening of the three-day “United Nations Of Dub Weekenders “- the largest Dub-Events that ever existed. Organizer I-mitri and his buddy Fedi set it up: around 50 Dub-Artists are on the program, including the eight most important ones Dub-Sound systems of the UK: Iration Steppas, King Earthquake, Young Warrior, Kibir La Amlak, Aba Shanti-I, Channel One, Jah Tubby's and of course Jah Shaka. They play in the large "Sound System Arena" with their own, powerful bass systems. In the somewhat smaller neighboring hall, the "UNOD-Arena", artists such as Alpha & Omega, Nucleus Roots, Dub Terror, Manasseh, Roots Garden, Mungo's Hi-Fi, Vibronics and Bush Chemists - to name just the most famous. However, you have to make do with a permanently installed PA. In a small room on the first floor there is also the “Selector's Arena”, which is the Dub-Selectors from all over the world is reserved and almost creates the atmosphere of a private party. Who is more in the mood for pictures and words than for Dub also has the opportunity to watch films from Jamaica in a frosty (as it is unheated) reggae cinema or to join a seminar during the day Dub-To visit artists and soundmen.
Saturday evening, the second day of the weekender. Three mighty sound systems face each other, flanked by their mighty speaker towers: Iration Steppas, King Earthquake and Kibir La Amlak. All three representatives of an uncompromising UK stepper sound. Each sound system plays three pieces, plus rewinds and versions, before passing the baton. With every handover, we turn 1000 degrees in a synchronized movement with the roughly other 90 guests. Anyone who has ever been a British Dub-Soundsystem live, will know that the music here - despite all spirituality - becomes a thoroughly physical matter. The bass pressure waves that are released from the four-meter-high loudspeaker towers are so powerful that they not only make your trouser legs flutter and vibrate your lungs, but literally make every cavity in the body vibrate like a resonance body (i I noticed my sinuses for the first time in my life - not beautiful, but impressive). The steppers beats stomp through the room with unimaginable force - deafening, loud, powerful and hypnotic. If the first third of a track is played with a largely balanced frequency ratio, it is part of the sound system ritual that the point inevitably comes when the soundman turns up the bass frequency to one hundred percent and thus physically gives the dancers a kick in the buttocks. Even the coolest dreadlocks can no longer stand still.
While the bass pressure waves hit our bodies, it falls like scales from my ears: The Dubs that work perfectly here in the sound system are precisely those productions that I use in my riddimDub-Column often dismissed as not very innovative, sometimes even as boring. But here in the sound system, the strength lies in simplicity. Nick Manasseh, whom I adore, must therefore have an unpleasant experience. When he put on his current, wonderfully sophisticated and multi-layered productions for Roots Garden in the UNOD Arena, the audience ran away from him. Much too complicated. The only thing that works here is steppers. Like a rock in the surf, the simple and powerful steppers sound has resisted all dynamics for almost three decades now Dub-Evolution. While being innovative and contemporary Dub-Opening productions to the influence of other genres, experimenting with rhythms and sound and designing sound images that appear fascinatingly complex in their simplicity, the Steppers sound undeterred forms the orthodox antithesis to this. It has been a perfectly developed product for years: its performance practice and its effect on the audience are precisely coordinated, fit together like a lock and key, and form an inseparable, powerful unit. Steppers is 100 percent body music and belongs right here, in the sound system.
So we surrender to it full of joy and enthusiasm. For three nights. Let us be completely absorbed, hypnotized, put into a trance by it. The rhythm moves our bodies, our bodies are the rhythm - we and the music are one. Not very innovative, almost boring, but we don't care.
Interview with I-mitri, the organizer of the UNOD weekender.
What was your motivation to call that Dub- Weekend to life?
The motivation came from seeing more and more big festivals supporting and promoting our sound system scene all over Europe and still not having a proper event showcasing our amazing music scene and country to those from near and far! Additionally its an opportunity for those that are not into camping and the mud to attend a 3 day festival where they can stay dry, sleep well and have access to their own kitchen and supplies not just expensive food stalls like at most festivals!
The line up, the sheer amount of sound systems and artists and the indoor aspect set it apart from all other festivals! There has never been a dub/ sound system event of this size before! Ever!
Are you satisfied with the result?
The event played host during the day time to a series of seminars / talks by the artists / soundmen involved discussing careers, studio works and record business as well as a cinema with rare films around the subject from all over the world and Jamaica. There was also a pool party during the day on Saturday and Sunday!
We were very happy with the event! We had an amazing group of dedicated reggae /dub/ sound system followers from all over the world! Great vibes and as an event in terms of organization it run super smooth! We did of course learn much this year and hope to take it to the next level next year.
How many guests have come?
All together including acts and stuff we were somewhere in the region of a little under 1500.
From which countries did audiences come to the event?
We had people reach from: Angola, South Africa, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, San Francisco, Colorado, Lithuania, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Greece, Romania, Poland, Sweden, The Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Portugal, the UK of course and I am sure I am forgetting a couple more! Interestingly demographic wise: most of the ticket buyers were from abroad! Very few from the UK!
What it is the biggest dub events in Europe?
Certainly YES. Historical business!
What is - in your oppinion - the current health status of Dub?
I think mainly due to the sound system culture rise in Europe there is a strong yet underground scene in ever country with places like France leading the way in terms of popularity of the scene.
Is dubstep responsible for the new interest in dub?
Perhaps, certainly the switch back to bass heavy, dubplate culture music has helped a whole new generation link with the history of bass music more and thus inevitably come across dub. I don't think however, that it was a conscious thing of the dubstep scene! I think they came across the same values, sub music, bass line, dubplates, vinyl etc. by chance and by the simple fact they grew up in the melting pot that is London and the UK in general! But then after arriving they started finding all the links to the past. A bit like how jungle once also went around the world.
Where today do the most interesting dub productions from?
The beauty of this scene is although based on and inspired by Jamaica, it grew and matured and evolved in the UK but then spread everywhere! There are great dub productions coming from everywhere! UK to Brazil, Japan to France and now even back again in Jamaica with the son of Augustus Pablo, Addis Pablo, picking up the 'rockers' rains.
Who are the most innovative producers in your view?
I am a big fan of Vibronics (who I work with closely so fully biased), Iration Steppas, Manasseh, Bush Chemists, the classics basically but also as a radio dj weekly get to spin tough dubs from labels all over the world with new sounds and attempts at fusing new musics while retaining the authentic dub sound.
What exactly is their innovation?
As well as innovations in techniques and compositional approaches the thing I see more and more is the local music of each outernational producer affecting more and more the music they make, adding so much more depth and variety to our music!
Is the development of dub completed?
Definitely not. It is forever changing as it is being absorbed by the different cultures around the world. Especially together with the sound system culture which also has evolved in many places like Italy to a much more communal, coming-together-of-people type of affair much more so then the original highly militant and competitive nature of early sounds in JA and the UK.
Where will the development lead to?
No one knows. But surely a much more organic and people-oriented way of organizing dances! The message is also very important! Conscious and positive !!!
What makes a good dub?
The tune itself obviously… The bassline and beat, the performance of the vocalist… But then its all about the deconstruction of that song structure into a more abstract world of sound and space that is dub. The technique of the producer to pick out parts of the song, to extenuate, to remix. All those things that are actually at the heart of all dance music, which is common knowledge, owes so much to the early dub producers like King Tubby, Lee Perry and Scientist.
And what is the main ingredient of a dub?
I would say in one word: "Space".
Do you make a distinction between dub for Sound Systems and the rest of the genre?
No, not really although that is where one can experience the fullness of the tune the way it was meant to sound. We got used to a certain "armchair" attitude to tough dubs like those of King Tubby here in Europe at first. A sort of lounge style music when it was always intended to be played through a custom bass heavy sound system and it was always intended as dance music. Without the weight and bass of the sound, the music loses it's energy and becomes "chill-out". That's why as performers and producers we are always dubious of club PAs. They are not the right equipment for the music.
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