Roots Reggae and Dub have earned a special place in my heart, this year was my first time exploring the sound system scene of Sydney. It’s safe to say I am completely hooked and will attempt to make it to any session I can for the foreseeable future.

Since getting into the Doof scene here in Australia, it made me long for more live music with the same sort of cultural energy. This led me to exploring the warehouse rave scene in the Inner West of Sydney, which eventually landed me in the circles of Reggae Sound Systems. I’m not upset at this unexpected turn of events, quite the contrary, I’m stoked with the people I’ve met, the music I’m constantly being educated on, and learning about the historic cultural struggles that led to the emergence of the scene.

You might be wondering; “What on earth is this ‘Sound System’ you’re talking about? Isn’t that just the pair of speakers my weird uncle has set up in his living room?”. And fair enough! Until pretty recently I would have wondered the same, so let me educate ya!

WTF is Sound System

Sound System has its roots in the Caribbean, where Jamaican and African music would be played over large handmade speaker systems set up in the streets. We’re talking genres like Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae, Dancehall, and lots of other music with a great emphasis on BASS. Sometimes multiple sound systems would even set up and try to out compete eachother, the fatter the sound, the more the people movin’. This battle between systems was called a sound clash.

Around the 1950s, Sound System began its migration to the United Kingdom. This was largely due to the HMT Empire Windrush, a large passenger ship that brought some of the first post-war migrants from the Carribean to the UK. These migrants weren’t allowed to bring much with them, one of the few things they were able to bring was their music culture; and with that music began the rise of Sound System in Britain.

To no surprise this migration of culture brought about many socio-political issues. Discrimination and racism were a huge issue for the Black peoples of Britain, pubs and clubs were hostile environments and the radio stations at the time refused to play Black music. Because of this, the people had to resort to underground events, word-of-mouth parties and setting up sound systems in make-shift dancehalls. Over time as society gradually became more inclusive and accepting, Sound Systems started to become more accepted around the UK and the popularity ended up spreading outside of just Black culture.

Being a British invaded country, naturally some of the Sound System culture made its way Down Under and likely led to the emergence of Doofs and of the Sound System scene that exists here today.

The Message Behind the Music

Roots & Reggae music is often colloquially referred to as “Meditation Music”. Its consistent pace, hypnotic basslines and deep connection to Rastafari lends itself to be a powerful medium for reflection. Lyrically the songs you hear at sound system sessions often speak to the struggles and history of the Black people, while at the same time spreading deep spiritual messages about our relation to one another and the world we are apart of. These message provoke a lot of spiritual development for those with an ear to listen, and listen I have.

A lot of the messages of unity preached in these sessions are concepts that I already align with, so to hear them spoken of in such a powerful environment, with a room full of like minded individuals is a really special experience. I think the world needs more of this.

A kind human I met recently shared with me their thoughts on the issues of the racial divide, specifically in the context of the colonial situation in Australia, but I think their point goes a lot further than that so I would like to paraphrase it for you. Black people can hold a lot of anger at what has happened in the past, and what continues to happen today, and rightfully so. White people can hold a lot of guilt about the same. One of the best ways for us to get past all of these issues is to come together on country and listen and dance and experience together what humans have been doing for as long as we’ve been alive: celebrating the experience and majesty of life itself.

To close off this post I’d like to shout out all the people who are running Sound Systems around the world and spreading the message of love and unity. You are the true warriors, the renegades and the children of Jah. Big ups.

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