Bass Grows in Brooklyn: Why One Man Spent a Year Hand-Building a Massive Sound System

In the late 1940s, Colombians and Jamaicans simultaneously began building and decorating massive sound systems and throwing street dances playing imported records. In Colombia, it was African music. In Jamaica, it was American R&B. Like holding church service in a field clearing, sound system culture creates sacred temporary autonomous zones out of the most profane and mundane spaces. If there is indeed a railroad made of human bones at the bottom of the Atlantic, the Drexciyans have most certainly broken into the disused stations, brought over generators, speaker cabinets, and 1200's, and thrown a party.

Fifty years later, sound system culture is a global phenomenon, with people stacking walls of home-built speakers in basements and warehouses everywhere. But the meditative feeling of bass weight, that addictive, hypnotic bone-rattling pulse that got people building massive systems in the first place, remains the same. It's a feeling.

Like some many sound boys, Q of the Sound Liberation Front knew that feeling, and dreamed of building a sound to call his own. Deep in a cavernous basement apartment on Willoughby Avenue in Brooklyn, his dream has become a hulking, chest-rattling reality. I biked over to chat with him early last Saturday as he tuned the sound system he spent over a year building by hand for its public debut. The system’s debut also marks the launch party for Dub-Stuy Records, the future bass label that Q and his team, which happens tonight at The Paper Box in Williamsburg and features UK luminary Brother Culture. Head to Dub-Stuy’s site to RSVP. Why are sound systems important? What brought you to the culture? Sound system culture is at the foundation of Jamaican music, and has been an integral part of its evolution since the early ska days to the modern dancehall era. More than just local outdoor dance parties, sound system dances were the epicenter of downtown life and economy. They were the format for which the music was made and meant to be experienced. Wherever Jamaicans have emigrated, sound systems has been part of their luggage. Most modern form of bass music such as jungle, drum ‘n’ bass and dubstep have roots in South London where sound system culture has been prevalent through its large Caribbean population.

I was brought to that culture through my passion for Jamaican music. To me, it was the key to understand the essence of the sound and its development. Nowadays, technology is so widespread that essentially anyone can become a DJ, download MP3s and play out. Building and owning a sound system is essentially the reverse mentality. It is a guiding principle and ethos that dictates the entire process of creating music, delivering it to people and building a community around it. It is a serious commitment which gives you a sense of purpose and a deeper respect for the culture. What are the technical specs of your sound? How long did it take to build and with help from who? What do you aspire to with the sound?

The “tower of sound” is a 5 way system which means that the full spectrum of sound is broken down into 5 layers. All together, there are 24 elements housed into 12 custom boxes powered by five power amplifiers for a total of 15,000W (we just upgraded the bass amp!). It took about a year to research, plan and build the system. I met a very skilled speaker builder in Brooklyn with whom I collaborated with on the design. Even though the design is very modern, I wanted the system to have a classic and retro look to it so we went for a natural wood finishing which took a long time to complete but in the end, I think it makes the sound visually striking and unique.

The entire system, down to the cables is designed to achieve a true hifi experience with pure clean sound and so much headroom that the speakers will never have to distort. Another thing is that I wanted the system to be balanced across all frequencies. A lot of similar sound systems are very bass oriented and sometimes don’t respond well with different types of music. We put a lot of emphasis on the mid and high range section to achieve warmth and transparency across those frequencies. I’m really pleased with the results and I think that it sounds fantastic whether you play dubstep or soul music. What are your top three sounds of all time – can you provide any links to videos of clashes or specials that illustrate what makes these sounds so special to you. I would say my top three sounds are Stone Love, David Rodigan and Jah Shaka. Stone love for being one of the original sound systems. David Rodigan for his charisma and stage antics and Jah Shaka for its mysticism.

What is the thought behind this event and how does it reflect the larger brand you are building?

This event is about uniting progressive bass music under the lens of the sound system culture and exposing people to sounds they might not be familiar or comfortable with. Instead of taking a purist or exclusive approach, we wanted this event to be community building, both from the standpoints of the artists and the people attending. This is a very important milestone for us and I wanted to involve organizations which I respect for their integrity and for having similar vision to ours. Even though each of us operate is somewhat different musical realm, we’re all connected by our passion for bass frequencies and making people dance and I think this will translate into a very unique event. In the long run, we want to build a stronger infrastructure for supporting progressive bass music and changing people’s perception and mentality around it. I see this event as the starting point.

What’s the future hold for Sound Liberation Front and Dubs-Stuy Records?

We’re definitely growing. We actually just moved into our first real office and looking to expand our team. We have a lot of exciting plans for new events and collaborations while still working on solidifying our existing brands. At the same time, we also aspire to help develop a global network and community of music enthusiasts. I think there are a lot of opportunities for like minded people to converge and build.