Assembling the dance: reggae sound system practices in the United Kingdom and France

ABSTRACT

Reggae sound systems are assemblages of speakers, record decks, and amplifiers that permit sound to be reproduced at very powerful levels. Sound systems crews, alongside an extended affinity group, build their own systems and organize and engineer the space of the dance. Interviews with crews from the United Kingdom and France reveal differences in how they each draw from the history of Jamaican musical experimentation when making spaces to collectively immerse the crew and crowd in sound. Yet in both cases, their approach to sound design communicates a commitment to inclusivity, maintaining an emphasis on the “vibe,” which progressively alters participants’ somatic experience and perceptions. In contrast to “dancehall” in Jamaica, such sound systems disrupt understandings of a “standard” setup that reinforces hierarchical relationships between performers and audience. Crews also downplay the visual aspects of the “dance” and dancing and are consciously non-consumerist. Thus, different crews’ histories and associations alter how they enact, feel, and understand similar conventions.

KEYWORDS:

• Sound systems
• reggae
• performance
• listening
• vibes
• music

Acknowledgments

Thanks to all of the crews for generously sharing their understandings of sound systems together with Calum Edenboroug at Natural Bashy Sound System. Thanks also to Susan Fizpatrick, Allyson Noble, and Julie Reintjes for commenting on early drafts of this paper, the reviewers for their helpful comments, and David Howes for editorial support and encouragement.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Tops are speakers that reproduce high audio frequencies – generally above 2000 Hz. The name tops also refers to their positioning at the top of the a speaker tower (see Henriques 2011).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Alexandre Fintoni

Alexandre Fintoni has been heavily involved in the sound system scene in Scotland and France since 2009, investigating the relationship between practice, performance, and history within reggae sound system culture in Europe. He is currently working on an oral history of reggae in Scotland.

Anna McLauchlan

Anna McLauchlan is a teacher, learner, researcher and writer investigating how geographical knowledge takes form through the use of particular methods or approaches.