Clash of the Soundsystems

[Jamie S]

Heard this on Radio 4 last night. You can listen to it here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/progs/listenagain.shtml#c

(inevitably in a half hour programme) a bit glib at the beginning and end, but some really interesting interviews with some of the players (Dennis Bovell, Tippa Irie and Duke Vin (who I'd never heard of) as well as Lloyd Bradley.

I don't know enough to judge the argument. Still, a good listen. The bit where the presenter describes his first soundsystem experience in Coventry is excellent - everyone sweating in then fashionable duffelcoats - not the image you'd expect!

 

[sufi]

nice 1
i missed it last night but enjoyed this evening

cheers!

 

[version]

Inside West Bengal's Booming Sound System Battles · Feature ⟋ RA

In the region's rural villages, ceremonial competitions have birthed an ear-splitting sub-genre of bass-heavy music. Arielle Domb visited the operators behind the vibrant scene.

ra.co

West Bengal is a state known for its tigers, mangroves and, among Indians, tantric mysticism. What's less known to those outside of India, however, is that it's also home to a vibrant sound system culture: a colourful, explosive scene that, according to locals, has been developing and thriving in rural villages for at least 70 years. Several times a year, small businesses build ginormous, brightly-painted sound systems splashed out with flags, flower garlands and religious iconography. Local artists take turns playing bass-heavy tunes from their mammoth creations, competing to blast the loudest sound.

 

[0bleak]

kind of reminds me of https://www.dissensus.com/threads/18002

 

[dilbert1]

Dipankar quipped that his friends who were into more conventional forms of electronic music would probably find it "pure blasphemy." He joked that "even our friend from West Bengal said, 'This is not music.'" In other words, "the sound of total chaos.[…] It's about the grotesque power of the machine."

Dude sounds just like third

 

[Corpsey]

I do like how mad this looks like some sort of mad max world



Can't really figure out what the music they play sounds like

 

[0bleak]

I do like how mad this looks like some sort of mad max world



Can't really figure out what the music they play sounds like

Did you check my thread? https://www.dissensus.com/threads/18002
The top video is by the same "Debashis & Friends".

 

[0bleak]

Maybe that RA writer saw my thread?

 

[0bleak]

a friend has also been posting about it on his blog and elsewhere (probably where I first saw it): https://kritikamleben.wordpress.com/tag/bengal

 

[version]

a friend has also been posting about it on his blog and elsewhere (probably where I first saw it): https://kritikamleben.wordpress.com/tag/bengal

The stuff on that blog's a cool companion to the RA piece. A purely online counterpart to the guided tour. One writer having to piece things together through YouTube whilst the other's on the ground and actually getting to experience it.

There are some mad vids on there too.