Contemporary photography space:
13. April 2010 – 10. July 2010
Georg Gatsas
Audio Addiction / Sonic Mutation
Afro-Caribbean immigrants brought the first bass wave along with them to London in the 1950s and 60s. Many in the black diaspora delivered the messages of Ska and Reggae via sound systems and imported vinyl singles from Jamaica, which are still the most important medium for bass music today. Sophisticated sound effects ruled supreme with the rise of Dub und Dancehall in the 1970s and 80s. These styles were followed by Jungle, UK Garage, Two Step, House and Drum ‘n’ Bass around the turn of the millennium – which in turn paved the way for the Rave culture that was to become an integral part of the music scene. Meanwhile Grime, Dubstep and Funky are soaking up the acoustic legacy of preceding generations like a sponge – this time without any hierarchical cultural divide or hype, straight from the streets of South London, places like Croydon, Brixton and Camberwell. This music is dynamic, confident, and is constantly redefining itself: hybrid Dancefloor, impossible to ethnically categorise, thuds with deep bass vibrating in the equality of the present. The producers bring their own unique mix of influences and their own idiosyncrasies into play. In the words of Kode9, a producer, DJ and professor for sonic theory who runs the Hyperdub label, “the only constant is sub bass.” The new sound spreads via blogs, forums and print media. Rine FM, London’s biggest pirate radio station and Mary Anne Hobbs’ weekly radio show on BBC One play a pivotal role as well. But that’s not the only reason rave kids, label owners, producers and DJs flock to the weekly FWD club night in London’s Shoreditch area and the DMZ night at the Brixton’s Mass every few months – every producer works with sub-bass frequencies that are near or below the limit of human hearing and are therefore hardly noticeable on a home stereo, but clearly perceptible on a good club sound system.
Georg Gatsas, published in WoZ Nr. 41, 8 October 2009 (extract), portrait: Ikonika, 2009
The Bug featuring Flowdan - Skeng
Mary Anne Hobbs TV: Generation Bass: Joker & Nomad
complete WoZ-text of Georg Gatsas
vollständiger WoZ-Text von Georg Gatsas
