On August 3rd we teamed up with DUB STUY RECORDS to present THE ROOTS OF SOUND SYSTEM featuring TONY SCREW - DOWNBEAT THE RULER, TOMMY FAR EAST (SOLID ROCK - JAPAN), JAH WISE -(TIPPA TONE) and DEADLY DRAGON SOUND
Every year we've thrown a big party in honor of Jamaican Independence and this year we wanted to come with a really killer event that celebrated the foundation styles of Soundsystem culture: Ska, Rocksteady and Early Reggae. To this end we joined up with Dub Stuy records and brought together some of the greatest collectors and selectors of Early Jamaican music to dig deep into their vaults and play some of their most vital and rare records through the “Tower of Sound”, Dub-Stuy’s custom-built hi-fidelity sound system. Our hope was to bring a proper Revive dance to Brooklyn for perhaps the first time in the past decade.
And yes, the dance turned out to be more than proper -- it was a genuine, historic success with incredible vibes, monstrous tunes and a crowd that was left begging for more. So Big up our partners DUB STUY RECORDS for all their hard work promoting the event and sharing their incredible sound system, and Big Up all the selectors involved for coming with the serious music, and Big Up the staff of the Paper Box for running things properly and finally Big Up each and everyone who came out and supported!
And now let's give a proper recap!
First Up, Selector JD linked up a set of killer Jamaican breaks and soulful cuts
Photo Courtesy of Quoc Pham
Next up, Mr. K dropped pure Studio One selections.
Photo Courtesy of Quoc Pham
And then Queen Majesty set the vibes up lovely with some nice early reggae, rock steady and some festival tunes celebrating Jamaica's 51st anniversary
Photo Courtesy of Quoc Pham
To close out the Deadly Dragon segment, Scratch Famous jumped on with some real rude boy ska!
Photo Courtesy of Quoc Pham
In the meantime the crowd started to build and vibe to DUB STUY's Killer Sound System and a whole heap of real, original sound men, artists and producers joined the crowd..
Chuck Zilla (Frighters), and Ticklah with friends
Photo Courtesy of Quoc Pham
Selector Ratta. Maddie RUthless (Far East) with friend
Photo Courtesy of Quoc Pham
Rock Of Gibralter, Jah Wise, Mikey Jarrett, Sir Tommy
Photo Courtesy of Quoc Pham
Johnny Go Figure and Hank Shocklee (Bomb Squad)
Phillip Fraser & Mikey Jarrett
Photo Courtesy of Quoc Pham
Tony Screw & Tommy Far East
Photo Courtesy of Quoc Pham
Tommy Far East, Jango Thriller and Selector JD
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True Icon SCREECHY DAN was in the building all night introducing the selectors, vibing up the place and even dropping some serious verses of one of Down Beat's ska selections!
Photo Courtesy of Quoc Pham
Then Jah Wise of Tippa Tone got on drawing tunes from his massive collection, complete with hand drawn sleeves
Photo Courtesy of Quoc Pham
Jah Wise let loose a barrage of serious music including dropping the original of both Johnny and Attractions tunes "Let's Get Together" and "Young Wings Can Fly"
Photo Courtesy of Quoc Pham
Tommy Far East was next up and started his set with the Joe White's amazing version of "Try a Little Tenderness" and followed it with Jackie Mittoo's organ cut of "Midnight Hour"
Photo Courtesy of Quoc Pham
Photo Courtesy of Quoc Pham
Photo Courtesy of Quoc Pham
Not only did Tommy play some of the deepest Ska and Rock Steady cuts we have ever heard -- including a powerfully ridiculous cut called "MUSIC POLICE" by Nice & The Destroyers -- but he did so in pure style employing the no 45 adapter method -- centering all of his 45s by hand! So ridiculous and cool that it had WKCR's Carter Van Pelt pounding the speaker boxes
Photo Courtesy of Quoc Pham
And Finally Tony Screw aka Down Beat The Ruler got on and showed the people just why he is the absolute Don of Foundation Sounds: not only did he drop serious serious serious tunes like Dave Barker's "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" and a Rock Steady lick of the Wailers "Dreamland," but he fully entertained the crowd, sharing some serious history and even sharing some Ska dance steps!
Photo Courtesy of Quoc Pham
Photo Courtesy of Quoc Pham
Photo Courtesy of Quoc Pham
By 2am the Paper Box was fully ram and the crowd was given a treat of all the selectors dropping tune fi tune fi tune and causing the massive to cry for forwards.
Photo Courtesy of Quoc Pham
And finally the night came to an end and the Sound System was ready to be taken down and it was proved that REVIVE music is alive and well in the Big Apple and ROOTS OF SOUND SYSTEM will have plenty more chapters in the future.
Once again BIG UP to EVERYONE who took part and made the night such a success!!!
Photo Courtesy of Quoc Pham
