Book On Sound System Culture To Be Published

Writer Joe Muggs speaks to Adrian Sherwood, Mala, Cooly G and lots more for his new book on sound system culture

Portrait by Brian David Stevens

Music journalist Joe Muggs is to publish a book charting the history of sound system culture.

Titled Bass, Mids, Tops: An Oral History Of Sound System Culture, the book sees the writer team up with photographer Brian David Stevens to present an anecdotal history of the music surrounding sound system culture and the means by which people came to showcase that music.

Alongside interviews with a number of figures including Adrian Sherwood, Mala, Dennis Bovell, Cooly G, DJ Storm, Norman Jay and Rinse FM’s Sarah Lockhart, are portraits of each of those interviewed as well as sound system photography by Stevens.

"I wanted the voices of the subjects to be what dominates, and the overlaps between their stories to show the outlines of what we think of as cultural movements and moments," Muggs told The Wire. The book is to be published early summer by Strange Attractor.

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