FOUNDATIONS: ABA SHANTI
Bless your Carnival weekend with four hours of timeless reggae music from the man behind Soundsystem Number 1.
5 years ago, in the depths of lockdown when we were supposed to be shut up indoors, I decided to start something new.
Phase Transition.
A celebration of UK soundsystem culture.
Past, present and future.
A shining example of British creativity and technical prowess.
A message of unity and hope.
The single greatest cultural artefact to come out of this country in the past 50 years.
And there ws nobody better to round off the first season than Aba Shanti, the man behind Notting Hill Carnival’s Soundsystem Number 1. One of the greatest selectors and sound boys the world has ever seen:
Click the image or listen back Here.
I actually have a theory that club culture started going in the wrong direction after 1993. The year Aba Shanti was voted best DJ by DJ Magazine.
Then next time the award was announced in 1995, Judge Jules took the top spot. A profound shift had been made: from conscious brother, spiritual leader and sonic innovator to Radio 1 ‘personality’, insipid trance music and the grim griding gears of the music ‘industry.’
Even in its moment of pomp and glory, club culture had started on a downward trajectory… To be continued.
For now enjoy the session and the bank holiday weekend.
Bless up all hardcores and all originals.
All the heads keeing it real.
One love.
Rubin