Norra Bantorget a long time ago (no, not that long ago! Neither 1939, 1976 nor 2020 respectively…*).
Walking down a familiar inner city Stokholmian street. It is Saturday, I turn around the corner Olof Palmes gata / Vasagatan once again… the lights are on and you can hear the sub-bass from far, far away…
You approach and it intensifies… You know that all your friends and all the heads are there. You approach and the pure bass pressure and muffled sounds tells you that inside business is al-right (as always). You’re still somewhat surprised (the sound system is delivering beyond expectation).
– This track does not have percussion like that? Is it a new remix?
– No, it is the extra sounds of the building. The metal plates on the roof or in the basement are moving in unison.
– Fog engine? (I personally hate them). No, it is simply the difference between ambient temperature between the inside and outside. That is why there is water (condensation) running on the inside of the windows and why your eyeglasses are opaque instead of clear, like they usally are (I mean you see absolutely no thing. You could as well tape them or sand blast them thoroughly)?
That would be unstoppable beats, breaks and bass. Steppa, Hard Steppa, Tech, the Rollers and above all the Basslines. Boys and girls going all crazy. Only for those who know… business. How long? Til’ it ends. it still the same thing 25 years later… and I realise again that it is never ever going to change. The experience, that feeling is never going to change. Not then, not now, not in the future… ever. All I can feel is gratitude. I was there…
Dom & Roland - Lost In The Moment - 2020
Dom & Roland - Industry - 1998
It is the best d’n’b album of this year. Again?
The roof plates rattling would be; Hunter and he has actually captured the exact sound… that is the warehouse sound. You know the track, but there’s extras? There’s the magical moment. A1 people stylee.
or … Delta or A Broken Heart, oh my Lord! That is science.
I remember…
– Where have you been?!!! Management wants to talk to us (meaning you) now!
– What?!!! Why do they want to speak to me? Why/what do management want to speak to me for? It’s not like this is my club, responsibility or anything? That’s… I mean. Is it the sound system? Come on! I’m not solely in charge of that. That would be Lueder like in Jaques… we share responsibilities. Push it to the maximum. Optimize and then push it to limit. Bassline pressure.
– Soo… what is going on?
– The upstairs neighbors are really upset (the first Chinese restaurant in Stockholm/Sweden as far as I know… apparently invented “fyra små rätter”…). Bass comes first (no not the fishy, fishy).
– Why is that?
– Your bass brought down the entire content of their bar, 18 year old’s, everything – including the china and cutlery to the floor (go and have a look see, later won’t you?**).
– Hmm, Ok, I see… (That’s not good…?).
– We did tell you about the bass? Is this going to cause problems for us, now? For our venue (Fri/Sat we have nowhere to go)?
– No!!! None what so ever. It’s entirely their problem (if they can’t secure their bar and keep the bottles, china and the rest from falling to the floor then that is entirely their problem).
– Love what your doing. Keep on!
Like I was told.
– Per pair of 15″ you need 2 KW and then you set the amplifier to 50%? Limiter or EQ? No. You never need to or you will never play louder.
– Do you understand what I’m telling you?
– Yes. I do.
– So, the formula is?
– 2 x 15″ -> 2000W / 2…? 1000 Watts per speaker. Right. And that is the General’s Wall.
That sound? Invincible sound. When the roof plates themselves are rattling, when the building is trotting along with the bass… Gammal är äldst. “Hunter”. That is culture. When all electrical things are shorted out because of heavy an unexpected rainfall?
– I am not leaving*** until I have played my set.
– There are people here that expect me to play? Just bring back the power! Now!
– Come on? Let’s go back to the hotel. The night is finished****.
– I’m not leaving until I have played my set.
– Where’s my power?
Stockholm’s drum’n’bass clan war left, what? Absolutely nothing. It was just meaningless to begin with…
The bus used stop there, when I did my military service. In the signal corps, climb the telephone poles and tell the Kabelgrupp (kabeltattare) where to go.
– Right now I’m above you in the chain of command. And that means that you will have to do whatever I’m telling you to do and go wherever I’m telling you to go as long as I follow my orders. I am above you. I am the one who is in charge now. I’m with the 33rd platoon, the 3rd regiment as are you? S1, Signal corps, Swedish Army. We have the same rank. However, I out-rank you according to our regulation. When there is no higher ranked officer present I am in charge.
Our (my) captain (Stålhandske) is in charge of you / me / everyone at the 3rd and above us all in rank. But right now? In these woods? Then I am in charge and you and your boys, the big truck will obey me. That is chain of command. Regulations, S1 Enköping. Kopplingsgruppchef outranks Kabelgruppchef; Every time. Why? You tell me…
I miss it... and there's nothing left, not even a corner stone. It's been completely annihilated. Wiped. There's not even a plack. There's nothing left. Apart from memories...
Please see: Let Me Tell You A Story II.
* Source: Wikipedia. 2% of all users globally contribute to this project. 2%… think about it.
** Eventually I did go upstairs to behold the utter carnage. It was not pretty. I remember that I was thinking, at the time. Open up and you need to do a lot of tidying up. I mean a lot of tidying up. A disaster hospitality situation. The remnants of the contents of a bar – the expensive liquor, the sugary liqueur, the sweet and sour all blended/mixed with the finest of china and cutlery – on the floor, all in unison. Mocking you. It truly was a disastrous scene. It was horrifying and a tad bit scary.
*** Grooverider = culture.
**** Fabio = culture.