Marseille Dub Station #1

For once, the Reggaefrance team made the trip with Lion Roots Sound, and got stuck in. Because the sound system from Nice does not travel easily: at 24 kW, it is quite simply the biggest in France, inspired by the English school. Ideal to accompany English dub master Aba Shanti I, who has the unfortunate reputation of reducing to nothing any sound system he borrows. For the occasion, Lion Roots Sound used a 16,000-watt configuration, more than enough for L'Affranchi.

At 9pm, the night is just getting started. Stef Lion, on the controls, warms up the room with a foundation selection, gradually raising the pace of his set as the crowd fills the venue. Only once the room is full does he drop the gems, like that dubplate by Isia Davis (Lion Roots warning), which still rings in our heads. The crowd catches fire, and Stef chains dubplate after dubplate (Dan I, Vibronics productions, specials fi Lion Roots) interspersed with recent productions. As often, the performance is of high quality.

It is 11pm when Aba Shanti I takes his place behind the decks. The historic figure of London's Notting Hill Carnival, resident of the "University of Dub" nights, returns to a foundation set, winning the crowd over with a few classics (Chase the Devil, or a cut of War inna Babylon). The serious business begins with more recent or even unreleased productions, or dubplates in the purest British tradition, well supported by the energetic MC work that Aba Shanti I has a knack for. He even plays top-quality Japanese productions, such as Ghetto Priest on a Mighty Massa riddim.

An undeniable success, the first Phocaean Dub Station in fact kicks off a series of six other events during the year, always outside Paris. In Montpellier, on 9 May, the dub train will in the end not be stopping: the event is cancelled because of permit problems with the venue (Le Bouche à Oreille), yet one of the most active in the city on the dub scene. Ital Sound (and its 8 kW sound system), Musical Riot Sound, Echo Ranks and Jah Marnyah will therefore go straight to Avignon on 10 May. After Marseille, the Dub Station train is back on the rails.