Founded over 30 years ago, Amsterdam-based King Shiloh Sound System is a veteran of the roots reggae and dub scene.From the beginning at the University of Dub in London, through the Dub Station gathering in Paris, the crew has built a solid reputation across Europe.During the lockdowns, they have united us every week with their live Healing Of The Nations, whose 123rd show has just been broadcast as I write these lines! Back at Dub Camp, they opened the 2022 festival with an open air session featuring Queen Omega, Kebra Ethiopia, Roots Daughters, Vibronics, Weeding Dub and Marina P. What good vibes and heavy dance under the Sun ! This day was the occasion for a warm encounter with the emblematic Bredda Neil and a cloud of thick smoke.

Why did you absolutely want to be there for this 2022 Dub camp?

It's not possible for us to miss Dub Camp! It's a highlight to everybody, come to Dub Camp and see everybody. We've been coming for many years and since we have this concept “circle of sound”, the organization give us a full day to do what we want to do. Cause this sound is very special, we don't want to be competitive. They call it "meeting days". Back in the days they use to call it "sound clashes" and we don't have any interest in sound clash. When you play music, it's not to create a vibe "I'm better than you". It's better for us to start a journey and keep continue that journey to finish in other place at the end of the session, it's a spiritual journey that we take people on.

In modern day's sound system, a lot in UK, their intention is to have big channels of sound, maybe not their intention but what's happen is big walls of sound, that hit you on it. It's almost too heavy. When I use to go and see Shaka playing long time ago, he did not compress everything into a few speak-a-boxes, he spread it in a lot of speak-a-boxes. So, when he played in a big venue, everybody in that venue could hear the sound, it's like it's created the vibe among people, like a wave, you couldn’t escape the sound, so everybody is riding on that wave. These days, people create this intense volume for about 10 meters and it absolute kills people.

It's very important to us to maintain a certain value also, I'm kind of conscious... At a moment, the new dub music becomes just like other musics... But for me, as rastas in a sound system, we've something special, we can create a magic and that's our job as a sound system to able to do that, to bring them to a higher level in their consciousness. So, the next day they feel so good about life. When they go back to work, they cruise for few days, no problems. It's important to be aware that we're losing a bit of it in this modern age with heavy music, heavy sound system. It's not about the equipment we use, it's about the vibes we can transmit through the equipment.

What's the philosophy of your sound system?

To keep it real. We've always been a real sound system. We don't like carrying records and flying in airplanes to different places. We like to drive and take our sound system with the whole crew and enjoy! Enjoy for what it is, enjoy the journey, enjoy meeting people.  And share the love. It's very important!

In this world of crisis, do you have a message to convey with this Dub Camp session?

The general message is: don't believe everything you hear, read and see. Make things for yourself, make your own decisions in life. We're all individuals, we all have right to choose, so choose right things in life and don't forget: we're not here to suffer. Mighty Jah doesn't bring us here to suffer, but to enjoy with full joy in life. That's what I hope for people here tonight: enjoy the session and just be true to yourself, be real! Don't pretend to be something you're not... Follow your destiny!

What do you like that public remember of your session today?

Smiles in faces, happiness... And feeling uplifted. Feel closer to Jah. In each ever way, we connect with the Creator, he creates all of us. That's why we need equality. It's important that we recognize that. Because that gives sense to foundation for our life. If you know who you are and where you're going, what your purpose in life is, it's a strong thing to have!

Beyond coming to play, do you also come to see other artists play?

No, we can't, too short because we have to move back. Especially in this July, we have mid-week sessions, week-end sessions. I don't want to lose this special real essence of sound system by doing too much.

What about the ecological impact of a sound system?

Waw. That's a difficult one. It's only one type of wood we use to build speak-a-boxes: birch plywood. But it's come from Russia. So not really ecological. The most important is the message of consciousness we bring to the microphone.  

Your dream place to put a sound system?

In Ethiopia. I had an amazing dream one day. African scene, flat place, with all animals and with 20,000 people dancing on the sound system. Waw!

This dream of Ethiopia happened, since we already built a sound system in Addis-Abeba, started many years ago actually. When we started the sound system in Amsterdam with Red Lion and Majestic B, we had to register with the government as a charity so: not make profit, we had to write status, the rules, the aim of this. It was the occasion to think deeper about this.

It is a real symbol to promote the music of rastafari and to take the music to Ethiopia with a sound system. And that's what we did after 28 years.

The sound system we built in Addis-Abeba is a little bit different than this one, it's the old model we made before. It was hard to do it in Africa, challenging. But now we have a sound system for Dub Terror, a young guy who came our first session where we played there. He just loved the music so much, we decided to train and teach him. Now he can use the sound system himself.

We go there regularly to play. We set up the thing at Addis Dub Club 2-3 weeks ago, nice, it’s so magical for us. You can imagine, we reach the full circle to where it should be. We'll continue in Africa, we encourage people to go there and to see what's happening in rasta community. Before lockdown, it was started to be nice. Ethiopia is always on my mind.

Last words?

I love the life, I'm so thankfull. click to www.kingshiloh.com

Interview & photo by Maela.