Young Veteran is representing the new generation of sound systems lovers. The crew was back to the Dub Camp festival for the second time, but with their own sound system. Originally from Cologne – Germany - founded in 2011, the Young Veteran under the influence of the Jamaican roots tradition and UK pioneers is still spinning exclusive dubplates. They are famous because they used to build heavy diy sound system and they build some for other crews as well. Unstopable, they played during 3 days at the entrance of the festival with one stack (see video below) and on Saturday they revealed the full sound system at the Sound Meeting Arena - featured Nga Han the Jamaican singer with powerful and spiritual lyrics.

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

Dub Camp is about the togetherness of all people coming from near and far. It's about everyone speaking the same language: Roots and culture inna Soundsystem style! Since our first time at Dub Camp 2019, we have been eagerly waiting for the moment to play there again after three years. When the invitation came, we were super excited and almost bursting with anticipation. We give thanks to the GetUp! Association and the crew for the invitation and to host the sound meeting arena on Saturday. So, it is an absolute honor to be part of this great movement. Young Veteran is more ready than ever to push the sound system culture forward together in unity!

What do you especially like in French sessions?

French sessions are a musical appreciation. All the people who attend the sessions really appreciate the hard work of the sound systems, producers and musicians. People are willing to travel long distances to support and enjoy the vibes. The French audience is very passionate, they show their joy very openly. What we also really appreciate is the kindness and welcoming nature of the French promoters, their professionalism and commitment to the sound system culture. At Dub Camp, all this comes together. You feel surrounded by a big family. Also, it's a great pleasure to meet many people and reggae activists in person at Dub Camp, some we've known for a long time, but only virtually.

What’s the particularity of your sound?

First of all, Young Veteran is about teamwork. We are a small group of people of different ages and cultural backgrounds. Every single member has found their own interests and tasks in the crew. At our weekly meetings at the base, there is a constant exchange of knowledge, communication and discussion. We always plan the upcoming upgrades and steps together. The second part is our sound system itself! People tell us that our sound is very clear, like big studio monitors with a massive bassline. The combination of clarity and heaviness also makes it very attractive for producers to play on our sound, as they would love to hear their production loud and heavy. In addition to sound quality, we also put a lot of thought into our selection. We consider our selection to be part of what makes Young Veteran special. We play unique tunes. Since we work with a lot of producers and labels, we play a lot of unreleased and special mixes to promote them in the dance. Also the equipment we are using, when it comes to our custom French made preamp, the amplifiers and all wirings, all those make our sound unique, especially when we operate it with our own musical taste.

The philosophy?

We are visionaries with big goals and dreams! We will never stop and we will always improve. As a team, united we get stronger and that is reflected in our philosophy to create the perfect sound.

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

The world has been in crisis since day one. Reggae music is in one of the biggest, if not the biggest crisis of mankind. To this day, after more than 400 years, we still find colonial traces in our daily lives, in museums, in languages, and the list goes on! All these colonial structures keep racism alive, legitimize and normalize it through their continuity. Reggae is heavily inspired by Rastafari, a black liberation movement whose message is still relevant and necessary to address fully. As a sound system based in Germany, we let the message of reggae music and the black liberation movement speak for itself. Nonetheless, it is important to us to contribute to the ongoing discourse on white privilege and decolonization and to reflect on our own involvement in black culture. Equal rights and justice!

What do you expect that the public remembers of your session?

Young Veteran Soundsystem is about evoking the right emotions and physical sensations and sharing them with the crowd. It's always a two-way interaction! We want people to remember and internalize the special vibes we bring to every session.

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

This edition of Dub Camp 2022 was just amazing. It's very important for us to see what's happening left and right of us. That's why we didn't miss to visit other areas during the festivals. We had the chance to see the great show of Dub Shepherds, Jolly Joseph and BAT Records live for the first time. We also enjoyed the Omega Power of Roots Daughters and their set on Wednesday, and it's always a blessing to be at a session with veterans like Aba Shanti-I or Channel One.

What about the ecological impact of a sound system?

It’s important to be aware of the environmental footprint we leave behind, especially since we travel a lot. These aspects that are important to us: The sound systems we build are not fast fashion, disposable products with a short lifespan. We create products with high quality standards that last a long time. We want to use materials for manufacturing that have a qualified environmental label.
Unfortunately, this is not always easy, but for example the market for wood with ecological origin is growing. Also our merch is made of ecological textiles. And while trodding, we always plan the
fastest way, even if we have to pay PEAGE.

Your dream place to put a sound system?

Our dream is to take sound across the globe and play in every corner of the world to help spread the message of Reggae music. But of course everyone from the crew has his own dream place.
Max: Buckingham Palace
Carsten: English Bay, Vancouver
Andre: Stadium of 1. FC Cologne
Milosh: The bridge of Bosporus
Kaba : Siegen , my home town
Ersin: Own festival in Cologne, Germany
Sady: More and more Dubcamps
Lena : Colombia

Interview by Maela