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Dub London: Bassline of a City
The Museum of London and the Dub London: Bassline of a City display are open. Entry to the display is included with a free ticket to the museum - book online now.
Display
From its roots in Jamaican reggae to how it shaped communities over the last 50 years, our new display explores not only dub music, but also the cultural and social impact it has had on the identity of London and its people.
Dub has had a far-reaching impact across the music industry and the history of the capital. It has influenced multiple genres from drum and bass, garage and hip-hop to even mainstream pop, and played an important role in the early days of the city's punk scene with bands such as The Clash and The Slits drawing on its unique sound.
Exploring this musical influence alongside community, fashion and spirituality, Dub London examines how dub is a varied thread that runs through an entire community. Highlights include:
- The iconic speaker stack belonging to Channel One Sound System that has appeared yearly at Notting Hill Carnival since 1983
- A bespoke record shop created with Papa Face of Dub Vendor Reggae Specialist with a selection of 150 vinyl records available to listen to* chosen by fifteen London based independent record shops
- Collaborations with notable names and organisations including Mad Professor, Rastafari Movement UK, Sisters in Sound and more
- Historic and contemporary photography, including 21 newly acquired photographs by Dennis Morris, Charlie Phillips, Eddie Otchere, Adrian Boot, Jean Bernard Sohiez and Richard Saunders
Dub London: Bassline of a City highlights
1/4 Dub London: Bassline of a City highlights
Channel One speakers stack
© Museum of London
2/4 Dub London: Bassline of a City highlights
Dub reggae mind map
© Museum of London
3/4 Dub London: Bassline of a City highlights
Dub reggae record store
© Museum of London
4/4 Dub London: Bassline of a City highlights
View of the display
© Museum of London
Through collecting objects, memories and personal stories from some of Dub's most iconic people and places from across London, including Hackney, Lambeth, Notting Hill, Ladbroke Grove, Harlesden and Lewisham, the display plunges you into the heart of Dub Reggae and invites you to explore this cultural phenomenon.
*There will be an opportunity in the display to listen to records from the selection. If you would like to listen to one of the records, please bring your own wired headphones/earphones with you (with standard 3.5mm or 6.35mm jacks). Bluetooth headphones will not work in the space. We are currently unable to provide headphones/earphones owing to our COVID-19 measures, which are in place to ensure all visitors have a safe and enjoyable experience.
Dub London: Bassline of a City is part of Curating London, a four-year contemporary collecting programme with funding from Arts Council England and part of the Museum of London's SoundClash season.
Dub London: Bassline of a City is a free display but requires a free timed entry ticket to the museum to be booked in advance. Please note, tickets are available 6 weeks in advance, with more dates being released weekly.
“That idea of belonging, of dub as a joyful refuge, is the overriding impression left by this new (albeit Covid-delayed) exhibition at the Museum of London. It delves into the societal impact of the music and the culture, rather than poring over the finer stylistic details of the genre.”
Evening Standard
Display
Dub London also of interest
Collecting Dub Reggae
An interview with Dub London curator Cedar Lewisohn how he has tried to capture a sound, a culture, and an experience.
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Curating London: collecting the city
How can we make the museum’s collections reflect the lives of Londoners today?
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SoundClash: London’s Dub Reggae roots
Explore videos, photos and articles all about dub reggae culture in the city.
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