MIL Presents: messenger soundsystem

Austin Bell

"Based in Edinburgh, Messenger Sound System are Scotland’s original (and biggest) roots and culture rasta reggae sound system. They have been lighting up city centres with their own custom built bass-heavy rig since 1987, and are passionate about bringing roots reggae rocking onto the dancefloor. They have a regular slot at the Bongo Club in Edinburgh, where they never fail to take the crowd on a musical journey - exploring classic rockers and steppers tracks, as well as fresh dubs from contemporary artists. Couple this with their ongoing relationships with MCing giants such as Afrikan Simba and Earl Sixteen, and you have a potent reggae mix that will leave you somewhere between frantic dancing and meditation!"

One may safely assume that the general student body of St Andrews would not musically default to Reggae; however, Music is Love once again showcased their ability to provide Reggae in an accessible platform which attracted students from all backgrounds. Bolstering inclusivity and accessibility as two of MiL’s major attributes, the student-run society continues their dedication to musical exploration. Last Monday they continued their weekly Open Mic Sessions in Sandy’s Bar, followed by Messenger Soundsystem on the following Friday in Venue 1; encouraging music aficionados of all varieties to partake in their festivities, Music is Love’s “platform” does not derive itself from any concrete structure but rather from an ethos as straight forward as the name professes. As their page proudly proclaims: “Music is Love” began as a collective of individuals passionate about showcasing quality music in what had become a music backwater. The biggest difference between their past and their future relies on one crucial assumption - that “music backwater” exists. As they have continued to grow over the past years, both in numbers and in relevance, they have not only overwhelmed themselves as they continue to outgrow venue after venue, but they have also brought the “music backwater” to the foreground. Realizing the general apathy of musical pursuits within this town, they have rallied as an organization to host events of all shapes and sizes.

While last year’s Mungo’s Hi-Fi show set a precedent for Music is Love’s ability to host a Reggae night, it also inappropriately “educated” students on what they were listening to. A common “complaint” on the night was that Messenger Sound System did not have enough Dubstep; students failed to realize that Mungo’s Hi-Fi advocates a Reggae/”Dub” (not Dubstep) sound while Messenger Sound System serves up more organic Reggae, although they sometimes do inject Dub into their sets as well. Perhaps what they meant to say in their dehydrated, dancing haze was that the speakers did not project bass as well as Mungo’s Hi-Fi’s did. In that regard, they were spot on; however, this problem arose not as a result of Messenger’s kit but the ENTS’ strict decibel regulations. Only minutes after they cranked their speakers to roughly twenty percent, Messenger Soundsystem had to turn their system down, and to kill the “noise” they had to strangle the bass. Thus, patrons who stood close to the speakers experienced extremely intrusive high-ends without the same bassy rhythms one might expect from a Reggae night. Fortunately, this slight technical problem did not prevent students from attempting (key word) to dance to the music.
 

In the midst of it all, the MC’s reminded the dance floor that they presented “music so good, you’ve gotta play it twice.” The beauty of MiL events in general is that they succeed in striking the balance between quality over quantity in terms of the students who attend; when students come to listen to their music, they rarely complain or question the format with which they are engaging. A perfect example of this stems from their Open Mic series which takes place in Sandy’s Bar. This week it hosted a variety of Freshers, many of whom had never performed before a public audience before. The genuine enthusiasm for music that the Music is Love community puts forward enables students to explore music in ways both the veteran committee as well as incoming Freshers had not yet thought to involve themselves.