With sound system culture emerging across a vast territory and among a diverse population, Australia has been a key country in the SST research (see a previous blog post on Melbourne’s sound system scene by Moses Iten). The SST Australia team, led by Douglas Kahn and Clare Cooper, has not only explored the influence of sonic street technologies on popular culture nationwide, but has also initiated practice-based engagements oriented towards community development.

One such initiative is the Knock-em Down workshop. Designed and curated by Andrew Belletty, this project included a series of events such as mentorship sessions, DJ training, and sound system building workshops. These took place in Darwin and the Bagot Community—an Indigenous community in Australia’s Northern Territory—in April 2024. Here is a short report.

by Andrew Belletty

Situated in the Northern Territory of Australia, the small town of Darwin is distinguished by its isolation, harsh tropical climate, and closeness to Southeast Asia. These factors have uniquely shaped its music production, cultural landscape, and sound system technology, differentiating it from metropolitan areas. The town’s Indigenous custodians acknowledge a specific season in early April, marked by the arrival of the Knock em Down winds, which flatten the spear grass heralding the onset of the dry season.

Project leader Dr Andrew Belletty grew up in Darwin and formed a band The Swamp Jockeys, in the early eighties, who played original music which responded to Darwin’s unique environment and culture. The Swamp Jockeys later merged with an Aboriginal folk group to become Yothu Yindi.  The timing of the Knock em down sound system (KEDS) was planned to coincide with this unique season in Darwin.

“It’s vital to the survival of the continuation of the tradition of community in Darwin…every single time that knowledge is exchanged, that foundation gets stronger. and we, as young people, get better for that.” (KEDSS Participant Felix Hill)

“Andrew Belletty’s story about the way Yothu Yindi started is still inspirational after all these years, you know, 45 years later, I still get a buzz hearing him say that. They just happened to be there with the right attitude ready to go all at the same time and they made Australian music history. Ultimately, I don’t think they consciously sat down and wrote out a plan. So, this is how Australian music history is made and I think that’s a good thing for young younger people to know  that it can happen.” (Elder, Sound Mixer and Technical Mentor Colin Simpson)

“I came in having no clue what this was about, so I showed up and it is exactly what I needed.” (Abbey Rapkins)

“The knowledge that was shared with me by my older peers, it is incredibly influential in the way that I frame my thinking around my music.” (KEDSS Participant Felix Hill)

DJ Workshops

Sat 13^th 2024 April 9am-3pm Charles Darwin University

Actual Participants: 17

Sun 14^th 2024 April 9am-3pm Bagot Community Centre

Actual Participants: 39

 

For the DJ workshop, I collaborated with Charly Templar, a French Cameroonian-born, Australian-based Professional DJ, Teacher, and Youth Mentor. I had heard about Charly’s work in remote indigenous communities as a mentor and workshop facilitator. He had also established a program at the Don Dale Juvenile Detention Centre, where he trained young people to deliver workshops for inmates.

Charly possessed the right energy and passion for elevating young people to become trainers themselves, making him an ideal facilitator for this workshop.

Community Impacts

The Bagot Community workshop exhibited significantly higher levels of participant engagement. The demographic composition of attendees skewed younger than anticipated, with numerous participants demonstrating aptitude for the technical equipment provided.

The event served as a platform for Ward, Colin, and the Speaker Building Workshop team to field-test the Spear grass high-fidelity audio system in an outdoor setting. The location’s relative isolation from residential areas facilitated high-volume testing of the system without acoustic disturbance concerns.

The Bagot community DJ workshop held multifaceted significance, with its primary objective being the implementation of diversionary activities for youth, as advocated by community elders. This initiative was designed to function as an intervention mechanism for young individuals at risk of becoming entrenched in cycles of ennui and criminal behavior, potentially leading to juvenile detention and subsequent adult incarceration.

Speargrass Sound System Building Workshop

9^th-12th April 10am-5pm Charles Darwin University Theatre

Actual Participants: 37

“Every day was like an event, or a series of events. I love events. Events are the exact opposite of going to school or a job you don’t like. They’re very motivating So it’s the exact opposite of having something where you know what you’re doing, you know what the outcome is supposed to be. This one you come along there, and there’s an element of surprise, and there’s an element of we can make.” (Elder, Sound Mixer and Technical Mentor Colin Simpson)

For the DIY PA speaker building workshop, I enlisted the help of Colin Simpson, an old friend and colleague who is Darwin’s expert audio technician and can repair almost anything under any conditions. Colin is a talented musician, sound mixer, and live sound engineer with over 40 years of experience. As an Elder from the scene, he has worked across diverse communities and towns in the Northern Territory, predominantly in makeshift venues.

Colin has a passion for reggae sound systems and suggested I speak with Ward Hancock, the co-owner of the Spear Grass Hi-Fi , the only reggae sound system operator in town. Ward is a talented musician, composer and producer who built the Sound System by hand in Darwin. Ward’s energy and enthusiasm for creating the ultimate reggae sound system  provided the perfect platform for building new components in a workshop setting.

“I was a mentor, but I also got mentored as well, you know, it was really cool.” (Elder, Sound Mixer and Technical Mentor Colin Simpson)

The workshop’s facilitator, Ward Hancock, was commissioned based on his expertise with sound systems. Upon assessment of the existing setup, it was determined that enhanced bass capabilities were necessary to create an authentic reggae sound system. Consequently, the workshop was structured around the construction of two large bass bin speakers, each housing twin 18-inch drivers. In collaboration with sound engineer Colin Simpson, the G-sub design was selected for its:

• High bass output
• Compact form factor
• Improved logistics and transportability

This design choice aligned with the workshop’s community-oriented nature, accommodating limited financial and human resources typically associated with non-commercial endeavors.

“Some of the participants will pick up that thing and run with it, and that to me is how the best knowledge is passed on, people love doing things for the love of doing them and there’s also joy in giving the knowledge as well not about how much you’re making out of it it’s the joy.” (Elder and Technical Mentor Colin Simpson)

Mentor Colin Simpson explains the 4way system design

“we’ve all been very inspired, afterwards a  lot of people from the workshops have been inspired to build speakers themselves.” (Workshop Facilitator Ward Hancock)

Long-Term Outcomes

Workshop Participant Nat Leysley and facilitator Ward Hancock

“Young people are figuring less and less things out for themselves, and they’re being told more and more what to think and what to do. I don’t think that’s healthy. I think that the type of knowledge and the type of experience that we do is a different reward, but part of that reward is the joy of giving it, part of it is to know that other people are going to take it and do their own thing with it and pass it on in a different way.” (Elder and Technical Mentor Colin Simpson)

“Because of just one workshop, avenues and doors open up to people that weren’t normally there before.” (Workshop Facilitator Ward Hancock)

The project demonstrates the potential for community-driven audio technology initiatives to foster skill development, cultural exchange, and social engagement across diverse demographics in Darwin.

Speargrass Sound System Tests

 

The university’s indoor basketball court proved to be an exemplary location, boasting superior facilities. The institution’s support was instrumental, as they provided air conditioning and carpeting, thus enhancing the venue’s suitability for our event.

We were cognizant of the potential challenges in attracting an audience, particularly given the limited on-campus student population at Charles Darwin University. However, the primary objective of the concert setup was to demonstrate the transformative potential of underutilized spaces. Our aim was to illustrate how a vacant area with basic amenities could be repurposed into a viable performance venue through the addition of a sound system.

This demonstration of accessibility is crucial for fostering a mindset of possibility among musicians, DJs, and sound engineers. It tangibly showcases that elaborate staging, lighting, and high-end audio equipment are not prerequisites for creating a functional performance space; a basic public address (PA) system suffices.

This event served as a practical application for the speaker-building workshop, allowing participants to witness their creations in a live performance context. The collaborative nature of the event was evident in the substantial assistance provided by workshop participants on the day of the concert, effectively integrating elements from the DJ, and speaker-building workshops.

“That whole sense of self -empowerment, I believe, would bring people joy. Some people may not have much of it and may never get much of it, but there’s a chance with programs like KEDSS. The people that came along proved how worthy and wonderful an experience it is, because everyone enjoyed it. Everybody comes away feeling like a winner. You cannot pass knowledge on without them, they’re absolutely essential.” (Elder and Technical Mentor Colin Simpson)

 

The basketball courts, which previously served as the primary performance area, lost their roof due to a cyclone, resulting in the entire area becoming derelict and overgrown. Consequently, the only viable venue for the performance was the small church hall. Community members engaged in preparatory efforts, clearing spear grass from the perimeter and cleaning the facility. Essential infrastructure, including a roof, freshly cleaned sanitation facilities, and three-phase power (restored through the assistance of a local electrician), was made available.

This setting provided an excellent opportunity to test the capabilities of the PA building team, as outdoor locations typically present challenges for bass-heavy sound systems. The spatial constraints necessitated the use of the sound system as a single, large stack, which inadvertently resulted in a reggae sound system aesthetic.

I took the opportunity to evaluate the efficacy of 360-degree camera virtual reality (VR) recording techniques and Ambisonics audio capture during the performance. The data collected from these experimental recordings was subsequently analyzed to inform the development of my multimodal speaker system design. This approach allowed me to assess the viability of immersive audiovisual technologies in capturing and reproducing the performance environment. The 360-degree video recording provided a comprehensive visual representation of the space, while the Ambisonics audio capture enabled the preservation of spatial audio information. The integration of these two modalities aimed to create a more holistic and immersive representation of the performance, which could potentially enhance the listener’s experience when reproduced through a multimodal speaker system.

“It’s hard to get into the Bagot community, but out of  this workshop we’re now doing another sound system performance there in a couple of weeks.” (Workshop Facilitator Ward Hancock)

This initiative represents a potential catalyst for community rejuvenation, particularly given the importance of diversionary activities for Indigenous youth. Such small-scale interventions have the potential to effect significant positive change within the community.

About the Author

Dr Andrew Belletty is a researcher, sound designer and artist who grew up in Darwin and as a founding member of both The Swamp Jockeys and Yothu Yindi shares a long history with the Darwin music and arts community.