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Germaican Observer: Why did you decide
to have a Soundsystem and why Reggae and Dancehall music?
Sentinel Sound: Well, basically it was the music that
took me to that stage… I only knew Reggae music like
most other people from the names of Bob Marley and
Peter Tosh and I had some friends who were on vacation
in Jamaica in 1994 and they brought back a tape of Ninja
Man and at first it really sounded strange to me because
I didn't understand the words. But I liked the beats very
much because it was really unusual, the vibe of it.
The next year in 1995 I went with these guys to Jamaica and
I got to see my first stage shows, the first sound system
event… It was the time when Bounty Killer and
Beenie Man had their first buss. Back in the days it
was a different market. Today producers like Lenky
and also the artistes themselves producing not anymore for
the Jamaican audience alone, but are looking for the outside
world too...
After all I got a first impression of Dancehall music and
realized a bit of what it was about… Back home in Stuttgart
there was a soundsystem by the name of Supernova. Around
the very same time I got to know Nadia (the Sentinel
selectress) and both of us were really big fans of Supernova
because they really performed the same way I experienced it
Jamaica with the microphone and the sound fx and they took
it to a different stage a bashment stage.
The idea was to do a soundsystem but I really had no idea
where this adventure would take us, so Nadia and I
decided to do it and …
G.O.: How long ago was that?
S.: That was like in '98 and we played at small parties
or for friends at home. Once we had a big outdoor party under
an autobahn bridge, of course illegal. So police came after
a while and locked down the party...
We played at the Summer Jam (big Reggae festival
in Cologne/Germany) camping ground. Friends of us were
carrying speaker-boxes all the way from Stuttgart down to
Cologne. We sneaked on the camping site and built up our equipment.
It was raining but everybody really enjoyed the party very
much.
In the beginning it was just playing some records and making
some krazy noise on the microphone, but as things developed
we got more into it and I really learned much from being in
Jamaica and attending stage or soundsystem shows. The real
practice you only have when you talk in Jamaica or when you
have Jamaican people around you.
G.O.: Was that your first international
clash a couple weeks ago with Killamanjaro, Downbeat
and Black Kat in Munich?
S.: You can put it that way but we had clashed against
sounds from abroad before, we had a clash with a Sound called
Mighty Stallion in March this year. But if you mean
Jamaican Sounds, yes it was...
G.O.: Were you satisfied with the
outcome of the clash and was it your tactic in verbally going
at Freddy?
S.: Well, when you clash a Soundsystem like Killamanjaro
you can handle that in different ways but if you are not a
big Sound yet you have to really react to what Killamanjaro
will do, because you can really be deadsure that they're gonna
play those tunes from John Holt or Leroy Gibbons
or dem kinda artists and you really can create a strategy
out of this because people come to the show to hear Killamanjaro
play those tunes. So what we did, because we don't have those
'Anthems' that have been in the dance for more than 20 years
or from artistes that have passed away, we did react to what
Killamanjaro played and told the people Killamanjaro
is a Sound wey really not flexible not versatile. They're
really depending on their anthems they play out each and every
time. If you listen that clash, how many tunes we counteracted
and turned upside down, you will agree. Right, we counteracted
some tunes that night and did Killamanjaro some harm,
but it wasn't the impact we expected. If you have an original
cut of a dubplate, it will always stay the original and the
better cut of a dubplate no matter if you try to counteract
it. The counteraction will create a short hype but in the
end the original tune will still have more endurance. On the
other hand, if you counteract only you put yourself behind
the other Soundsystem because you are reacting only. I still
believe it's the only way a german Sound or a sound on our
level can approach a big Sound like Killamanjaro which
is like 30 years in the bizniz...
G.O.: So were you o.k. with the outcome
of it?
S.: Yes, definitely I was o.k. with it. It was unbelievable
to get to play the dub fi dub with Killamanjaro. That
was my aim really. Maybe we could have won that night because
we put so much money and effort and creativity into that night.
But honestly, the very next night Killamanjaro could
have played a complete different set and we wouldn't have
a single counteraction...
Still, if we had won that clash everybody would wish dead
pon we, everybody would have been calling for a rematch. Before
that night already some people were against Sentinel,
but that army of 'haters' would have been much bigger after
a sentinel win. I say tek your time fi grow. I think it was
the best possible outcome for us. We achieved a good second
place no matter what some people say… We just ripped
off some stripes off Killamanjaro. Freddy realized
that, I am fine with the outcome and I am very proud of Sentinel,
proud of my selectors Nadia, Thilo and Mario.
It really makes me happy when I look back at it.
G.O.: What were the responses like
to you following the show after being booed for playing the
Xavier Naidoo dubplate and Freddy saying that
"you put up a better fight than PowPow."
S.: Well I had the idea for the dubplate while listening
to a Xavier Naidoo (multi platinum artiste in Germany)
live show on the radio. A friend of mine provided the contact.
I really enjoyed recording it. Nadia and me heard the
original song and were rewriting the lyrics. We spent like
a half a day in the studio with him. He's pretty much down
toearth and didn't want no money for it. He was just like
"I'm doing that for you." And he was kinda proud
that we made that approach to him. We really love that tune
because it really takes it to a next level, musically. It's
really an anthem for Sentinel already.
I agree that Xavier is an artiste people whether like
or dislike. Before we played that tune in the Clash we already
knew that it would cause mixed reactions and that some people
would really boo that tune. But I tell you if Killamanjaro
would have played a tune like that nobody would have dared
to boo them because it would have been like: "hey that
is Killamanjaro and they are playing that tune, wow."
Maybe some people would have booed them, but not so many.
As a German Sound for us it's way harder to make those kind
of statements in a dance.
G.O.: That's because they're not from
here and the people would have been like "oh he knows
what's happening here...
S.: Definitely, yeah that's it. I played that song
for so long because I wanted the people to listen to the lyrics,
he's performing one part in English and the other in German
it's really a special.
To the People who booed that dubplate: "just chill man,
just chill". All night long yuh hear Bounty Killer
on dubplate, Sean Paul on dubplate everybody on dubplate.
It costs a hell of a money. For them it's nothing special
if you play a Bounty Killer dubplate. They'll never
realize what it takes to get to a stage where you're able
to spend so much money on this.
G.O.: But I suppose the problem that
most people had was that was it was a Reggae clash and Xavier
Naidoo is not Reggae so they were thinking...
S.: True, I bet, if we would have played a 50 cent
dubplate some of those people would still boo us. They don't
like Xavier Naidoo because he's mainstream act. The
tune is a no. 1 tune in Germany. Those people see Dancehall
or Reggae as rebel music only and don't wanna hear no mainstream
in it. In some parts of Germany the day will come when people
boo you if you play a Sean Paul tune, we will get there,
for sure. That is weird but it's Germany...
I tell you some people wanna be harder than hardcore they
always gonna tell you I was Reggae before you were Reggae.
They don't want no mainstream, so what they do is boo that
dubplate and don't even listen to it. Sometimes it's a pity
if you ask me...
The clash in Munich created a kind of hype for us. It was
streamed on the internet and people all over the world had
the opportunity to listen to that clash. It really took them
by surprise a sound in Germany was so much into it, so well-prepared
with tunes and also got something to say. Most of them enjoyed
it. People all over the world not only got to know the name
Sentinel but also heard that we were capable of doing
serious damage to a big Sound like Killamanjaro. The
internet speed up some things in a way, cause people listen
to the Riddim Clash in Munich, were talking about the clash
with Turbo Force in Jamaica as well. We already got
an offer to play in New York, but couldn't confirm through
it was supposed to be in December, not enough time to prepare...
I would love to play abroad one day, if it works out financially...
G.O.: How the clash in Jamaica come
about?
S.: : A friend of ours who used to live in Stuttgart
told people in Jamaica we were a good clash sound. So a promoter
in Jamaica set up that clash for us. We did not know anything
about Turbo Force we only knew that they were a Sound
out of Kingston a 'heavy sound' with a whole heap a Sizzla
and Capleton. But we didn't hear no tapes nor knew
anything about them…We made some preparations before
and went into some Studio. The very night when we went there
it was a really really different vibe compared to Germany,
not so many people, maybe about 300 people...
Right from the start Turbo Force was upset because
nobody told them before that Sentinel would also need
to use their set. They kinda troubled us all night long…there
were 8 of them, they turned down the bass volume everytime
we played and saying things like:"no yuh caan put yuh
records here now this is not a good place, be careful with
the needles, yuh a go break di needle my lord." Well
it turned out to be a very interesting clash...
People in Jamaica hardly see any white people playing Reggae
music like we do. They almost never get the opportunity to
see something like that. Of course you have some DJs from
the US coming over and once in a while David Rodigan,
but that's it.
So for those people it's still special to see some white people
coming and playing their kind of music, talking their talk
and knowing about Jamaican music culture and the patois language.
Jamaicans are very proud people and if somebody from abroad
comes with that kind of approach to their music and culture
they feel kinda flattered. We played a very good 1st round
and got massive forwards. Turbo Force came in, telling
the people they have to "stick to their Jamaican roots
and no white boy can run dem outta yard, so all who proud
to be Jamaican put your hand in the air" and this kind
of stuff.
I just had to turn it upside down. Because when we came back
in I told him "brethren, is like Regggae music, in case
yuh neva notice, become international already, yuh have Soundsystems
playing Reggae music in Japan, Sweden, Germany, London anywhere
and it's not a matter of the color of the skin, it's a matter
of what kind of big tunes yuh play tonight brethren."
They were just afraid to lose because of our dubplates and
had to stick to those kind of weak arguments to run us out
of the dance.
Furthermore Turbo Force was not very strict about following
the rules. They didn't accept no time restrictions and even
played an additional round when the tune fi tune was due,
saying: "mi no feel like tune fi tune yet, mi play a
next round fi di people." It took them no where still,
they played a couple of good tunes but it was nothing extraordinary.
The people got more and more bored the longer they played,
they should have just made it short and spicy and show the
people what they are really capable of...
G.O.: Did you play the same way as
you played Killamanjaro?
S.: No, what I realize, it's the lyrics of the tune
that have the greatest impact in Jamaica. For example when
the tune fi tune started we played a tune from Little John
on the "Cuss Cuss" rhythm called 'The Roughest'.
It is a very slow rootical riddim with heavy bass and drums.
I would never play that tune in Germany because I'm sure a
next man woulda play like a popular Beres Hammond or
a popular Ken Boothe against it and that would kill
that tune in Germany. In Jamaica it was just the other way
around because the people know that tune and they know the
lyrics and they were going crazy about it. It was perfect
in Jamaica to start the tune fi tune with a statement like
that.
G.O.: When it came to choosing the
winner was it like close between you and Turbo Force?
S.: No, not at all, we won tune fi ftune 10 to nil.
I'm not joking about that. Let me tell you exactly how it
happen…. I wasn't too sure that we were gonna play a
tune fi tune at all so we waited a bit. You could feel the
tension in the air. Both of us were recording the show. All
of a sudden one of the guys tried to get hold of our tape.
I went straight to him and got that tape back. If you listen
the clash you could hear how aggressive it got at some points.
One of those guys even came up to me and wanted to smash a
Heineken bottle in my face. Maybe that was why the people
dem cheer fi us all the way through di tune fi tune…
Turbo Force didn't have no chance, they could have
played anything. It was like the massive wanted to show Turbo
Force: "hey you wanna be a big Sound, I tell you
something, big Sounds die once in a while, get use to it,
if you don't realize your Sound is dead you're not a big Sound."
G.O.: So the rumors that some guys
from Turbo Force tried to take away your tapes and
that they dragged you through the venue are true?
S.: Yes it's true, I was so upset when they were playing
the extra round, that I went on stage and tried to get hold
of the microphone in order to tell the people that they should
be aware of what is going on. They dragged me off the stage
and say "hey it's our time to play." At some point
we even thought about leaving and just forget about the whole
thing.
G.O.: What did you actually win in
Jamaica, a Trophy?
S.: No, nothing… the next few days we stayed up
in the Blue Mountains. Everytime we went down to Papine from
every corner they hailed us up "bwoy yuh a di white man
weh kill Turbo Force, I was there, I was there."
For Turbo Force it was really a tragedy. They played
in front of their own people and 3 white guys come from the
other part of the world, play on their Sound and kill them.
That's really kinda hard to bear.
G.O.: Would you clash in Jamaica again
and if, what would you change?
S.: I would prefer clash challenge some other international
sounds on our level but also i would clash in Jamaica again
if we could rent a Soundsystem or play the set of a next Sound.
That really could spare a whole heap a trouble.
G.O.: Dubplates are expensive, do you earn enough
money from play a Soundsystem to do the plates and stay viable?
S.: Yes it's expensive. But it's not only the artistes
fees, but also studio time, transfer, mastering, cutting...
yes we earn enough to cover the costs of it but we're 4 people
working on Sentinel Sound... Personally we don't make
any money…
G.O.: So why do you do it then?
S.: Well, for the love of it…
G.O.: But then 'love of it' don't
pay your bills does it?
S.: Well all the money we make with the Sound, we reinvest
in dubplates. Well right now not to the full extent, we pay
ourselves a little money now.
It's a different approach... from the very start of it I never
planned to live off the Soundsystem. Maybe one person could
live off the Soundsystem, if we wouldn't spend anymore money
on dubplates. But that has never been the concept...
If you have to live off the Soundsystem I think you would
record different plates and even would play differently. Everybody
on the Sound has a "real" job, that is more important
and we will carry out these jobs even after Sentinel
time...
G.O.: Why do you think Sizzla
is such a good artiste?
S.: I liked that artiste from the very start when he
came out with records like "Black Woman And Child."
I rate him for his versatility. He even changed his style,
came back with the hardcore style. Many people never liked
it but this artist is a true genius because he is not the
type of artiste that is clinging to one concept of imaging
or singing. You have albums like
"The Real Thing" and next to it you have the new
album "Rise to the Occasion" and they are totally
different from each other. You can't even compare them. I
also like the energy of his live performance. He's got the
biggest output of all entertainers. I wouldn't say every Sizzla
tune is great, but that is part of his development. I met
him personally. Back in the days there was a lot of talk about
that he is very concerned about black people and people origins...
Yes he is, but he is far away from being a racist or ignorant.
He is very honest with himself...
G.O.: What about World Clash do you
think you're ready for that?
S.: Well to be honest, I don't know if World Clash
is such a good idea. I guess to most people who listen to
clashes would say that the Riddim Clash was much more fun
to listen to… maybe they really should move to a new
location. Maybe people find it so boring because it's too
long. You can't really blame the Soundsystems for that, because
if you have to play for so long you can't really come up with
brand new tunes only and new ideas only. You also have to
play some of your regulars. When Mighty Crown came to World
Clash '99 they really played some new stuff and succeed...
But World Clash is not really one of my aims.
G.O.: So what are your future plans
for Sentinel?
S.: We don't wanna rush anything, we made an impact
with the 2 clashes and put Sentinel on the international
map!
Germaican Observer: Thank you very
much for the interview!
Sentinel Sound: It was nice talking to you, I enjoyed
it.
Nadine Reid/ G.O. Leipzig/Germany
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