Sound System Culture

Selectors: Bopper Ranking (Freedom Sound) - Mellojamz (Transient Radio) - Yebsie (Transient Radio). Tickets: From £5+bf Age Restrictions: 18+ Accessibility: There is a ramp entrance into the venue and the bar / venue is all on one floor. There is also an accessible toilet on the same floor. For further information, please email info@brightenthecorners.co.uk so we can make your visit as comfortable as possible. Bopper Ranking has spent 48 years building and playing sound systems—and he’s still going strong. In his early days, he played alongside legendary sounds such as Jah Shaka and Sir Coxsone, helping to shape a rich musical legacy. Today, Bopper is the owner and operator of Freedom Sound System, where he continues to bring people together through music. He regularly organises community events, runs his own record label, Freedom Sound Music, and hosts a regular slot on ICR FM. At the heart of everything he does is a clear mission: to raise conscious awareness and spread messages of peace, unity, and positively through the music he plays. Mellojamz Mello Jamz is a Caribbean-British selector whose sound is rooted in reggae, lovers rock, soul and sound system culture. Raised in a home where music was ever-present, her foundation was shaped by her parents’ Caribbean heritage. Her father, an electrician by trade, DJ’d at clubs on weekends, while her mother, a nurse, filled the home with records and hosted gatherings where music brought people together. From an early age, Mello Jamz was immersed in sound — listening, selecting, and creating mixtapes for friends and family. For over two decades, she has supported both established and emerging UK artists through promotion and community platforms. Her work has included artist support, promotion and management, beginning with early work alongside Neville Morrison during a period that saw chart success and recognition at the Black Music Awards, now known as the MOBO Awards. Over the years, she has also supported and connected with respected artists and producers including Vivian Jones, Nadine Sutherland, U-Roy and Mad Professor, alongside influential labels such as Fashion Records, Jungle Rock, Ariwa, Joe G’s, Rads and Nu Edge Annually, she is part of the team supporting VIP guests at the ‘Giants of Lovers Rock’ event at indigo at The O2, working alongside key figures within the genre and continuing to contribute to the culture at a respected level. As a selector, Mello Jamz is known for creating warm, intentional atmospheres that blend classic lovers rock — from voices such as Carroll Thompson, Sandra Cross, and Janet Kay — with deeper cuts in reggae, dub, and soul. With vinyl at the heart of her approach, her sets are guided by feeling, memory, and a deep respect for the music. Whether playing digitally or from record, her philosophy remains the same: thoughtful selection, cultural awareness, and a sound that is always curated for listening ears. Yebie's love of underground dance music began after being introduced to pirate radio when visiting a friend's Dad in Vauxhall, London aged 16. Since then he has been collecting records and DJing all for the love and admiration of the underground music scene. Later on taking a keen interest in the roots of this sound. Whilst living in Bristol for 8 years Yebsie became a resident at Noods Radio as well as putting on regular club nights with fellow DJs from the station in venues such as "The Surrey Vaults", "Cosies" and "The Brunswick Club". In recent years Yebsie has moved back to his home town of Ipswich, where the underground music scene is rapidly growing, once again. Having developed a love of sound system culture whilst living in Bristol, Yebsie now runs "Genesis Sound System" along with DJ Lochness and Rig Master Jay. This owner built and operated sound system has become a staple within the nightlife scene in the East of England.