Profile: Everything Crash Soundsystem

EMERALD PASTON meets Everything Crash Soundsystem DJ duo Luke Hawksbee and Andy Tindall as they blast out their reggae records.

Clare Cellars DJ Everything Crash Soundystsm reggae ska soul

With their formidable collection of soul, ska and reggae records, Luke and Andy see themselves as standing in the tradition of Jamaican soundsystems. After showcasing their talents at Clare Cellars, I catch up with the pair to discuss their inspirations for their new DJ project, Everything Crash Soundsystem.

So why ska and reggae? Well apart from it being a shared passion and one of the reasons they first got talking, they think it’s ‘criminal’ that Cambridge’s student club scene is dominated by “monotonous dance and commercial cheese.”

“Great musical traditions of Black origin seem missing from evenings here,” says Luke, and the pair want to do something about it.

As for their DJ stylings, they are “selectors” – simply choosing their favourite tunes to play. This allows them to be more easygoing than other DJs- in their words, “we play to share music that we love.” But they also see themselves as having more of a conscience than some music outfits, in that they actively try to avoid songs with sexist or homophobic lyrics.

Luke and Andy, the ‘trilby-hatted selectors’

It’s clear that Everything Crash want to give something other than just entertainment to the community. The two are involved in Cambridge Defend Education and raised about £100 for the cause at their night at Clare Cellars. The money will be spent on resources for campaigns, but they won’t turn anyone away from their gigs because they can’t afford to pay or don’t agree with their choice of beneficiary.

Their event at Clare had a quiet start with the cheerful rhythms of ska and the smoothness of northern soul, resulting in a laid-back atmosphere. Though surprised and pleased with the turnout at their first gig, the pair admit that they only engaged in “low levels of publicity.” Although their relaxed attitude may be in keeping with the tunes they play, the duo have realised the importance of organisation before a gig and will hopefully improve upon that for their next event.

If you’re looking for an evening of relaxed and upbeat vintage tunes, keep an eye out for this pair of trilby-hatted select0rs, who are planning another event for week 7 or 8.