As part of the 150th-anniversary celebrations for their 501® denim this year, Levi’s has organised a global series of live events, performances, panel talks, installations, and pop-ups. In London, within the celebration, we had the opportunity to collaborate on an immersive installation, which was part of a broader exhibition exploring the history of Bass culture.
With playlists curated by our UK representative, Snooks, providing a glimpse into the history of Reggae, House, Jungle, Drum and Bass, UK Garage, and Grime, the installation seamlessly intertwined these musical genres with a showcase of rare 501 archival products from their respective eras. The exhibition also featured the installation ‘Bass genes’ from artist Cedar Lewisohn, photographer Yushy, and stylist Sophie Gaten.
The celebration marked the intersection of fashion and sound system culture, reflecting on the golden days of reggae in the ’70s, its evolution, and the influence soundsystem culture has had on musical styles and fashion since
The exhibition pop-up featured a bespoke sound system and dub console for visitors to interact with. To ensure that visitors could authentically feel the lower frequencies, SubPac technology was incorporated into a seated booth experience featuring a curated playlist of some of our favourite bass heavy tracks, carefully selected to thoroughly test any sound system.
Explore the playlist selection used in the exhibition below, which includes an additional playlist featuring the latest and greatest bass music as well.
We want to express a huge shout-out to Levi, the artists in the exhibition, thisisxyz agency, and all the musicians, past and present, who contribute to the rich tapestry of the bass culture we cherish deeply at SubPac.