Gorgon Sound is the collaborative alchemy of Joe McGann (Kahn) and Sam Barrett (Neek) dedicated solely to reggae-dub investigations. Emerging from Bristol's bass-heavy underground, the duo has made anachronism their badge of honor: cutting one-off acetate dubplates, championing vinyl-only releases, and drawing on a Jamaican sound system lineage that Bristolians absorbed through institutions like Teachings in Dub and St. Paul's Carnival.
Gorgon Sound's music is a conversation across decades, 70s King Tubby and 80s UK steppers communing with 2010s dubstep. In the studio, analog warmth and tape echo reign. On stage, they've been known to play entire sets of their own dubplates, unleashing exclusive riddims ritually.
On April 19, the stage is Control Club as Gorgon Sound leads the 18th instalment of the Black Rhino Residency series. Anticipating this first pairing of Gorgon Sound and MC Rider Shafique in Romania, five essential moments define the Bristol dub duo's legacy.
Black Rhino Residency: Gorgon Sound, Rider Shafique, Tim Reaper, Blackeye MC
The 18th instalment of Black Rhino Residency at Control comes in full force on April 19, mixing the sound pressure of dub with the uptempo energy of jungle musi...
Find Jah Way (Dubplate & Dubkasm Version, 2012)
Gorgon Sound announced themselves with Find Jah Way. Beginning as a coveted dubplate, it ignited a movement. Released as a limited 12″ on Bristol's Peng Sound in late 2012, backed by a heavyweight Dubkasm mix, this debut cut quickly attained anthemic status on the UK dub/steppers circuit. The original Dubplate Version nods to sound system culture's exclusive heritage – a deep, meditative riddim laced with echoes of Rastafarian vocal lines – while Dubkasm's flip side lent a seal of elder statesman approval. The collaboration also bridged generations: Dubkasm's seasoned craftsmanship met Gorgon Sound's fresh sub-weight pressure. In sound system sessions from Bristol to London, Find Jah Way signaled a new wave of UK dub that prized orthodox analog grit in an age of digital excess.
Gorgon Sound EP (Peng Sound, 2013)
Spread across two 12″ plates in a beautifully hand-printed sleeve, the Gorgon Sound EP offered four of the duo's most sought-after tracks, cut straight from their private dub box. Each riddim is a purpose-built sound system weapon, from the nine-minute Rise, featuring Brazilian singer Junior Dread's haunting melodica and chants, to the militant instrumental Orion. The EP also highlighted Gorgon Sound's respect for reggae's global impact. Alongside local Bristol talent (Guy Calhoun's soulful turn on Righteous Dub), they also channeled dub's Afro-Caribbean spirituality and its UK sound system grit.
Deep Medi Versions (2014)
By 2014, Gorgon Sound's impact had reverberated into the wider bass world. Their invitation to release on Mala's Deep Medi Musik resulted in two stunning version remixes that year. The duo took Kahn's 2012 tracks Dread and Late Night Blues (a vocal cut featuring Rider Shafique) and reinvented them in true sound system fashion. The release brought new fans into Gorgon Sound's fold by melding dubstep's sub-bass with orthodox dub aesthetics, conversing in the language of the dubstep elite without sacrificing their roots pedigree.
Dubkasm vs. Gorgon Sound Clash (Live at Trinity, 2015)
In January 2015, Gorgon Sound stepped onto the battlefield in a historic live clash against Dubkasm. Billed as a Peng Sound vs Teachings in Dub special at the Trinity Centre, the night teamed Gorgon Sound with one of their biggest inspirations on France's imposing O.B.F. sound system. The resulting two-hour session was a masterclass in dubplate culture and inter-generational dialogue. With MC Solo Banton firing up the crowd, Dubkasm and Gorgon Sound went head to head, each unleashing exclusive mixes, one-off specials, and unreleased bombs in rapid succession. Throughout, Gorgon Sound held their own alongside the elder crew, proving that their young catalog of riddims could ignite a dance just as intensely as Dubkasm's classic arsenal. The night's significance was such that Peng Sound preserved it on a limited cassette release. For those who packed into that sweat-drenched hall, the sight of Gorgon Sound and Dubkasm dubbing it out together remains the stuff of local legend.
Boiler Room London Set (2015)
In 2015, Gorgon Sound stepped out of the dubplate shadows and onto a global stage via this Boiler Room session. Accompanied by Rider Shafique, they delivered a fiercely atmospheric set, rich with vinyl crackle, custom dubplates, and the chest-caving low end. Gorgon Sound transformed the space into a meditation chamber for sound system fidelity in a venue better known for techno and grime. Ten years later, it remains one of their vision's most transportive live documents.
