Black Obsidian Sound System to announce free DJ and production studio sessions at Fold, prioritising Black and queer creatives

Black Obsidian Sound System is opening up their studio space at London club Fold this summer.

The London-based Black and queer/trans-led sound system collective, AKA B.O.S.S., is offering local DJs, producers, audio engineers and sound technicians the opportunity to use their equipment for free "in an attempt to play a part in an ecosystem that stretches beyond nepotism", they wrote on Instagram.

Successful applicants will be able to visit B.O.S.S.'s Canning Town space on Wednesday evenings this July to access the available DJ decks, mixers, amps, synthesisers, instruments, software, speakers and more to rehearse for upcoming gigs, write, produce and practice on professional-grade equipment. 

"As always we’ll be prioritising Black and queer/trans family, in particular those who currently don’t have access to equipment through their networks and who have a local connection to Newham or Tower Hamlets," B.O.S.S. said. "However as this is a pilot, don’t feel discouraged to apply if not all of those things apply to you!"

Learn more information about B.O.S.S.'s pilot programme and available equipment in the Instagram post below. Interested applicants can sign up here. 

In December, B.O.S.S. successfully fundraised for new DJ equipment "to further teaching and skill sharing within our communities" in less than a week.  

Last summer, the British Association of Sound Systems launched the Sound System Futures Programme in the lead up to Notting Hill Carnival to educate and empower young talent to ensure and expand UK sound system culture for years to come.

Revisit Ria Hylton's 2022 feature on the history of UK sound system culture, which explores how current collectives are working to secure its future thought knowledge sharing initiatives.