Live Concert Photography: Outlook Festival Launch Party at The Paper Box, 5/20/16

Live Concert Photography: Outlook Festival Launch Party at The Paper Box, 5/20/16

Since its inception in 2008, Outlook Festival has quickly developed a reputation for being among the world’s preeminent dub and soundsystem festivals — and for providing attendees one of the most unique festival experiences I can think of, as the proceedings are set amidst an abandoned fort and the beaches of Punta Christo, Croatia; in fact, the festival has hosted several hundred artists and was named Best Overseas Festival at the 2011 UK Festivals Awards. Now, last week Outlook Festival’s organizers along with Dub Stuy Records held the US Launch Party at The Paper Box in Bushwick, Brooklyn — and the party marked the beginning of several worldwide events in advance of this year’s festival in September.

The folks at Dub Stuy brought along their 15,000 watt bespoke, wooden speaker system The Tower of Sound which was used for the night’s main event, a battle between two of Europe’s best known soundsystem champions-– Glasgow, Scotland’s Mungo’s Hi-Fi and French-Swiss act O.B.F. accompanied by vocalists, who represented every era of soundsystem/dub music, including Jamaica’s Ranking Joe, France’s Shanti D, and Brooklyn’s Jay Speaker. There was also a bevy of guests in the building to celebrate both the Outlook Festival including Portland‘s E3, founder of acclaimed label ZamZam Sounds, as well as local selectors Scratch Famous and Dub Stuy’s resident DJs. Check out some photos below y’all.

(Photo Caption: One of the stars of the night, Dub Stuy Records’ Tower of Sound, which delivered a stomach churning bass. In fact, I should mention that I saw something I haven’t seen in quite some time — organizers were handing out earplugs to attendees before the party.)