ABOUT

We acknowledge and pay our deep respect to the originators of beats and bass cultures.

The Beats + Bass Cultures Network (BBCN) brings together scholars and practitioners who are participants and researchers in the cultural practices of sound-system-, beats- and bass- cultures, with a special emphasis on connections to so-called Australia, Aotearoa / New Zealand, the Pacific and Asia. 

Our key aim is to build community between people working in shared time-zones and cultural spaces, but ultimately we are open to all geographies, as we operate in a world where fluid cultural practices often cross, blur and reconstitute ideas of the ‘global’, ‘local’ or ‘national’. We recognise that people’s engagements with Beats + Bass Cultures are shaped by global flows of knowledge, technologies and people.

We broadly define beats, bass and sound system cultures as including but not limited to Hip Hop (DJing, MCing, Graffiti Writing and Breaking), reggae, cumbia, jungle/drum and bass, grime, trap, evolving forms of electronic dance music and more. 

We are interested in exploring what we have in common, but don’t assume shared experiences. Rather, we seek to champion and explore the diverse ways that people engage with and produce Beats + Bass Cultures in different contexts. 

We welcome anyone who shares our passion to join our network and contribute. 

Our aims are to: 

  1. Champion the power of art, music and dance, and the value of the creative and community work being done by people who make, document and research Beats + Bass cultures.

  2. Share and amplify the diverse stories and experiences of Beats + Bass practitioners and researchers.

  3. Produce material that is accessible and engages different audiences, foregrounding the novel use of creative and digital methods.

  4. Host in-person and online workshops and a reading group, with an emphasis on connection, research translation and dissemination.

  5. Create a social hub that encourages collaboration and networking among scholars, artists and community members, encouraging cross-disciplinary dialogue and new partnerships.

  6. Support research into Beats + Bass Cultures by providing mentorship and developing a network with capacities for outreach and engagement to other national and international networks.