photo credit: Royx
Off the back of their third album La clarté dans la confusion, the mysterious, yet utterly magnetic duo L’Entourloop, treaded over the shores of the Channel for their very first tour of the UK. Known behind the decks by the aliases “Sir James” and “King Johnny”, the two Frenchmen brought their larger-than-life performance to London’s Village Underground. Their artistic vision can best be described as a love letter to soundsystem culture and the artifacts that havesprouted around it – reggae, dancehall, and hip hop (and of course, one cannot dismiss a slight French flair).
While the ‘elderly’ gentlemen provided the beats, in line with classic sound-system roots, they were accompanied by a hand selected troop of exceptional guests including: MC Troy Berklely, live trumpeter Sebastien Blanchon (N’zeng), and hip-hop rappin’ BlabberMouf. “Banging Hip Hop Ina Yardie Style” is a brief synopsis of their sound, but in reality the brothers are much more than any synopsis can encompass. L’Entourloop is a multi-layered audiovisual experience, an immersive masterclass of soundsystem music that pays due tribute to the legendary pioneers that paved the way of the entire movement that came before them.
As they took the stage, the brothers were dressed to impress, fashioned in crisp black suits with matching ruby-colored cravats. One unfamiliar with the group could be easily fooled that they walked into a set of Downton Abbey. The juxtaposition of their (gracefully) matured appearance and disposition, with their dynamic live scratching of tracks sourced from the deep vaults of Reggae-Dub Fusion archives, was a sight to see.
Who exactly this crew is; where did they originate from; what is their story; these are the questions we may never have answered. However, despite their enigmatic personas, one thing was certain: L’Entourloop lives and breathes authenticity. Their growing reputation parallels their deep respect and homage to the roots of the Caribbean influences of reggae, dub, and their seamless play with hip-hop. With the boom of electronic music culture, particularly post COVID-19, DJ culture has taken a massive hit by entering a mainstream resurgence. While this has left a lot of club-goers and electro-fanatics spoiled for choice, the music-schooling and cultural awareness that bleeds through the performances of seasoned soundsystem DJ’s such as L’Entourloop and their peers seems to have taken a back seat.
Amplified by DJ-facing platforms such as Boiler Room and HÖR Berlin, club-goers have had to relearn the expectations of what it means to consume music. While we may hear similar tracks being played behind the decks, the commercialization of electronic music (and with that, soundsystem culture), has diluted the essence of the genre. Long are the days when you are assured to see live remixing, vocal toasting, or even something as simple as an audience that fully embodies the spirit of reggae and hip-hop culture. As we witness the Jamaican influences of reggae and dub enter the mainstream, many of its original supporters who actually lived the culture, fear a loss of legitimacy in a sound that is so integral to the music consumption traditions of their heritage.
The French power duo left a ravenous crowd that demanded an encore. Having held high spirits throughout the entire 120 minute set, L’Entourloop was a class act in showmanship. Although some may argue that their European origins distance them from the Caribbean foundations that form the basis of their artistry, their dedication to – rather than the appropriation of — the grass- root/DIY origins of 1950’s sound systems, set them apart from the newer school of entrants into the Electro-Dub Fusion, that has failed to do their homework.
An evening like no other, these two aren’t to be missed – that is if you can catch them before they return to their vinyl crate-digging holes from whence they came. Their ability to frictionlessly blend reggae and its descendant genres into a seamless finished product has solidified their place in the soundsystem Hall of Fame.
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