Michael Caffrey and Kerry Campbell have melded their avant-vogue ideas, AV know-how, and a need to party into an eco-innovative idea for the dance floor. The couple — he’s a DJ; she’s a VJ; both are electronic musicians in their own right — have been tweaking their GhettoBlast Sound System for the past eight years. It’s a mobile heap of wires, old solar boards, and recycled stereo parts packed into ancient Samsonites. After a solar charge of 40 to 70 hours, the system can generate 10 hours of smog-free sound. Compare that with most outdoor systems, which run on generators that burn hundreds of dollars’ worth of gas.
Caffrey and Campbell host word-of-mouth outdoor parties on area beaches, beneath underpasses, and on other patches of “ignored land.” They’re frequently called upon to provide the soundtrack for a deep-in-the-woods throwdown at the Northtek festival — a secret “anarcho-rave” for electronic music insiders. In the fall, they hosted a sunset concert along a bike path in old Hull. The concept-driven noise show even worked the sound of chirping birds into the mix. Talk about respecting your surroundings.
