Ras Muffet, Bristol dub producer and sound system legend, dies

Bristol sound system legend and producer Steve Johnson, better known as Ras Muffet, has passed away.

The news of the dub figurehead’s passing was confirmed in a statement shared with Resident Advisor by his his label Roots Injection. A highly regarded figure in UK sound system culture, Ras Muffet was known for his influential dub and reggae productions, including ‘Warrior Style’, ‘New Dawning’ ‘Ethiopian King Dub’, and ‘Play Fool Dubwise’, which were regular fixtures on sound systems such as the Mighty Tabot, Channel One Sound, Aba Shanti-I, and Iration Steppas.

Throughout the ’90s, Muffet ran his own label, Roots Injection, which played a key role in bridging the sounds of dub and roots reggae. The label was deeply involved in dubplate culture, producing exclusive, unreleased tracks for sound system clashes.

Tributes to Muffet have poured in from DJs, producers, fans and sound system collectives at home and abroad. Read some of those, and listen to ‘New Dawning’ below.