I arrive late at the Sound House. Almost everyone is wearing black, and the air tastes sweet from all the teens vaping with rigs resembling robot phalluses. Beyond the packed crowd and the mosh pit is local DJ and events manager Omen. Draped across the front of his decks is an Irish flag. Printed on the white centre is a skeleton clutching a tombstone marked “Irish Underground”, surrounded by the word “catacombs” and six stars. Since its inception in April, Catacombs has managed to give the burgeoning Irish underground scene a physical platform for performance.
Featuring artists such as Carson Clay (also known as SignCrushesMotorist), deathtoricky and Desires. Catacombs is showcasing stacked line-ups of the bleeding edge of Irish underground rap and witch-house. Tickets run at a cost somewhere between 8 and 12 euros.
I got the chance to speak with C2, one of the rappers who performed in the August rendition of Catacombs. He wore a navy polo, à la Chief Keef in 2013. C2 makes Jerk rap. Although the term was originally associated with a late 2000s California scene, characterised by a specific dance style (Jerkin’) and groups like New Boyz and Audio Push. Jerk has now developed into a microgenre spearheaded by New York-based rapper Xaviersobased and his collective 1c34. Notable artists include Nettspend and Fakemink. C2 describes Jerk to me as “A chronically online version of rap… It’s not as deep as other genres but you can make it a little bit deep if you try your hardest”.
C2 got involved with Catacombs after releasing a few songs with Cork rapper and Feng collaborator Beddyminaj. He tells me, “I talk to Omen a lot online, on Discord calls and stuff. I wouldn’t say we talk business because he likes to keep his business private, but we just have fun chatting to each other. It’s really great. All the lads in the scene are really lovely”. In addition to the live events, Catacombs also hosts a Discord channel with 357 members.
One of the most exciting things about Catacombs is that it is the physical manifestation of an online community. It is creating a tangible community based around an almost entirely online subculture. For some of the artists performing, Catacombs is their first time playing live. It has created a way for young rappers to graduate from their bedrooms into packed venues.
Despite being heavily influenced by the UK and the US (in terms of production and style), Catacombs and the musicians present an aesthetic rife with Gaelic imagery and influence. The poster from their June gig presents a highly saturated picture of St. Kevin’s round tower in the foreground, next to a silver sports car and a rainbow. Through the synthesis of American and British rap culture with traditional Irish aesthetics, Catacombs help foster a distinctly Irish music scene that represents contemporary Irish cultural outlooks.
On October 4th, Catacombs will be presenting their fourth instalment. Tickets are available at the Sound House website or through links on the Catacombs’ Instagram page.
