In West Bengal, a hyper-local phenomenon called ‘Soundchecking’ blends the spectacle of sound system culture with deep-rooted community rituals. Born from religious gatherings where PA systems drew villagers from their homes, it has evolved into high-volume competitions featuring towering speaker stacks on moving vehicles.

These gatherings — part street party, part soundclash, part spiritual event draw thousands. The music, ‘Dek bass’, is a raw, DIY remix style that warps Bollywood and folk tracks into distorted, bass-heavy anthems.

London-based filmmaker Lewis Khan, whose work explores community and collective joy, travelled to India in December 2024 to document this scene. With a local crew and access to key figures, Lewis captured the intensity of these events — studio set-ups, late-night rig builds, and the unrelenting energy of the battles themselves. The resulting film, aims to recreate the physical force of the sound, celebrating both the uniqueness of this rural Bengali culture and the ingenuity behind its sonic identity.