Nonprofit · Bay Area, California

1hz

One cycle per second. The pulse under everything.

A nonprofit for bass music and sound system culture. Home of DEEP AUDIO and 3rd Eye Collective.

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Bass music · Sound system culture

Bass you don't just hear. Bass you feel.

1hz is a nonprofit for deep bass music and sound system culture: a community built around a rig, the crew who build and run it, the music made for it, and the crowd it moves.

Our mission is to promote music, sound and the related arts through education, public performances and exhibitions, and access for underserved audiences, including people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Low frequencies are felt in the body, so bass music is something everyone can share.

We are a community-run nonprofit. Nobody owns 1hz and there are no investors: it is run by an unpaid founding board, funded by tickets priced to cover costs, donations, grants and sponsors, and everything it earns goes back into the work.

Roots to now

From the yard to the low end

  1. 1950s

    Sound systems

    Kingston, Jamaica. Crews build their own speaker stacks and take the music to the street. The sound system is born: rig, selector, crowd.

  2. Late 1960s–70s

    Dub

    Engineers strip tracks back to drum and bass, add echo and space, and turn the mixing desk into an instrument. The bassline moves to the front.

  3. Early 1990s

    Jungle

    In the UK, sound system bass meets breakbeats and rave. Fast drums, deep sub-bass.

  4. Mid 1990s

    Drum & bass

    Jungle sharpens into drum & bass, and the sub becomes the centre of the mix.

  5. Early 2000s

    Dubstep

    South London. Half-time weight, space and sub-bass made to be felt on a big system.

  6. Now

    Bass music

    One global culture of producers, selectors, builders and crowds, still built around the system. This is where 1hz lives.

Two programs, one nonprofit

What lives inside 1hz

Sound system technology

DEEP AUDIO

Builds deep bass and high-clarity sound systems and sound products, in the sound system tradition: designed, built and tuned by the crew who play them.

  • Deep bass, high-clarity sound systems
  • Sound products
  • Teaching: how a sound system works, and how to build and run one
The events

3rd Eye Collective

Bass music events where producers, selectors and the crowd meet on the system, from intimate sessions to festival stages.

  • Bass music nights and performances
  • Festivals
How we work

Built to be shared

Learning together

Hands-on sharing of sound system culture: building, tuning and running a rig, and making bass music that comes alive on one.

Community-built

Volunteer-run and powered by the people around it. Anyone can bring an idea, an initiative or a pair of hands.

Open sessions

Bass music sessions, shows and art in public spaces, where music and art grow out of the collective.

Access

Bringing sound to underserved audiences, including people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Bass you feel, not only hear.

Support the work

1hz runs on gifts, grants and people. Sponsors are thanked by name and logo. That is the whole deal.

Donate Sponsor an event Grants Volunteer
FAQ

Good questions

What is 1hz?

A Bay Area nonprofit, now being formed, for bass music and sound system culture. It promotes music, sound and the related arts through education, public performances and access for underserved audiences. It has two programs: DEEP AUDIO and 3rd Eye Collective.

What is sound system culture?

A music culture built around a sound system: the rig, the crew who build and run it, the selectors and MCs, and the crowd. It grew out of the sound systems of Jamaica and runs through dub, jungle, drum & bass, dubstep and today's bass music.

Is 1hz a 501(c)(3)?

Not yet. 1hz is being incorporated in California and will apply to the IRS for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. We will say so here when it is confirmed.

Who owns 1hz?

Nobody. A nonprofit has no owners and no investors. 1hz is run by its board, and anything it buys belongs to the nonprofit for good.

What is DEEP AUDIO?

The sound system technology program: it builds deep bass and high-clarity sound systems and sound products, and teaches how they work.

What is 3rd Eye Collective?

The events program: bass music nights, performances and festivals.

Why "1hz"?

One hertz is one cycle per second, about the pace of a resting heartbeat. Below what you hear, inside what you feel.