- Black Music Research Unit
About me
Current: 2024-2025: Music Director for the 1st & 2nd hit BBC TV series Boarders generating 35 IMDB credits for UoW students. Curator Beyond the Bassline, 500 years of Black British music exhibition at the British Library/ National Sound Archive – Academic Board member for the Museum of London - Independent Governor at Leeds Arts - External Examiner Trinity Laban - Editorial Board popular music /Cambridge Elements - Trustee for Tavaziva Dance
Background - Mykaell's career started as a founder member of the British roots Reggae band Steel Pulse who went onto receive a Grammy. Over the years he has performed, managed, produced and arranged for many successful artists. As a writer/producer, Mykaell's work has encompassed TV, Film and Theatre, resulting in over eleven UK top twenty positions, and three UK number ones including; Mark Morrison, E 17, and Soul 2 Soul. He also formed Britain's first black pop string section, the Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra, and composed extensively for the BBC, ITV, SKY, Endemol and Netflix.
Teaching
Academia – Mykaell is Director of the Black Music Research Unit (BMRU) which he established at the University of Westminster in 2012. On the back of several smaller grants, in 2016 he landed his first major award from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Titled Bass Culture project focused on the history and impact of reggae music in the UK. The first output in 2017 was the Grime Report which in partnership with Ticketmaster and Live Nation, resulting in a change in London Metropolitan policing. In 2018 he staged the Bass Culture Exhibition, the UK's largest exhibit on the impact of Jamaican music, and in 2019 he released the 'Bass Culture' documentary film. An intergenerational journey through Soundsystem culture, from Ska to UK Grime music. The overall project was shortlisted for The Times Award 2021 and contributed an Impact Case Study to the REF2021. One of three projects that led to CREAM (Centre for Research and Education in Arts and Media), at the University ofWestminster, being ranked 1st for Impact in the UK by THES.
Publications.
2024: Beyond the baseline, 500 years of black British music
2019: Consultant, Executive Producer for Bass Culture Documentary – (full-length 59mins)
Contributor ‘Bass Mids & Tops’ by Joe Muggs and Brian ISBN: 9781907222771.
Bass Culture Podcast
2018: Bass Culture Online Platform
2017: The State of Play Grime Report
2016: Contributor - Walls Come Tumbling Down (D Rachel, Picador, 2016)
2014: Contributor - Black Popular Music in Britain Since 1945: (J Stratton, N Zuberi, Ashgate,2014)
Contributor - Return of the Rudeboy: photography, film, and installation by Dean Chalkley & Harris Elliott.
2013 Contributor- The Globalization of Music’s in Transit: Music Migration and Tourism, (Simone Krüger, Ruxandra Trandafoiu, Routledge, 2013).
2012: Contributor ‘Masters of the Airwaves’: The Rise & Rise of Underground Radio, by Lindsay Wesker & Dave VJ, Every Generation Media ISBN 9780955106880
2017:
Principal Investigator: Bass Culture Research – launch bassculturedUK - Symposium Chair - Reggae Research Network 2, Westminster/ University East Anglia/Liverpool - Sky Arts –Guest speaker on grime music BBC - Radio 4, BBC Radio 6 BBC Live - Guest speaker on grime music - Farah.co.uk/ Film Guest speaker on Sound system fashion and music - Panel guest (Babylon screening) Sussex University - Speaker Ticketmaster Summit, Presenter - Reggae Research Network 1 UAE Speaker - Sound System Outernational 3 - Goldsmiths University
2016:
Recipient of the first major (AHRC) award, recognizing the impact of reggae on Britain British library chair Panel - Punk Exhibition 1976-78 - The Roundhouse speaker Punk Weekender’ Sound System Outernational 2 Goldsmiths University
2015:
Speaker: Sixth Biennial Jamaican Diaspora Conference - Speaker: South Bank - Changing Britain 1917 – 2015 - Project leader: UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) Nigeria, ‘Afobeats Educational Roadshow’ - Chair of Bob Marley 70th’ Panel, Jamaican High Commission, Jaipur International Literary Festival performer – New Art Exchange, Nottingham - Beautiful Days Festival Devon, performer - Gibraltar Music Festival performer with Dub Colossus
Guest Speaker: BBC1 TV Christmas Special - Bee Gees documentary Speaker/consultant: Return of the Rudeboy, exhibition Somerset House
Research
Central to Mykaell's research is his work on mapping Black British music. Bass Culture is a response to the disengagement and lack of education surrounding the heritage of Jamaican and Jamaican-influenced music in Britain over the last six decades. Jamaican music is recognised as a key catalyst in integration and multiculturalism in London and beyond. An understanding of the contribution made by the Jamaican community is also vital for anyone researching and performing popular music production, dance, and fashion
Related Activities - In 2004, he Co-authored the first National Jazz report and the Value of Jazz2 for Jazz Services in 2009 and contributed to Black British Jazz report 2009-2011. In 2016, he received the first major Arts Humanities Research Council award titled 'Bass Culture', to research the impact of Jamaican music in Britain. In his first research output, he championed the Grime Report in partnership with Ticketmaster, which resulted in a change in government legislation in 2017. He staged the Bass Culture Exhibition, the UK's largest photographic exhibit on the impact and influence of Jamaican music on Britain - highlighting the Windrush generation's contribution to British culture. 2019 saw the première of 'Bass Culture' documentary. Mykaell now sits on the academic board for the Museum of London, Brent 2020's No Base Like Home and is a trustee for Tavaziva Dance and Finding. Rhythms.
In addition, he's consulted and or collaborated on projects for; the Mayor of London, Arts Council England, The British Museum, The Maritime Museum, Museum of London the V&A and Brent Council.
Publications
For details of all my research outputs, visit my WestminsterResearch profile.