Turbophonic Sound System From Westmoreland

Turbophonic was born in 1992 in Hartford, Westmoreland. The name Turbophonic was derived from two other sound systems that were based in Jamaica at the time.

Ghettophonic from Westmoreland and Turbotronic from Trelawny. They used the first and last names of both sounds and came up with the name Turbophonic. Selector Des of Ghettophonic is said to have helped Fat Cat come up with the name. Although the sound was around since 1992, it wasn't until 1997 that Turbophonic became a worldwide phenomenon.

The sound consisted of Fat Cat (the owner), Freddy, Indian Stitch, Bronco, Ray Mention and their top MC Winterfresh. Winterfresh joined the sound in the summer of 1994 and was originally a box bwoy, at one dance he had a chance to MC for the sound. It was then that Fat Cat realized he had so much talent and potential. The first clash for Turbophonic was against Pieces in 1995. They defeated Pieces. After that, they clashed Travellers and then Eletroforce. Turbo also won those two dances.

The clash that set off the Killamanjaro vs Turbophonic series was held in Stony Hill with Freddy representing Jaro without Trooper. Jaro came up on top in that dance. The second dance was held in Long Acres, Lucea, Hanover on September 20th 1996. This was Terry Ganzie’s birthday Bash also featuring Everton Blender, Eversparks and other young artists live. Trooper never knew Turbo was loaded with chunes and that took him by surprise.

The score was not settled because the artists had to work. The dance that really gave Turbophonic a worldwide boost was against Killamanjaro promoted by Freddy (from Jaro) held in the spring of 1997 at Dee Side, Trelawny. Turbophonic led the dance the whole night, but Trooper rallied back in the wee hours of the morning and locked dem off with a Tanya Stephens (pon the Joe Frazier riddim) and a new Sizzla dubplate special.

Turbophonic went on to defeat Black Kat at Pimento Walk in Ocho Rios on April 24th of 1997. They clashed Bass Odyssey in Black River, St. Elizabeth on May 9th 1997. This time Turbo got a good beating from Bass Odyssey. Squingy drew a card on Winterfresh. It seems Squingy and Winterfresh had dated the same girl. Squingy said the girl told him that Winterfresh is a “bow cat”. From Squingy said that, Winterfresh never gwan with any good speech all night. The next big dance for Turbophonic came on June 27th 1997 at Gun Court Lawn in Westmoreland, against the Immortal Stone Love and Black Scorpio.

Scorpio didn’t put too much fight, hence they were irrelevant that night. Stone Love cut the chunes that Trooper used a few months earlier to lock off Turbo at Dee Side. The dance was even until Winterfresh rinsed a Westmoreland artist on Stone Love and got a set of gun salutes. Later that summer of 1997, Stone Love invited Turbophonic for another clash at Portmore Entertainment Center. This dance ended prematurely because it is alleged Wee Pow (Stone Love’s owner) pulled a gun on Winterfresh and told Turbo to lock off. Turbophonic was getting rowdy and would turn on their sound and talk when they weren’t supposed to be playing. Eventually Turbophonic locked off their sound and left the venue.

After the Stone Love dance, Turbophonic went on to clash Bodyguard in Mandeville, Manchester on December 25th 1997. Killamanjaro and African Star in January 3rd 1998. Clashed Bass Odyssey again on February of 1998. Clashed Bass Odyssey and Atlantic One in High Gate, St. Mary on May 16th 1998. Clashed Delta Force and Super B in Westmoreland on June 22nd 1998. Clashed Killamanjaro, One Blood, and Merritone in St. Mary on June 27th 1998. Sadly, by the end of 1998, Turbophonic had faded out. Winterfresh quit over money issues and joined the US based sound Addies. It has been alleged that Winterfresh not only quit, but he left with a portion of Turbophonic’s chunes.

Without any doubt, Turbophonic was the wickedest new sensation sound in 1997. They had gained some natural fans from the cassette freaks. Unlike other mainstream sounds, Turbophonic did not fade away but just called it quits because of family differences. Indian Stitch moved to NewYork and became a family man. Freddy became a truck driver and now lives in Miami. Bronco is still in Jamaica, out of the sound business, he currently a cab driver. Fat Cat lives in Ft. Lauderdale and he is in the delivery business. Unfortunately, in 2007 Winterfresh got caught trying to smuggle some uncontrolled substances on a plane at Miami airport. He did 5 years in a Federal prison in Florida and was later deported to Jamaica after completing his sentence.

Tragedy hit the Turbophonic family when Ray Mention died in a car crash in 2005. Ray Mention had stopped playing Turbophonic in 1998. He had started his own sound Venom Sound in 1999. At the time of his death he was playing Venom sound and working at LINKZ 96 FM.
Turbophonic’s dubplate ammunition were well lined up! The riddims were choosen correctly. The combo's were out of this world and perfectly designed! Whoever was cutting Turbophonic’s dubs was a genius. Some people say it was Freddy and Winterfresh cutting the dubs, while others have claimed it was Ray Mention.

Turbophonic never toured the United States, but they visited England and Canada. Fat cat tried to bring back the sound in 2007, but that never materialized. Respect goes out to Fat Cat & all the Turbophonic crew.

(Credit to Leslie who interviewed Fat Cat and Freddy)

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