This is from last year although a lot of it applies to 2010 too.
Plus on 2010 check below:
Check out the list of soundsystems for the 2009 carnival. With over 30 different systems and catering for all types of music and grooves, there's certainly something for everyone.
1. Mastermind Roadshow
Sound Upfront R&B, hip hop, soul, old school and reggae.
Found Canal Way.
Renowned For being the first soundsytem at Carnival to mix records, way back at their first appearance in 1979.
2. 4Play
Sound Across the board.
Found West Row, near the junction with Kensal Rd.
Renowned For celebrating 16 years at Carnival this year. Birthday cakes at the ready!
3. Good Times
Sound Funky house, disco, rare groove, hip hop, jazz and reggae.
Found Corner of Southern and West Rows.
Renowned For master of the Carnival good time, one Norman Jay MBE. Born in Notting Hill and awarded his MBE in 2002, he was also a Time Out cover star for our fortieth anniversary special issue.
4. GI Roadshow
Sound Reggae, bashment, salsa and R&B.
Found Adella St.
Renowned For being big, big fans and active members of the Friends of Brimington Park in Southwark.
5. Sancho Panza
Sound Funky house.
Found Junction of Middle Row and Conland St.
Renowned For their legendary Carnival after-parties!
6. Lord Shane
Sound Across the board.
Found Alderson Street (off Kensal Rd).
Renowned Veteran soundsystems that has passed from father to son. (Covering the Diff’rent Strokes site this year.)
7. Aba Shanti-I
Sound Roots rock, reggae and dub.
Found Corner of East and Southern Rows.
Renowned Heavyweight international roots sound system with a diverse, multicultural audience.
8. Midnight Express 747
Sound Across the board.
Found Corner of East/Southern Row.
Renowned For using 10,000kw to power its three speakers (that’s more than 150,000 domestic light bulbs).
9. Rough But Sweet
Sound Across the board.
Found Corner of Golborne Rd and East Rd. (Covering the Special FX site this year.)
Renowned For having its distinctive green speaker boxes.
10. Love TKO & Ramjam Radio Sound
Sound Reggae, R&B, soca and hip hop.
Found Junction of Golborne Rd and Hazelwood Crescent.
Renowned For playing a strong mix of new and revival music.
11. Sir Valdez
Sound R&B, hip hop and ragga.
Found Behind the Prince Arthur on Golborne Rd.
Renowned A veteran soundsytem whose DJs represent both the younger and older generations.
12. KCC and the Rocking Crew
Sound Old and new US house.
Found Wornington Rd.
Renowned Creating an uplifting, soulful house vibe and having a diverse party crowd.
13. GT Flex Roadshow & Mayhem Crew
Sound R&B, soul, ragga, old school and revival.
Found Telford Rd, near junction with Lionel Mews (located at the Mellowtone site this year).
Renowned For being an explosive crowd lifter, thanks to the merging of the two soundsytems back in 1982. Pow!
14. Scenario
Sound R&B, reggae, hip hop and classic garage.
Found At the junction of Bonchurch St and Portobello Rd.
Renowned For playing ‘classic’ garage music.
15. Saxon Studio
Sound Ragga and reggae.
Found Lawrence Terrace, north of junction with Cherston Rd.
Renowned For influencing Massive Attack and being crowned champions at the 1994 World Clash.
16. Latin Rave Street Jam
Sound Latin and salsa.
Found 318 Portobello Rd.
Renowned For being the only soundsystem to play Latin music on both Carnival days.
17. Gladdy Wax Roadshow
Sound Roots and culture, reggae and ska.
Found Adjacent to 304/306 Portobello Rd.
Renowned Veteran soundsystem operator ‘Gladdy’, as he is affectionately known, is widely respected for his vast knowledge of reggae.
18. Virgo International
Sound Reggae, bashment, soca, hip hop, R&B and garage.
Found Outside People’s Theatre, facing Oxford Gardens.
Renowned For having rebuilt their soundsystem from scratch after all their gear was stolen just before Carnival a couple of years ago.
19. High Grade
Sound Across the board.
Found At Oxford Gardens facing St. Lawrence Terrace. (Covering the Level vibes site this year.)
Renowned For its dynamic reggae sound.
20. Lord Gelly’s
Sound Reggae, R&B and soca.
Found Outside 47 Cambridge Gardens.
Renowned Well-respected veteran south London soundsystem.
21. Rapattack (Celebrating 25 years of appearing at Carnival)
Sound Old school, soul, funk (including Michael Jackson tribute), R&B, hip hop, ’70s and ’80s classics, rare groove, house and garage.
Found Outside 23 All Saints Rd.
Renowned For having BASS (British Association of Sound Systems) chairman Ricky Belgrave on board, for mastermixing the
‘new with the old’.
22. CMC Matrix
Sound Drum ’n’ bass.
Found All Saints Rd, opposite The Pelican.
Renowned The only sound system playing 100 per cent drum ’n’ bass.
23. Mangrove Sound
Sound Soca and reggae.
Found Outside 3 All Saints Rd.
Renowned As Carnival’s best traditional soca soundsystem.
24. People’s Sound
Sound Reggae old and new.
Found 11 All Saints Rd (outside People’s Sound record store).
Renowned For the legendary Vego who was an original ‘selector’ (Jamaican term for DJ) on the first UK soundsystem. He played every night for seven years at the legendary ‘Roaring Twenties’ Club in the West End of London.
25. Killawatt
Sound Across the board.
Found Corner of Tavistock and St Luke’s Rds.
Renowned For being where So Solid Crew’s Megaman and MC Romeo first met in 1999.
26. Confusion
Sound Soulful house and garage.
Found St Luke’s Rd, facing Lancaster Rd.
Renowned For creating an uplifting soulful house vibe and having a ‘cult following’.
27. Sir Lloyd
Sound R&B and reggae.
Found Outside 54 Leamington Rd Villas, Tavistock Rd.
Renowned Sir Lloyd started in 1979 and was one bloke.
28. Channel One
Sound Strictly roots and culture.
Found Leamington Rd Villas, outside 176 Westbourne Park Rd.
Renowned For playing to just ten people for most of the day when they debuted at Carnival in 1983.
29. Metro Glory
Sound Across the board.
Found Ledbury Rd junction with Westbourne Park Rd.
Renowned For debuting a new and further improved soundsystem this year.
30. Disya Generation
Sound Across the board.
Found Outside 12 Powis Terrace.
Renowned For creating an excellent ‘new skool’ party vibe.
31. King Tubby’s
Sound Reggae, dancehall, bashment and R&B.
Found Outside Clydesdale House on Clydesdale Rd.
Renowned For being the oldest soundsystem around to play Carnival – they’re celebrating their thirty-ninth anniversary this year, having made a welcome return in 2006.
32. Rampage
Sound Across the board.
Found Outside 1 Colville Square.
Renowned For having a road dedicated to them – as well they might. Rampage is one of the biggest soundsystems at Carnival and creates an electric vibe.
33. Nasty Love Mixing Lab
Sound Reggae,ragga, hip hop and R&B.
Found Colville Gardens (middle).
Renowned For creating a great street party vibe.
34. Disco Hustlers
Sound Dance music across the board.
Found Powis Square (east side).
Renowned New sound for Carnival 2009. (Covering the Studio One site this year.)
35. Gaz’s Rocking Blues
Sound Classic ska, revival, and New Orlean’s R&B.
Found Outside 103 Talbot Rd.
Renowned Gaz Mayall has performed at every Carnival since 1976.
36. Jah Observer
Sound Roots and culture.
Found At the junction of Ledbury Rd and Talbot Rd.
Renowned For having appeared every year consistently for many years – true veterans.
37. Pineapple Tribe
Sound Techno and breakbeats.
Found Opposite The Walmer Castle.
Renowned For being the home of techno and breakbeat at Carnival.
38. The Fun Bunch
Sound R&B, hip hop, garage and boogie.
Found At the junction of Talbot Rd and Sutherland Place.
Renowned For being the former residence of sadly departed soundsystem legend DJ Swing.
But where’s…?
Not appearing in 2009: Special FX, Bass By All Means Necessary, Level Vibes, Diff’rent Strokes, Mellowtone and Studio One.