Part two of the UK Jungle mix series, moving on from the proto years of 1989-1991 to look at the transitional but foundational year of 1992. Calling this mix Pirate Jungle as such a key role was played by pirate radio stations, particularly the likes of Weekend Rush, Kool and Defection (all broadcasting from the Nightingale Estate in Hackney) in forging this as a sound apart, and pushing tunes that often didn't get played at the big raves.
1992 was an incredible year in which rave blew up in the UK, and thousands of wide-eyed youngbloods (like me!) poured onto dancefloors across the country. The music went crazy too, with tempos getting ever faster, and a manic mix of elements: pianos, pitched up vocals, stabs, pads, basslines, endless samples, often all crammed into one short tune. Hardcore dominated.
But in amongst this outpouring of wild creativity were some leaner tunes that carried a purer Jungle thinking, drawing more explicitly on the influence of earlier Black dance music forms, and particularly the logic of UK's soul and reggae soundsystem culture. This is a showcase of a few favourite tunes from that time.
Got to shout my brother Fabrok who in 92 DJ'd on Kool FM (Kool celebrating 30 years of nonstop Jungle/DnB broadcasting this year) and turned me on to so much of the music played in this mix series. Forever in debt.
Still to come: Part 3 Golden Era Jungle and Part 4 Future Jungle selection.... Part 1 Proto Jungle Years mix here.
140-150bpm
Immense twelve inch that absolutely brought the clattering weight and power of a soundsytem roots dance to a rave setting. This and Ephemerol on the other side, and the remixes too = all amazing records. Was surprised to find out it was co-made by Simon Ratcliffe of Basement Jaxx fame.
This is what you all have been waiting for! Stepping out of the dubwise opening two tracks into the jungle breaks. This from a seminal jungle EP best known for the foundational "I Tell the DJ What To Play" 1992 jungle anthem Dub Plate, but always loved this track and Bachelor Rock off that EP, lesser played underground jungle tunes.
Chris McFarlane on Ibiza Records under the early CMC alias - Chris best known now as jungle heavyweight Potential Bad Boy, a name under which he still dons the jungle scene to this day. Legend.
Following Greetings, another track released on Ibiza records. Noise Factory an act that simply helped write the jungle book in 1992 with a string of essential releases, not least the totally groundbreaking Capsule EP which zoomed away from the more standard 140-150bpm range of the time (as in this mix) up to 160 and even 170bpm, where jungle and DnB would end up following.
Track from Bristol's Smith and Mighty, played at the wrong speed of 45 instead of the 33 it was meant to be played at. I think of this one as absolutely a Kool FM special - one of those secret finds that passed its way around the DJs on the station. I think I first heard this played by the mighty Brockie.
SLM - South London Massive! The mighty Darren Jay and DJ Yomi. Such a unique tune this one - one of the first stripped back rollers. Natural mystic style.
Squeezing this in to the mix without its piano section - killer rattling snares and bassline as we go back-to-back bad-boy/bad-girl in the mix >>>
Another from Chris McFarlane - couldn't miss this one out. What a bassline.
Total anthem, one of the first tunes that to my ears kinda has that rubadub-meets-soul vibe to it that became such a definitive part of the Jungle formula.
Remember hearing this at Orange at the Rocket and a little pocket of cockney badboys broke out into a collective one foot skank circle! The little Don't Stand So Close To Me sample cracks me up to this day - that's how I feel now if someone comes in to my precious dancefloor space lol. All cockney badboys hang on...
I heard the title is a joke response to SL2's On a Ragga Tip, which hit the charts in a big way. Absolutely heavyweight white label. Huge respect goes out to Mixmaster Max who I heard play this, and so much jungle of this period. A total pioneer, currently with a new radio show on Sunday nights on Unity DAB.
I think fair to say this is an obscure one - have been hunting it down myself for years after hearing it played by Rusher on Weekend Rush back in 92. Huge thanks to JJ at Rolldabeats for sorting me out.
Personal favourite killer jungle rave energy white label, the other side a cracker too.
Unique sounding tune this, bubbling breakbeat rave meets dub logic in fine fashion. Love this. All the Psychopath's tunes had a better-than-the-original dub version, and they're all worth seeking out. Shout to Defection's Force of One.
A massive track from Floyd and Syed of the Production House crew that got a lot of rave play too. Those guys really knew how to put together huge tunes.
17. Alien - Forseeing The Future (Reggae Mix)
Making great use of the sample from Fabian's reggae classic Prophecy, a killer dubwise rave bomb.
A little 1992 jungle pirate radio advert!
No comments:
Post a Comment