Oldschool Jungle
Information about Oldschool Jungle
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Oldschool jungle is the name given to a style of electronic music that incorporates influences from genres including breakbeat hardcore, techno, rare groove and reggae/dub/dancehall. There is significant debate as to whether Jungle is a separate genre from drum and bass as some use the terms interchangeably.
Interestingly, and possibly just coincidentally, the term "jungle music" was used to describe music by Duke Ellington in the 1920-30's. With African musical and drumming influences they played a rhythmic, exotic sound advertised as "jungle music" and "the jungle sound", the band at that time was often named The Jungle Band on flyers. [1]
It has been suggested that the term 'Junglist' was a reference to a person either from a section of Kingston known as 'The Concrete Jungle' or from a different suburb, 'The Gardens', which was a leafy area colloquially referred to as 'The Jungle'.
The first documented use of the term is within a song featuring Jungle producer and lyricist Rebel MC. In which a sample was taken from a much older dancehall tune containing the lyrics "Rebel got this chant - "'alla the junglists".[2]
At one time there was even some confusion and debate as to whether the use of the word "Jungle" was a racist referral to its apparently blacker, reggae-influenced sound and fans. This seems unlikely as whilst it has been suggested that it was the black youth of Britain who fueled the early Jungle and drum and bass scenes.[2] This was only the reality very early on and is now a racially diverse mix of fans and producers alike.
Some early proponents preferred to define the "Jungle" element as representing the deeper and darker sound of the heavy beats and bass lines, while others saw a connection with triblal drumming, percussion and simplicity.
Producers and DJs of the early 90's; MC 5ive '0, Groove Connection and Kingsley Roast, place the origin of the word in the scene with pioneers like Moose and Danny Jungle.
In the summer of 1992, a Thursday night club in London called "Rage" was changing in response to the commercialization of the rave scene (see breakbeat hardcore). Resident DJs Fabio and Grooverider; amongst others, began to take the Hardcore sound to a new level. The speed of the music increased from 120bpm to 145bpm, whilst more ragga and dancehall elements were brought in and Techno, Disco and House influences were decreased.
Eventually the music became too fast and difficult to be mixed with more traditional rave music, creating a division with the other popular electronic genres. When it lost the four-on-the-floor beat, and created percussive elements solely from raw, 'chopped up' breakbeats, the old-school ravers would complain that it had "gone all jungle-techno".
The club 'Rage' finally shut its doors in 1993, but the new legion of "Junglists" had evolved, changing dancing styles for the faster music, enjoying the off-beat rhythms and with less reliance on the chemical stimulation of the rave era.
There is certainly a thriving underground movement producing and developing tracks in the style of a decade ago and some original (though currently mainstream drum & bass) jungle producers have noticed this new enthusiasm for the original sound. For example Shy FX, creator of "Original Nuttah", has recently launched the Digital Sound Boy label, featuring tracks with the structure and production values of modern drum & bass but with ragga vocals and multiple reggae and old school elements. It should however be noted that ragga vocals and old school elements have always featured in the works of drum & bass producers and labels, particularly True Playaz. The vast majority of jungle artists at the end of this article could be labelled drum & bass artists and most would not recognize a distinction. [4]
Jungle music had also a large impact on a variety of other styles like IDM and Electronica. Notable artists who were influenced by jungle are Squarepusher, Aphex Twin , Venetian Snares and Shitmat.
| Oldschool jungle | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins: | Breakbeat hardcore, Techno, Rare groove, Reggae, Darkcore |
| Cultural origins: | Early 1990s, United Kingdom |
| Typical instruments: | Synthesizer - Drum machine - Sequencer - Sampler |
| Mainstream popularity: | Low |
| Derivative forms: | Drum and bass |
| Subgenres | |
| Ragga jungle, Darkcore, Intelligent jungle | |
Oldschool jungle is the name given to a style of electronic music that incorporates influences from genres including breakbeat hardcore, techno, rare groove and reggae/dub/dancehall. There is significant debate as to whether Jungle is a separate genre from drum and bass as some use the terms interchangeably.
Subgenres
Subgenres of oldschool jungle include:- ragga jungle; more Jamaican-Reggae influenced styles and lyrics (circa 1993-today),
- darkside jungle/darkcore; instrumental jungle with a more minimal focus (1993-today),
- intelligent jungle; a more ambient sound, focusing on mood, synthesis and production methods (1993-today).
History
The term Jungle
While the use of the word to describe what is now known as Jungle is debatable, the emergence of the term in relation to electronic music circles can be roughly traced to lyrics used in Jamaican/Caribbean toasting (a pre-cursor to modern MCs), circa 1970. References to 'Jungle', 'Junglists' and 'Jungle music' can be found throughout dub, reggae and dancehall genres from that era up until today.Interestingly, and possibly just coincidentally, the term "jungle music" was used to describe music by Duke Ellington in the 1920-30's. With African musical and drumming influences they played a rhythmic, exotic sound advertised as "jungle music" and "the jungle sound", the band at that time was often named The Jungle Band on flyers. [1]
It has been suggested that the term 'Junglist' was a reference to a person either from a section of Kingston known as 'The Concrete Jungle' or from a different suburb, 'The Gardens', which was a leafy area colloquially referred to as 'The Jungle'.
The first documented use of the term is within a song featuring Jungle producer and lyricist Rebel MC. In which a sample was taken from a much older dancehall tune containing the lyrics "Rebel got this chant - "'alla the junglists".[2]
At one time there was even some confusion and debate as to whether the use of the word "Jungle" was a racist referral to its apparently blacker, reggae-influenced sound and fans. This seems unlikely as whilst it has been suggested that it was the black youth of Britain who fueled the early Jungle and drum and bass scenes.[2] This was only the reality very early on and is now a racially diverse mix of fans and producers alike.
Some early proponents preferred to define the "Jungle" element as representing the deeper and darker sound of the heavy beats and bass lines, while others saw a connection with triblal drumming, percussion and simplicity.
Producers and DJs of the early 90's; MC 5ive '0, Groove Connection and Kingsley Roast, place the origin of the word in the scene with pioneers like Moose and Danny Jungle.
- "a guy called Danny Jungle - he is the first person I always quote. ... As soon as the breakbeat started he was calling it that."[3]
The emergence of the Jungle sound
- See also: History of drum and bass
In the summer of 1992, a Thursday night club in London called "Rage" was changing in response to the commercialization of the rave scene (see breakbeat hardcore). Resident DJs Fabio and Grooverider; amongst others, began to take the Hardcore sound to a new level. The speed of the music increased from 120bpm to 145bpm, whilst more ragga and dancehall elements were brought in and Techno, Disco and House influences were decreased.
Eventually the music became too fast and difficult to be mixed with more traditional rave music, creating a division with the other popular electronic genres. When it lost the four-on-the-floor beat, and created percussive elements solely from raw, 'chopped up' breakbeats, the old-school ravers would complain that it had "gone all jungle-techno".
The club 'Rage' finally shut its doors in 1993, but the new legion of "Junglists" had evolved, changing dancing styles for the faster music, enjoying the off-beat rhythms and with less reliance on the chemical stimulation of the rave era.
Jungle's decline
Jungle reached the peak of its popularity between 1994 and 1995. It was toward the end of this period that the genre diversified into drum and bass as most producers started to incorporate new sounds and rhythms into their music. The co-produced "Timeless" by Goldie and Rob Playford (Moving Shadow label owner) is the clearest example of a track from this time period which is not considered Jungle. Showcasing the new wave of high-tech music production tools being created and computer and audio-software possibilities, 1995 ushered in many of the biggest names in drum and bass today. The term 'Jungle' was then used to describe a large range of electronic dance music and so has become too vague to be useful.Jungle today
Today the term "jungle" is mostly used as a synonym for drum and bass (See Jungle vs. drum and bass). There is a dissenting viewpoint which asserts that jungle exists distinctive to drum & bass, despite the progressive changes brought by the interpretations of emerging artists throughout the 90s (some examples being Reprazent, Ed Rush, LTJ Bukem, Goldie and Optical).There is certainly a thriving underground movement producing and developing tracks in the style of a decade ago and some original (though currently mainstream drum & bass) jungle producers have noticed this new enthusiasm for the original sound. For example Shy FX, creator of "Original Nuttah", has recently launched the Digital Sound Boy label, featuring tracks with the structure and production values of modern drum & bass but with ragga vocals and multiple reggae and old school elements. It should however be noted that ragga vocals and old school elements have always featured in the works of drum & bass producers and labels, particularly True Playaz. The vast majority of jungle artists at the end of this article could be labelled drum & bass artists and most would not recognize a distinction. [4]
Jungle music had also a large impact on a variety of other styles like IDM and Electronica. Notable artists who were influenced by jungle are Squarepusher, Aphex Twin , Venetian Snares and Shitmat.
References
1. ^ See The History of Jazz Music by Piero Scaruffi
2. ^ >Reynolds, Simon (1998). "Roots 'n Future", Energy Flash. Picador. ISBN 0-330-35056-0.
3. ^ See All Crews: Journeys Through Jungle / Drum and Bass Culture by Brian Belle-Fortune ISBN 0-9548897-0-3
4. ^ [1]
2. ^ >Reynolds, Simon (1998). "Roots 'n Future", Energy Flash. Picador. ISBN 0-330-35056-0.
3. ^ See All Crews: Journeys Through Jungle / Drum and Bass Culture by Brian Belle-Fortune ISBN 0-9548897-0-3
4. ^ [1]
Reference tracks
- A-Zone - Calling The People (Jungle)
- Conquering Lion - Code Red (Ragga-Jungle)
- DJ Dextrous & rude Boy keith - The Kings of the Jungle Part One A. Wicked AA.Charge (SUBBASE 36)
- DJ Dextrous & rude Boy keith - The Kings of the Jungle Part Two A. Bad Boy Tune B1. Jungle Theme B2. Wicked remix (SUBBASE 36R)
Notable artists
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External links
- http://www.ruggednorth.com - Massive Old School Audio Archive
- http://www.thejunglepreserve.org - The Jungle Preserve
- http://www.goldenerajungle.com - Golden Era Jungle
| Breakbeat/Breaks |
|---|
| Big beat - Breakcore - Broken beat - Drill 'n bass - Florida - Hardcore - Hardcore Breaks - Nu skool - Progressive |
| Other electronic dance music genres |
| Ambient | Breakbeat | Drum and bass | Electro | UK garage | Hardcore | House | Industrial | Synthpop | Techno | Trance | Triphop |
Breakbeat hardcore (popularly known as rave music, originally referred to as simply hardcore in the United Kingdom, with oldskool hardcore a common term in the 21st century) is a style of electronic music that primarily uses breakbeats for its rhythm
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Techno is a form of electronic dance music that had its early beginnings in Western Europe in the late 1970s[1] and later developed and established as a genre in Detroit, Michigan during the 1980s.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Rare groove is an umbrella term that refers to relatively obscure and hard-to-find jazz-funk, funk and soul, soul-jazz and jazz-fusion tracks from the 1970s.Originally coined by Kiss FM DJ Norman Jay in 1985 through his show The Original Rare Groove Show
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Reggae is a music genre developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s.
The term 'reggae' is sometimes used in a broad sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, although the word specifically indicates a particular music style that originated after the development of ska and
..... Click the link for more information.
The term 'reggae' is sometimes used in a broad sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, although the word specifically indicates a particular music style that originated after the development of ska and
..... Click the link for more information.
Darkcore is a music genre that became popular in the United Kingdom hardcore rave scene in 1993. It is recognized as being one of the direct precursors of the modern electronic music genre known as drum and bass.
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Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
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1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s
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1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
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For the band, see .
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Motto
"Dieu et mon droit" [2] (French)
"God and my right"
Anthem
"God Save the Queen" [3]
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"Dieu et mon droit" [2] (French)
"God and my right"
Anthem
"God Save the Queen" [3]
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A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. In principle anything that, produces sound, and can somehow be controlled by a person playing it, can serve as a musical instrument.
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Synthesizer is generally any kind of electronic musical instrument, or electronic device capable of producing or manipulating audio tones, such as musical notes, through audio signal processing.
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A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums and/or other percussion instruments. Drum machines are very useful instruments for a wide variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music.
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A music sequencer (also MIDI sequencer or just sequencer) is software or hardware designed to create and manage electronic music.
Originally, music sequencers did not include the ability to record audio.
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Originally, music sequencers did not include the ability to record audio.
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sampler is an electronic music instrument closely related to a synthesizer. Instead of generating sounds from scratch, however, a sampler starts with multiple recordings (or “samples”) of different sounds, and then plays each back based on how the instrument is
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Drum and bass (commonly abbreviated to d&b, DnB, dnb, d'n'b, drum n bass and drum & bass) is a type of electronic dance music also known as jungle.
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This is a list of electronic music genres and sub-genres, though for the latter not all possess their own article (in which case, see the main genre article).
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- Ambient
- Ambient house
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Ragga jungle is the name given to a substyle of Jungle that emerged circa 1991-1992, with artists such as the Ragga Twins, Rebel MC, and Genaside II, and has heavy influences from ragga, roots reggae and dancehall.
..... Click the link for more information.
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Darkcore is a music genre that became popular in the United Kingdom hardcore rave scene in 1993. It is recognized as being one of the direct precursors of the modern electronic music genre known as drum and bass.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Intelligent drum and bass (IDB) is the widespread term for the subgenre of drum and bass emphasising influences from lounge jazz and ambient music. The music typically has a very atmospheric or ambient quality, with washes of synthesised pads, and deep sub-bass.
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Electronic music refers to music that emphasizes the use of electronic musical instruments or electronic music technology as a central aspect of the sound of the music. [1]
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Breakbeat hardcore (popularly known as rave music, originally referred to as simply hardcore in the United Kingdom, with oldskool hardcore a common term in the 21st century) is a style of electronic music that primarily uses breakbeats for its rhythm
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that had its early beginnings in Western Europe in the late 1970s[1] and later developed and established as a genre in Detroit, Michigan during the 1980s.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Rare groove is an umbrella term that refers to relatively obscure and hard-to-find jazz-funk, funk and soul, soul-jazz and jazz-fusion tracks from the 1970s.Originally coined by Kiss FM DJ Norman Jay in 1985 through his show The Original Rare Groove Show
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Reggae is a music genre developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s.
The term 'reggae' is sometimes used in a broad sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, although the word specifically indicates a particular music style that originated after the development of ska and
..... Click the link for more information.
The term 'reggae' is sometimes used in a broad sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, although the word specifically indicates a particular music style that originated after the development of ska and
..... Click the link for more information.
Dub is a form of Jamaican music, which evolved out of Reggae in 1960's Jamaica. The dub sound consists predominantly of instrumental re-mixes of existing recordings and is achieved by significantly manipulating and reshaping the recordings, usually by removing the vocals
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Dancehall is a type of Jamaican popular music which developed around the late 70's, with exponents such as Yellowman and Shabba Ranks. It is also known as bashment.
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Drum and bass (commonly abbreviated to d&b, DnB, dnb, d'n'b, drum n bass and drum & bass) is a type of electronic dance music also known as jungle.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Ragga jungle is the name given to a substyle of Jungle that emerged circa 1991-1992, with artists such as the Ragga Twins, Rebel MC, and Genaside II, and has heavy influences from ragga, roots reggae and dancehall.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Drum and bass (commonly abbreviated to d&b, DnB, dnb, d'n'b, drum n bass and drum & bass) is a type of electronic dance music also known as jungle.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Darkcore is a music genre that became popular in the United Kingdom hardcore rave scene in 1993. It is recognized as being one of the direct precursors of the modern electronic music genre known as drum and bass.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Intelligent drum and bass (IDB) is the widespread term for the subgenre of drum and bass emphasising influences from lounge jazz and ambient music. The music typically has a very atmospheric or ambient quality, with washes of synthesised pads, and deep sub-bass.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Ambient music refers to a kind of music that envelops the listener without drawing attention to itself [1]
'Ambient Music must be able to accommodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one in particular; it must be as ignorable as it is
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'Ambient Music must be able to accommodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one in particular; it must be as ignorable as it is
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