It’s silly season and given I am on a heavy music starvation diet due to being at home for a week with my Coldplay-loving wife, let’s saddle up for something different. Behold, my top 10 old school jungle classics!
Some had the Bay Area 80s thrash movement to call their own, others had the sordid London birth of punk or the second Summer of Love in fields and warehouses up and down the UK in 1988.
I had jungle. As teenagers in Birmingham in the early to mid 90s, we were at the epicentre (along with Bristol and London of course) of this thrillingly dark and underground scene.There was a beautiful two years before the music started to take itself too seriously and was still rooted in ragga and classic hip-hop. It was raw, it was wild and unhinged fun and best of all was that bass.
The bassweight pressure in front of those speakers was so heavy, so intense, it felt like an entity in the room with us. We used to ride it like a bucking stallion.
Anyway, enough waxing nostalgic. Here are 10 of the best tunes (that I can remember) from those fucked up, unforgettable days.
Congo Natty – Under Mi Sensi
Tribe of Issachar – Junglist
Urban Shakedown – Arsonist
Prizna – Fire (Urban Shakedown remix)
Q Project – Champion Sound
Origin Unknown – Valley of the Shadows
DJ Hype – 6 Million Ways to Die
Dead Dred – Dread Bass
Krome & Time – Ganja Man
Super Sharp Shooter – Ganja Kru
Asylum – Bass 2 Dark (Micky Finn dubplate)
hey hey hey
Just adding to this five years later…
Remarc – Drum & Bass Wise
Marvellous Cain- CB4
Conquering Lion – Code Red (94 remix)
It doesn’t get old (pace & bass!)
Monkey Defies Gravity 
I am sad to say I know/knew very little about Jungle– although after hearing these, it TOTALLY explains your love of D-beat, Crust, etc.
Kudos for actually getting more aggressive with your music as you age.
It was definitely a UK thing. By the time it spread worldwide it had lost the essence of what made it great in the first place and while more complex and polished, was utterly bland and safe.
I’m glad you took the time to listen, as I definitely see a connection between that kind of aggressive, in-your-face dark bass music and certain strains of metal. It’s all about density and kinetic energy.
I actually loved metal long before getting into jungle… intensity in one form or another has always been the motif of my music love and yeah, I am glad not to be mellowing with age!
After hearing the Prodigy’s “Out of Space” I had to check out some more Oldskool Jungle. Your top ten favorites (that you can remember) list is really helpful in me understanding the definitive sound of the genre and also in finding more great tunes. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed them!
Interesting choices. You can definitely tell you were more of a fan of the ragga jungle sounds.
No love for Bukem or Goldie etc?
Nothing wrong with ‘serious’ music my man!
Hey Law, thanks for taking the time to comment. I definitely had some love for Bukem. I saw him in the back room at the Que club in Birmingham back in 94 (he was amazing) as well as the main room at the legendary (but sadly long defunct) Hot Foot night and a few times in small Liverpool clubs. I caned that Logical Progression tape and still play that PFM tune Western that Conrad would rap over while Bukem span it. Goldie just never really did it for me though, although Metalheadz was a great label. That said, it’s the ragga and the jump up tunes that I remember the most and still play almost 20 years on….
and all these artists have probably sampled of 1 song: the winstons – amen brother. not a bad thing. I love the amen break in all forms!
Whole genres were based on that break! Such an awesome drum loop.
Show!!!!!!!!
Congratulations The best playlist!!!
Thank You!!!
I’m Brazilian
Glad you like it!
I remember every single one of these bad boys.. Classics.. Making my hair stand on end.. And i’m fucking bald 🙂
Love it! Glad you enjoyed them mate!