Ambient jungle
| Jungle | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Early 1990s, Bristol and London, England, Jamaica |
| Typical instruments | |
| Derivative forms | |
| Subgenres | |
| Fusion genres | |
| Artcore | |
Jungle is a genre of electronic music derived from breakbeat hardcore that developed in England in the early 1990s as part of UK rave scenes. The style is characterized by rapid tempos (150 to 200 bpm) and breakbeats, as well as dub reggae-derived basslines, heavily syncopated percussive loops, samples and synthesized effects. Long pitch-shifted snare rolls are common in oldschool jungle. The terms "jungle" and "drum and bass" are often used interchangeably, though “jungle” has been used specifically to refer to the earlier iteration of the style.
Producers create the drum patterns, which are sometimes completely off-beat, by cutting apart breakbeats (most notably the Amen break). Jungle producers incorporated classic Jamaican/Caribbean sound-system culture production-methods. The slow, deep basslines and simple melodies (reminiscent of those found in dub, reggae and dancehall) accentuated the overall production, giving jungle its "rolling" quality.
Producers and DJs of the early 1990s, including MC 5ive '0, Groove Connection and Kingsley Roast place the origin of the word in the scene with pioneers like Moose, Soundman and Johnny Jungle. According to MC Navigator of Kool FM, 'jungle' stems from the term 'junglist', which refers to people from Arnett Gardens, an area of Kingston. Navigator states it was Rebel MC who popularised the term in the UK, after sampling the phrase 'alla the junglists' from a tape of a sound-system party in Kingston.
In Simon Reynolds' view, jungle was a form of cultural expression for London's lower class urban youth. The post-Thatcherite United Kingdom of the early 1990s had left many urbanites (especially young urbanites) disenfranchised and disillusioned with a seemingly crumbling societal structure. In Simon Reynolds' view, jungle reflected these feelings; it was a notably more dark, less euphoric style of music than many of the other styles popular at raves.
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