Thrive in '95 - Jungle's zenith

droid

Well-known member
Ed Rush ‎– The Force Is Electric (Remix)

The first time I heard this tune was probably summer '96. Id been to a party in Dolphins barn, indulged in some low PH and it hadn't gone too well. I left in the early hours and my cycle home took me down Dorset St. past Naptha's basement dungeon at about 2-3am. The light was on so I called in and after a couple of calming doses, Naphta stuck this on. I was still mapping the territory at that time and this was a complete revelation to me.

The curtains open with an atmospheric conga intro, viciously poised soundclash vocals (which Ive never been able to track down), low key rolling think and then a sickly reese and helicopter, before a whirlwind of pitched amen and panned sound effects signal the main event. I think of this as a kind of lo-fi darkside response to Goldie's cyber dread excursion via Jah the seventh seal. Slightly unusual for Ed though, I reckon Nico may have had more of a hand in this one that the rest of his No-U turn output.

Afterwards I got stopped by the gardai on the way home during the dawn chorus about 300 yards from my front door. Lucky not to end the night down at the station.

 

droid

Well-known member
The creativity happening around this time is unsurpassed in pretty much all genres throughout dance music history. Psychedelic.

This is the manifesto. Doesn't just apply to 95 though, of course. The striking thing for those who have ears to hear is the immense sense of diversity and overwhelming originality.

Scenius except the scene is full of auteurs. Scenius + Genius.
 

Leo

Well-known member
Ed Rush ‎– The Force Is Electric (Remix)

The first time I heard this tune was probably summer '96. Id been to a party in Dolphins barn, indulged in some low PH and it hadn't gone too well. I left in the early hours and my cycle home took me down Dorset St. past Naptha's basement dungeon at about 2-3am. The light was on so I called in and after a couple of calming doses, Naphta stuck this on. I was still mapping the territory at that time and this was a complete revelation to me.

The curtains open with an atmospheric conga intro, viciously poised soundclash vocals (which Ive never been able to track down), low key rolling think and then a sickly reese and helicopter, before a whirlwind of pitched amen and panned sound effects signal the main event. I think of this as a kind of lo-fi darkside response to Goldie's cyber dread excursion via Jah the seventh seal. Slightly unusual for Ed though, I reckon Nico may have had more of a hand in this one that the rest of his No-U turn output.

Afterwards I got stopped by the gardai on the way home during the dawn chorus about 300 yards from my front door. Lucky not to end the night down at the station.


Ha, own it! that's the flip side of "guncheck", was gonna post that one but figured two was enough. great track
 

Pearsall

Prodigal Son
Jump up is even worse than techstep and all that stuff imo. It's the nadir.

ha! jump-up (mid-90's version) was great fun (OK some of it was less than great). did you go to raves?

something else you will hate, another early jump-up tune:

 

Pearsall

Prodigal Son
Nice all '95 mix from 'Straya's DJ Rikochet:

<iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src=""></iframe>
 

thirdform

pass the sick bucket
piano tune/vocal tune also come out in 95. Bukem was one of the worst for holding tunes back. that was on dub all through 94, must have been march or april at the very earliest.
 

luka

Well-known member
I went to hypes ganja records night at the end a few times. That's where I really realised, I don't like this music at all.
 

Corpsey

bandz ahoy
I don't find it mysterious at all why Luka hates jump up and techstep - as regressive, boneheaded.

I'm not that confused by him disliking the metalheads, et al, arty jungle, but I'd like to find out exactly why cos I'm sure he's got good reasons for that too.
 

luka

Well-known member
The arty stuff and even the techstep stuff has its moments. I'd have to listen to some arty stuff to remind myself of why I find it a turn off. I've forgotten.
 

luka

Well-known member
I've never heard that one before it turns out. I wouldn't say I hate it but it's sterile isn't it. It's thirds thing about dance music having an innate tendency to devolve into mere 'production' it's arid and loveless.
 

luka

Well-known member
It's a betrayal of the legacy of hardcore. It's life-denying. All the joy squeezed out of it. In the way dubstep started off as garage with the joy squeezed out of it. There's something quite alarming about that, in as much as it demonstrates the existence of an entire tribe of people dedicated to the dessicated and the po-faced. The enemies of joy.
 

thirdform

pass the sick bucket
It's a betrayal of the legacy of hardcore. It's life-denying. All the joy squeezed out of it. In the way dubstep started off as garage with the joy squeezed out of it. There's something quite alarming about that, in as much as it demonstrates the existence of an entire tribe of people dedicated to the dessicated and the po-faced. The enemies of joy.


nah man metropolis is punishing. and look where too much joy can make you end up at, bad company.

happy hardcore did keep hardcores legacy alive though. all through the 90s and into the 00s. too much joy isn't healthy for musical ecosystems.
 

thirdform

pass the sick bucket
I mean my fam/community were living in hackney around those times as were many turks newly migrated. the thing about rave was it never took root in freshly migrated communities but only those who had already been established for a good 25-30 at the very least.

that dream was never there for anyone i know so i can get into the darker joyless techstep without being betrayed. but also i do wonder if I'd be collecting euro hardcore techno around 92-93 if i was in the scene. it's an interesting thought.
 

luka

Well-known member
A lot, the vast majority, of the music in your rehabilitate the zfi thread is cartoonish, which I like a great deal. It's got a sense of fun. It's deliberately ridiculous and as such is diametrically opposed to the Enemies of Joy.
 
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