Dancehall, you forgot Dancehall.
Well all this talk of Jungle got me thinking of Africa and then it got me thinking as to what I used to listen to in the '80s.
I give you, Gentlemen, Fela Kuti
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK4zBRkog8o
Try not to move.
Just a footnote on d&b,
What has become incredibly influential are the 'techniques' pioneered by the early UK producers (time stretching of samples, turning of 'unwanted' digital artefacts in samples into part of the music, the creative 'misuse' of auto-tune being prime examples) which have now become the 'lingua franca' of mainstream pop production.
Why the 'amen' break is very influential is not just the use of the whole loop, but each of the individual 'hits' being separated out and used with other drum sounds to make up a 'sample' kit ( in particular the second loud snare 'hit' in the loop has a pitched note from the metallic 'ring' of the drum in it's sound which lends itself to re-pitching to suit the key of the song it's being used in ).
The lineage of the music is another thing entirely and that's different depending on who you talk to (Goldie names 70s jazz and jazz funk as his primary influence, Photek names hip-hop and early techno whereas the Shut Up and Dance boys name reggae and hip hop) and can be heard in their respective tracks.
It was also a rare example of a recorded music 'growing up in public' with the sound of tracks developing/maturing on a nearly weekly basis in clubs at the start of the scene. As the producers were working in home/small studios and pressing dub-plates(following the lead of reggae labels/artists) for use at the next weeks events, this allowed them to gauge popularity of a track and then pressing up vinyl to suit the audiences demand within days of it's first play (and as a result bypassing the music industries marketing and production routes to a physical release).
The big difference between the two forms , from my point of view, is early Hip-Hop recordings were an attempt to capture the energy of a live M.C. on record while d&B was a studio-based form creating a 'soundworld' from the floor up. When the two start feeding off each other really interesting stuff starts to happen.
To anyone that does actually like jungle i started a playlist on Youtube for my fav tracks for 94 to 96
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo3Fs_jonHY&list=PL1A485306C325CF60&feature=mh_lolz
Grantby - Timber (1995)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUnq-_Kb1VY
Red Snapper - Hot Flush
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QrtAOJUuRI
Last edited by Lee (2013-01-28 04:57:35)
Incidentally, on the subject of d&b DJs: in the 90s a club in Hull decided to get a big name of d&b in each month. I went to every one (mostly because the club was letting me in free), and what really amazed me was the vast disparity between the quality of the DJs, all of whom were the top dogs of the scene then. Bear in mind these guys were playing for several hours, so it was impossible not to gauge their abilities.
I think it was about a 50/50 split; some of these DJs played the exact same groove all night, whilst the dancefloor steadily declined to a point where even the diehards were bored. Some in this category didn't even know how to mix! Every mix was a car crash.
Then you had the other half: DJs who played a set with variety, structure and extremely tasty mixing. Often they had a creative MC too. These guys kept the party rocking.
It was very strange how it was a seemingly random split, and every month I never knew what to expect.
The best I recall was L Double, with DBO General on the mic.
You have to bring your A game in this thread Harpo. You were asking for that. You're lucky you got off so easily really.
Last edited by Liam Mac (2013-01-28 07:18:36)
Doesn't sound much like reggae to me, I think you got it wrong again Yuca!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pu10FjTIsw&playnext=1&list=PLF52BA5D54C9732F0&feature=results_video
Last edited by Yuca (2013-01-28 07:39:54)
Classy