Thread: Why Future Jungle is destined for greatness

This is reproduced from a piece i wrote for the future jungle blog: Future Jungle | 140 Jungle | Jungle Breaks | J-Tek | Nu Jungle | Hardcore Breaks | Dubstep: Why Future Jungle is destined for greatness

As some readers of this blog may know, my name is Tariq, I host a weekly online radio show called 'tea with Tariq' for Home - Radio Youthology, a youth station aimed at 16-24yr olds. I've been a follower of the rave scene since 1991 up until 2001 when I got a bit fed up of music in general. When I got into radio recently I started looking for music to play and my natural inclination towards the old skool rave sound led me to stumble across the Future Rave anthems compilations and the 'Rave breaks' sound, I kept googling away to find more material and came across nu-rave.com where the current styles had been categorised into rave breaks, hardcore breaks and J Tek. I eventually came acrossA Future Jungle , J-Tek ,Hardcore Breaks and Dubstep Record Label where I heard a track called 'Autumn Star' by D Con & Miguel which reminded me of the 1992 Jungle tekno sound and I knew I had found the sound I was looking for to promote on a radio program.

Around about the same time, another style emerged reffered to as '140 Jungle' or 'Future Jungle' , whilst admittedly name tags are undoubtedly problematic for producers as it can marginalise and pigeonhole them. I personally feel that this strand of modern rave music is the closest in spirit to the early 90's sound, not only that but it fuses the earlier sound with the mid 90's 'Jungle/Drum n Bass' and the current 'Dubstep'. No wonder then that dubstep producers are themselves getting involved with some notably fine results many of which you can check out on this blog.

Going back to the old skool thing for a second, when rave/hardcore broke out in the early 90's, it didn't just break out, it made an impact on mainstream radio although I'm sure the men in suits didn't like it and mainstream radio did everything it could to bury it until sadly, they won and by 1993, DJs like Pete Tong who dedicated half an hour of his show to hardcore every week stopped playing it. Future jungle or whichever term you prefer will break out and impact mainstream radio, there have already been tracks played on BBC radio 1, artists like Lucas, Bojcot selectah, Radiokillaz and DJ Twista's remix of the classic 'Crowd control' by Ramos & Supreme have all had airtime on the beeb. 20 years ago, the radio wasn't ready for hardcore but it will be ready for this fresh new re-interpretation and for me, that is an exciting prospect as it will allow a whole new generation to discover the sound, maybe I'm being very optimistic but the signs are there. I for one am 110% committed to pushing the sound albeit on a online station amongst the myriad of online stations, you can catch me every Saturday 6pm on Home - Radio Youthology and don't worry, I don't talk as much as I write!!!

What do you think of new jungle that's made at the older speed - around the 160+ mark?

I've tried listening to some 'future' jungle and can't get into it - seems to be too slow.

Any you can recommend so I can have another listen?

Originally Posted by RenegadeGenius

I've tried listening to some 'future' jungle and can't get into it - seems to be too slow.

Any you can recommend so I can have another listen?

its utta wank!!

like j-tek did. future jungle will die a death. very soon

JUNGLE (and i mean real NEW) / DNB and dubstep (chase n status styley).................. and breaks (though thats quickly dwindling now)

pretty much all thats worth listening too untill the teens pull thier finger out and start making a propa sound for thier generation.

No offence, but 'Future Jungle' is totally uninspiring. It sounds like slow breakbeat (at almost dubstep tempo), but using slower breaks and raiding their 'Jungle Sample Soundbank' cd's with sirens, dog barks, soundboy vocals. Why would I want to listen to that when I can listen to REAL Jungle muisc (old and new). Why have hamburger when you can have Steak?

I liked J-Tek when it first hit the scene in 08 and Hardcore Breaks from the mid 2000's but there is only so far you can go when rehashing old sounds though.

Dubstep can't get into it (except the pop side of it like Chase & Status), not into the high pitched/chainsaw basslines.

Breaks seems to be petering out now.

Hmmmm, I do prefer old skool hardcore jungle to this day 90-93 especially but I really like whats been dubbed 'future jungle', for examples, here's a few links to my weekly radio shows complete with tracklists: JUNGLEBREAKS: Tea with Tariq

I haveta confess that although I've not really come accross much of the J-Tek or Future Jungle styles (I kinda lump them into the hardcore breaks catagory to be honest), the tracks featured on the 'Future Jungle' wristband released by Simon Harris really appealed to me. I've listened to many styles and genres of music ranging from dub and downtempo to nosebleed 180bpm, drum & bass/hardcore headbangers, so am open to all speeds of music. As long as it sounds good then that's all that matters to me to be honest.

Just wish I had the cash to be able to listen to all styles of music in a less casual and selective manner.

Originally Posted by stuz74

I haveta confess that although I've not really come accross much of the J-Tek or Future Jungle styles (I kinda lump them into the hardcore breaks catagory to be honest), the tracks featured on the 'Future Jungle' wristband released by Simon Harris really appealed to me. I've listened to many styles and genres of music ranging from dub and downtempo to nosebleed 180bpm, drum & bass/hardcore headbangers, so am open to all speeds of music. As long as it sounds good then that's all that matters to me to be honest.

Just wish I had the cash to be able to listen to all styles of music in a less casual and selective manner.

thing is mate.............


ALL these 2 bob fuk wit shit 'i made a tune so im gonna make it a genre to make me look special' mostly wank genres..... all fit easily and nicely into other genres of dance music.

and that is what is KILLING dace music now........ not a lack of interest............ but a load of blad old priks making a selection of tunes and saying its a new genre..................

hence we have about 70 genres pushed at people bein made to chose............. yet they are all the same kinda sound.... and mix into eachother perfectly!!

fuk future jungle / j-tek / rave breaks and any other fuk wit made by a 40 year old love me prik genre!!!

maybe make hardcore or jungle and leave new genres to the youth like is was bitd??????????

all about the money and ego!!!!

how is it about the money? it's such a small scene even when you add j tek, nu jungle, and those ilk as hardcore breaks. there's very little money to be made from it nowadays, other wise our own renegade genius would be a squillionaire (i hope he aint after saying that, it would make me look a fool)

i like this new stuff and im trying to find it all the time. i agree with the rediculous amount of genres though, its a bit wierd and pointless.

Originally Posted by dj Euphoria

how is it about the money?

The No 1 Old Skool and Rave Breaks: Various Artists: Amazon.co.uk: Music

same goes for EVERY genre 40+ year old djs are 'trying' to push.

make music we can enjoy yes please...... try and re-brand it and big it up as your 'nu-dance-god' fuk off!!!!


please everyone make music....................... old fuikkkas pushin it on kiddys....... ARE YOU FUKIN PEEDOS??????

keep ya music for your generation!!!!!

i would like to add that the majority of the producers and djs are doing a wikid job!!

its the branding of it all and making up nu genres to make a few quid that needs winding in.

id like to point out Hardcore Lives and Paranoid Recordings ..... you dont see those labels pushing a 'new genre' or claming to invented a new sound or packaging tunes into seperate genres....... its all underground dance music.

those 2 labeles push new music and sounds without trying to package each tune or each album into a genre.

DONE PERFECTLY!!!!

Originally Posted by Renegade Radio

The No 1 Old Skool and Rave Breaks: Various Artists: Amazon.co.uk: Music

So out of interest, is that not the equivalent of buying a Warehouse Raves or Deep Heat comp from bitd?

You've taken the very top end of the market as your example and yes of course Billy & Slippy are making dollar - but i've got a folder of a hundred plus tunes from dozens of artists on Soundcloud alone that have been made without thought of profit. I'd also lay good money that the boys & girls selling their wares over at Nu Rave ain't raking in the beans. That doesn't include the other god knows how many on here & other forums just tinkering to see if they can.

Just to play devils advocate, if RG got a phonecall tomorrow asking if the next Para album could get distributed globally would he be a sell-out? Or maybe u get that call and someone wants to offer you 5 or 6 figures to bring a tune of yours out.......but u gotta call it Puffstep - u telling him to do one?

Originally Posted by Renegade Radio

i would like to add that the majority of the producers and djs are doing a wikid job!!

its the branding of it all and making up nu genres to make a few quid that needs winding in.

id like to point out Hardcore Lives and Paranoid Recordings ..... you dont see those labels pushing a 'new genre' or claming to invented a new sound or packaging tunes into seperate genres....... its all underground dance music.

those 2 labeles push new music and sounds without trying to package each tune or each album into a genre.

DONE PERFECTLY!!!!

Someone have a re-read?

Originally Posted by dodders

Just to play devils advocate, if RG got a phonecall tomorrow asking if the next Para album could get distributed globally would he be a sell-out? Or maybe u get that call and someone wants to offer you 5 or 6 figures to bring a tune of yours out.......but u gotta call it Puffstep - u telling him to do one?

as posted above............. Rg, Gaffz and Pete are doin it propa i can only dream of sony or a major distributer paying them a shit load of money to keep doin wot they are doing.


as for everyone else tinkering and making beats............. how it shud be...... but i dont see anyone saying they have invented a new genre thats basicly the same as another one....do you?

as for puffstep................. SEXY IDEA!!

Im gonna do that..... basicly just make jungle, add a donk..... and say i have invented a new genre!!

SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!

Originally Posted by dodders

Someone have a re-read?

eh??

Originally Posted by Renegade Radio

as posted above............. Rg, Gaffz and Pete are doin it propa i can only dream of sony or a major distributer paying them a shit load of money to keep doin wot they are doing.


as for everyone else tinkering and making beats............. how it shud be...... but i dont see anyone saying they have invented a new genre thats basicly the same as another one....do you?

as for puffstep................. SEXY IDEA!!

Im gonna do that..... basicly just make jungle, add a BANANA..... and say i have invented a new genre!!

SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!

Originally Posted by dj Euphoria

how is it about the money? it's such a small scene even when you add j tek, nu jungle, and those ilk as hardcore breaks. there's very little money to be made from it nowadays, other wise our own renegade genius would be a squillionaire (i hope he aint after saying that, it would make me look a fool)

Sorry didn't reply earlier - was just kitting out the 6th Bedrooms' ensuite
(If only!!).
Only little bit of money I think I did make was when I sold out of Bat Beat 1 & the Acen remakes - probably a few hundred profit total, which then ended up buying new pc bits most likely - and that's not factoring in time spent doing stuff.
Aside from that there's been no profit.

Originally Posted by Renegade Radio

id like to point out Hardcore Lives and Paranoid Recordings ..... you dont see those labels pushing a 'new genre' or claming to invented a new sound or packaging tunes into seperate genres....... its all underground dance music.

Indeed - if it was about trying to make cash, then it wouldn't have even started - as long as we cover costs, that's the main aim aside from getting tunes out there in a physical format.

Originally Posted by dodders

Just to play devils advocate, if RG got a phonecall tomorrow asking if the next Para album could get distributed globally would he be a sell-out? Or maybe u get that call and someone wants to offer you 5 or 6 figures to bring a tune of yours out.......but u gotta call it Puffstep - u telling him to do one?

If we could get away with putting tunes out to make loads of money, it'd be lovely - but one thing I wouldn't do is 'pop' style shite to try and win more fans.
I like what I like & if others like it, all good, but couldn't be involved with tunes that I'd never listen to.

Other issue is all the samples we use. You'd never get away with that trying to sell commercially these days - was tricky back in the day for certain tunes that got caught out (Raving I'm Raving / Finest Illusion).
Due to the limited numbers, we're fairly under the radar which is where I like it.

I completely agree that the throwing up of 'new genre' titles makes everything very fractured and completely confusing to follow, which is why I prefer to just keep these new styles lumped into the same category on my iTunes. Same as back in 1992 where you had your Belgian techno, +8 Detroit techno, house, piano-breakbeat and proto-jungle hardcore played out at the same event, sometimes in the same DJ set. I don't really have any problems with new genres, apart from the fact that the confusion factor makes things a bit difficult to follow.

Now poppy-trance-rave shite is just shite in general, just as it was back in the day too. And it is criminal that well produced tracks by established producers on here, and other forums/Soundcloud/Nu-Rave.com get overlooked. I guess artists with musical integrity will always be more remembered than those who made a quick cash-in and disappear into obscurity. But who knows. Maybe it's time for Hardcore Breaks to get it's dues?

Originally Posted by stuz74

Maybe it's time for Hardcore Breaks to get it's dues?

Think it peaked mid 2000s - loads of vinyl available, proper distribution available selling to places like hmv & specialist dance music stores, coverage in magazines etc.
Let's hope it can get like that again.

I have to say that i don't like dubstep and i don't like future jungle as for me it's too slow and does nothing for me.

I find all these new different genres a pain in the arse personally - there should be one or two new genres and leave it at that - makes it less confusing when trying to buy stuff as there is always a new genre made up.

I find most people who make hardcore breaks do it for fun and/or for the love of the music rather than for the money which is how it was always done bitd. As long as overheads were paid and you got a bit of cash in your pocket then you were happy.

I think it's important not to sell out on the scene just to make big bucks as then you have to make watered down versions of hardcore breaks so they are more appealling to the commercial market - which eventually will destroy that genre of music in my opinion.

Leave the underground scene underground where it belongs

170bpm+ jungle or fuck off and die....


oh hi everyone!

Originally Posted by Garry Bynon

170bpm+ jungle or fuck off and die....


oh hi everyone!

Only 170?!?!?! Meh! Too slow......surely!

I really have no idea what half of this stuff is anymore....so out of touch

Originally Posted by stuz74

I haveta confess that although I've not really come accross much of the J-Tek or Future Jungle styles (I kinda lump them into the hardcore breaks catagory to be honest), the tracks featured on the 'Future Jungle' wristband released by Simon Harris really appealed to me. I've listened to many styles and genres of music ranging from dub and downtempo to nosebleed 180bpm, drum & bass/hardcore headbangers, so am open to all speeds of music. As long as it sounds good then that's all that matters to me to be honest.

Just wish I had the cash to be able to listen to all styles of music in a less casual and selective manner.

you don't need cash to listen to different styles music, you just need a pair of ears and the will to find it.