[Column] Jungle / Drum & Bass Reconsidered: Reevaluating the music created by cities and technology
Column en Drum N Bass Electronic Jungle![[Column] Jungle / Drum & Bass Reconsidered: Reevaluating the music created by cities and technology](/../assets/images/column-jungle-drumandbass.webp)
The eve of the birth of the jungle ─ Accumulation of breakbeat culture
Text: mmr｜Theme: A multifaceted analysis of why jungle/drum and bass, which was born in the urban environment of London in the 1990s, is now being reevaluated, based solely on the facts of music technology, social background, and cultural influence.
In Britain in the early 1990s, breakbeats derived from hip-hop, the bass culture of reggae/dub, and the faster dance music of rave were evolving in parallel. In London in particular, immigrant communities and youth club culture intersected closely, and musical intermingling was commonplace.
Standard breaks such as the Amen break and Funky Drummer that had been used since the late 1980s began to be reconstructed in more detail with the spread of samplers and Akai MPCs. As a result, not just loops, but carved and rearranged rhythms became the main character.
Jungle did not suddenly appear, but was established over many years of accumulating breakbeat culture.
The name “jungle” and the formation of the initial scene
The word “jungle” is said to come from slang used in reggae and dancehall, and was also called ragga jungle in its early days. Combining high-speed beats, heavy sub-bass, and shouting and toasting by the MC, it had an atmosphere distinctly different from existing rave music.
From 1992 to 1993, London’s Pirates radio station played a key role in promoting this new sound. Music that was not broadcast on official media penetrated local communities through radio waves.
Jungle was both a music genre and a culture fostered by unofficial media.
Changes to drum and bass and musical sophistication
In the mid-1990s, jungle became more abstract and sophisticated, and the name “drum and bass” became established. In addition to songs with a strong Raga flavor, the number of instrumental-centered songs has increased, and the level of sonic perfection has increased.
The tempo was generally fixed at 160-175 BPM, and while the kick and snare placement was organized, the hi-hat and ghost notes were extremely fragmented. With the evolution of studio production environments, emphasis has been placed on sound separation and spatial expression.
Drum”n”Bass was established not as a negation of jungle, but as its internal evolution.
Differentiation of subgenres and expansion of scenes
As drum”n”bass became more popular, multiple subgenres became clearer. Hard Step, Tech Step, Intelligent, Liquid Funk, etc. were developed with different listening environments in mind.
It”s a testament to the genre”s flexibility that it was able to coexist with aggressive club-ready songs and introspective songs suitable for home listening. As a result, drum and bass went beyond being music exclusively for dance floors.
The coexistence of various subgenres is one of the factors that has made drum”n”bass so long.
Technological evolution and changes in production methods
From the late 1990s to the 2000s, DAWs and software samplers became popular, and the production environment changed significantly. The once expensive hardware is gradually becoming obsolete, and editing accuracy is dramatically improving.
Even so, the sample culture centered around the Amen Blake continued to be inherited, processed, and reinterpreted. The extremely finely chopped breaks became the core of creating the tension unique to drum & bass.
Advances in technology have changed the expression, but the essence of the obsession with rhythm has remained the same.
Temporary decline and mainstreaming
In the mid-2000s, drum”n”bass became incorporated into pop music and advertising music, and some considered it over-consumed. At the same time, other genres emerged in the club scene, and the level of attention to it decreased relatively.
However, the genre itself did not disappear during this period, and the underground scene continued to see releases and events. In fact, in some ways, the lack of outside attention has led to a deepening of introversion.
The basic strength of the genre was maintained during the period when it retired from the center stage.
Re-evaluation movements since the 2010s
In the 2010s, jungle/drum and bass started to gain attention again. Past recordings have been reissued, giving younger generations more opportunities to experience this music in its historical context.
Also, with the spread of the Internet and distribution platforms, it has become possible to reference scenes across scenes without being bound by locality. This led to a reinterpretation of his early works.
The re-evaluation was not a result of nostalgia, but an inevitable outcome of the new listening environment.
Influence on contemporary music
There are many rhythmic structures in current electronic music, hip-hop, and experimental music that have clear influences from jungle/drum”n”bass. The irregular, propulsive beat in particular has been cited across genres.
This influence is often more structural than timbral, and extends to reinterpretations of breakbeats.
Jungle/drum”n”bass is not a genre of the past, but continues to live on as a structure.
Chronology
Looking at the chronology, it can be seen that jungle/drum and bass has continued to exist, changing forms intermittently.
