"Big, bad and heavy / Any sound test me tonight dem ah go bury..." This comp surveys the legendary early 90s confluence of ragga, acid, hip hop and breakbeat house that became known as jungle music. The sound was inescapable in the UK, drifting out of trunks, shops, raves and pirate radio airwaves across Europe and eventually ubiquitous worldwide, influencing new generations of ravers, DJs and producers in a seemingly neverending resurgence cycle over the past 3 decades. Soul Jazz Records dig deep here with two fistfulls of serious bad boy chune, tactfully avoiding all the obvious starter pack jungle that Bushwick DJs love to end their sets with; it’s sure to include at least a couple of obscurities even the most serious collector doesn’t have or doesn’t know about. Expect interlocking modules of pitched up piano stabs, Reese basslines, tuned amens, atmospheric pads and ragga vocal chops over these 12 tracks, with highlights being Babylon Timewarp’s “Durban Poison,” DJ Dubplate’s “Tings A Go On,” The Terrorist’s “RK1,” Krome & Time’s “Ganja Man,” Nu Jacks’ “House Sensation” and the mighty “Burial (Lovers Rock Mix)” from Leviticus (aka DJ Jumpin’ Jack Frost), easily the cherry on top of this whole set. Housed in full color pic sleeve with download code and printed inner sleeves sporting an original graphic story continuing Paolo Parisi and Soul Jazz’s Killer Mysterons allegory of black electronic dance music. Recommended.

• black double vinyl pressing
• includes 12 rare jungle, rave and hardcore tracks
• full color printed inner sleeves
• digital download included
• music label: Soul Jazz Records 2020

reviewed by departmental dan 08/2020