There is a bridge between the echo’s of the past, and the vibrations driving us into the future. Within the realms of drum and bass/ jungle music culture. Certain thoughts can be conveyed into a certain sound. When history repeats itself along this path. Leaving us with a golden opportunity to experience where it all came from.

That’s exactly what is happening over at the Deep in the Jungle camp right now. The label is headed by Dj Hybrid is about to unleash a mammoth lp upon the world of bass thirsty junglists. “Jungle Wars” will be a massive lp, proving to the world. That, yes, jungle is MASSIVE!!

Alongside Hybrid for this pre-release , which is available on Juno right now, he brings along veteran Conrad Subs and Mrs Magoo for her production debut. There are two bits on this LP sampler that will wobble you out of your owns shoes. Causing the dwellers in the flats around you to pound the walls and yell “TURN THAT FOOKIN SCHYT DOWN WILL YA!!! “.

LET’S GET INTO THE JAMS!!!

The first tune ‘ Back to 96‘ is a collaboration between DJ Hybrid and Mrs. Magoo. This tune is exactly that. A time machine back into the poorly lit backroom of the raves. The small intimate jungle show at a dodgey club, and back to the record store . All the elements of classic jump up are in THA HOUSE! But with little nu skool nuances coming from the signature Hybrid sound. Deep rich sub bass, simple classic breaks, scratch samples, funk shots and amens are the main ingredients in this dish.

I would like to compare this to the mid 90’s style of labels like Urban Takeover / Frontline/ TruPlayaz/ Ganja / Undiluted era jump up. People like Mickey Finn, Brockie, Dj Hype, Dj Dara used to own the night with this style of jungle. Once again, the old school’s formula and recipe to success works again. I can easily see this one getting heavy rotation amongst those who have been missing this vibe. A vibe that invites us to relax, quit taking the culture some damn serious, enjoy the bass, and just dance.

Next up is the mighty Conrad Subs! He has been crushing the dance for many years now. With Maserati clean details and production. Subs has been a staple in my, as well as many other dj’s , go to dance floor jammer go to selections for sometime. This new tune ‘Get rid This‘ is the very definition of a wobbler. So many other artists are putting ‘wobblers’ back into the zest geist of jungle again. While putting their own spin on something that has already been perfected.

Thats where Conrad gets it perfect. He didn’t go in and re-arrange the vibe. Didn’t add new production tricks or pre-sets from the newest ‘whatever’ plug in floats the boat with the yungs. He came in. Used hip hop licks, reggae horns, laser shots, predictable risers, and that very comforting wobbling bassline. One made very famous by Aphrodite to be exact. I re-visited the back catalog of Aphrodite. This tune is basically the perfect blend of ‘Bad Ass’ / ‘I got Five on it’/ Hit Me / Drop Top Caddy all in one tune.

Everything about this tune is quintessential jump up dnb. The real jump up. Not the nu skool stuff covered with cheap mayonnaise, soup, and stomped on pill stacks. This is the real uncut, high grade stuff. The production is CLEEN, the composition is pure, and the subs. They are like listening to a perfectly poached egg drizzle over some cured meat and a english biscuit. So rich, so delicious!!

THOUGHTS ON THE RELEASE:

All in all. I like this sampler. It takes me back to where my junglist journey began. Slinking around Chicago, in the phattest of Kik Wear and UFO! pants, esdjco visor on sideways, Echo Wear pressed proper, brand new Shell Toes ready for an entire night of shuffling and liquid dancing. Everything about it sounds amazing and is later focused on making the ‘drums’ and the ‘bass’ the best part of the music again.

Everyone on this release has the ability to go above and beyond with arrangement, layering, melody composition, and supreme drum choppage. But I’m pretty stoked that they used some restraint and took us back to a better time in dnb. Not that there’s anything wrong with whats happening now. But back then, when this style was king, jungle was sooooo much more fun. AND I’M HERE FOR ALL OF IT!!!!

TALKIN SHOP WIT DA HOMIEZ!!!

As a well versed and experienced dj, Mrs Magoo is coming into this release wearing her roots as a badge of honor. Most new producers come flying out of the gates with the most current style banger they can possibly conjure up. With goals of snapping necks of label owners .Dreams of waking up to a #1 hit on some chart somewhere and getting the nod from sir Goldie himself. But Magoo is starting us off where she did. With a style of jungle music that paved the road for everything that is happening today.

I had a moment to catchup with Mrs. Magoo and have a chat about how all of this came to be. Check it out!

Good day Mrs. Magoo!! How the hell are ya!?

Hey D_E_B_T ! I’m doing good thankyou, hope you are keeping well during these crazy times!

You’ve made a hell of a name for yourself in the world of djing. Grabbing a nominee for best female dj from the bestdnbawards 2021. Which you should definitely win IMO. What is it like to rise up in the rankings so fast?

Awtch thats so lovely! Thanks so much!! I’ve actually been DJing for around 15 years now. In 2017 I won the Jungle Award which was a huge turning point for my career. From then I went onto international bookings and had the privilege of working alongside some truly amazing artists.

This EP coming out on Deep in The Jungle is your first official release. What made you take the jump away from the decks and into the studio?

Producing is the next logical step for me career wise. I’ve always wanted to make my own music. It’s one thing to play tracks to a crowd but to play your own and see their reaction? Thats gotta be a whole other level of awesome.

Many people tell dj’s like yourself that if they want to level up, and make progression in the industry, they need to make tunes. Right now I feel the hierarchy of bookings is solely based on whether or not you’re a producer, and not based on whether or not you’re actually a good performer and good dj. Was getting into the studio an important move to bridge that gap for you?

Absolutely. I’ve spent years honing my skills as a DJ and now I’m keen to bring that experience to production. I want to make the types of tunes I feel passionate about.

What was the writing process like for you and Hybrid on this collab? How did this come about? Who did what? And how did you go about navigating the stages of production during a time when we had to be socially distant?

I’ve known Hybrid for a wee while now and worked on a couple of projects for his label Deep in the Jungle Records. We actually made this track together in his studio before Covid happened. It was a really fun process! Cutting up breaks and going through hundreds of vocal samples, hitting keys trying to find that perfect baseline. He’s a genius and very patient too! Massive learning experience for me for sure and now its all about building on that knowledge.

What tunes do you reckon were the main inspiration for this track?

I knew I wanted to get an oldskool rolling baseline on the go.. Bladerunner/Capone sorta vibes. The samples were a tribute to my hardcore influences growing up as a kid. Hardcore will always have a special place in my heart so I plan to bring alot more of those influeces going forward.

I myself have been to Scotland 4 times now. And you have been over to the States a couple times now yourself. What are there any parallels between the two scenes if any?

I definitely find I feel really at ease in the States because it reminds me so much of home. We have quite a niche scene up here in Scotland. I think it brings out a special level of appreciation in everyone because its such a small wee network. The love in the States is truly magic.

Are there any up and coming dj’s/producers/labels you can hype up that the rest of us may not know about yet?

Couple of heads that have been making some real bangers lately are Toby Ross, Sum and Crom! Defo keep your eyes on these three, believe.

Are you still staying the fuck away from mashed potatoes?

Hahahah dude you have no idea how hard it is to avoid these days. Once upon a time the only place you would find mash in the store was them boxes of ‘Smash’… Now its fucking everywhere.. The fridge, the freezer, the shelves! Cant escape the stuff it’s bloody horrific!!!

Next time you come to the States, do you want me to set up an official screening of ‘Blood in Blood out’ for you? Its gangster as fuck.

Set it up!!! It’s like 2 hours yeh? Plenty tacos n erbs and we rollin!

Well thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us. We are all super stoked to get a tune from you. Keep up the big moves you are making. And shout out the homies/crews/labels/and all things you have going on.

CHEERS!!!

Thanks so much for reaching out about this, its been a pleasure to touch base and get a wee chat! Respect to you dude, send my love to the crew and I look forward to seeing you all again on my return to the US! Oh and before I go.. Keep your eyes peeled for a new radio show starting in May.. We’re going Deep in the Jungle!!