Ethereal beats: DJ Popeye part II

Hot on the heels of JMA Volume I comes the shit-hot JMA Volume II: "This is Jungle".  No explanation required.  Just download, headphones, volume and kick back.  Ethereal bliss awaits...  This~this is jungle!

Download DJ Popeye "This is Jungle" Side A
Download DJ Popeye "This is Jungle" Side B

Broken links?

Using file-sharing services like Zshare and Mediafire means that links to the tapes themselves will invariably expire.  If you do come across a dud link, please leave a comment either on Facebook or in the comments section and I'll do my best to re-up....eventually.

If you happen to see comments about dead links for a tape you've already downloaded, please be my guest and re-upload for maximum PLUR.

DJ Popeye - lone junglist

In 1995 no-one did jungle, except Popeye.  I discovered Popeye in '94 though his fan-fucking-tastic "Junglistic Rowdiness" tape which, despite its name, featured happy breakbeat on Side A and darkside breakbeat on side B.

My introduction to jungle came later, at the 'Technocolour' party in '95 which featured its very own jungle/drum & bass room.  To be honest, I wasn't really impressed by it all.  At the time it felt like the music just lacked something.  I put it down to my unsophisticated young mind just not understanding anything unless it was big, dumb and in your face.  Nevertheless, I picked up Popeye's "Jungle Massive Australia" tape some months later.  I must have realised there was more to jungle than met the eye. Incidentally, this is about the same time everyone else realised there was more to jungle.

I don't know if it was just the lack of MC's but there was always something spit-polished about the Jungle Massive Australia take on drum & bass.  Compared to the madness of the UK tapes - usually live recordings - that filtered through every now and again,  Australianised tapes took on a far more restrained, clinical quality, despite the tapes featuring all the same tracks.  The few JMA parties I attended were somewhat similar - a tad more chilled than many of the other scenes in Sydney at the time.

This tape is excellent but yes, very clean, very clinical.  At the same time it treads a really nice line, achieving an atmospheric feel without diverting too far from the dancefloor.


Download DJ Popeye "Jungle Massive Australia" Side A
Download DJ Popeye "Jungle Massive Australia" Side B

Getting down to Biz-ness

When things were getting fluffy - and in Sydney in the 90's things invariably were - you could always count on Biz-E to deliver something serious.  Biz was the true champion of proper, booty-shakin' techno right into the early years of the 21st century and although he doesn't seem to DJ as much anymore he's still kicking about, and producing some pretty cool techno.  He's just Biz now, though.  The 'E' has gone the way of, well, E's in general.

This tape comes from around '95 and the music has aged well.  With the passage of time music styles change, reference points change and in that context this tape brilliantly captures what was 'NOW' at the time it was recorded.  I remember thinking at the time this tape was quite minimal, but compared to today's minimal it most definitely isn't.  This tape is lush and beautiful in places, utterly slamming in others.  It's straight up and twisted. Sometimes it's frenetic, other times it's quite restrained.  Much like I remember Biz-E the many times I heard him play - unpredictable yet tight.

Download Biz-E's "Fresh Outta The Lab" Side A
Download Biz-E's "Fresh Outta The Lab" Side B