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

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