How is it that Britain, one little island in the middle of nowhere, has been such a game changer when it comes to creating original music genres that give birth to entire new underground cultures which then go on to have such a huge impact on the world?
BBC 1Xtra have compiled ‘Made In Britain’, the story of Jungle, UKG and Grime – three massive underground music scenes that were all ‘Made in Britain’. These more recent genres exploded from the streets, pirate radio stations and council estates of London and the UK’s inner cities over a period of just a few years in the 1990s. All three gave birth to their own unique sounds, creating a generation of stars, fashions, club scenes and fortunes and all three never quite vanished. Their beats, flows and attitude can still be heard in tunes being made today.
The scene was a cultural revolution which broke down barriers & changed not just people lives but music itself. The film showcases on the impact how, not just the jungle scene, but UK music as a whole has effected the world. MC GQ puts it best by saying “This small island has changed the world in what we create musically“
Jungle’s Influence
Of course for LoveThatBass our main focus is on the Jungle story. Some 30 years after its inception the influence of jungle music can be heard in the charts with acts such as Sigma and Chase & Status flying the D&B flag.
While there have been a few books recently documenting the rise of jungle music, including the excellent Renegade Snares & Who Say Reload, there has been surprisingly few video documentaries telling the story of the music we love.
‘Made In Britain’ features jungle luminaries such as Micky Finn, DJ Rap, Jumpin Jack Frost, MC GQ, Eastman from Kool FM, as they reflect on the inception of the jungle era and its roots and influences from acid house & reggae music.
The series was put together by Ron Samuels, himself a leading light of the original 90s Jungle scene as DJ Ron. Now a documentary director, Ron’s intimate knowledge of the subject adds a serious amount of credibility to this account of jungle music history.
Learning on The Job
‘Made In Britain’ fits a lot into its 15 minute run time. Micky Finn & GQ share memories of dubplate culture at the legendary AWOL nights at Paradise club.
Frost tells how everyone learned on the job, eveything from making music, to starting record labels. It’s was a very DIY culture.
Eastman talks about how Kool FM made their first broadcast on 28th November 1991 from a bedroom studio on the Nightingale Estate in London’s Hackney & DJ Rap highlights the community aspect that pirate radio bought to the scene.
Key tracks that get the nod are Original Nuttah by Shy FX & UK Apache, Burial by Leviticus.
Watch Made In Britain
Watch the ‘Made In Britain’ jungle music documentary now on the BBC iPlayer. Also keep your eyes peeled for the UKG & Grime editions to get the full history on underground UK music.
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