Jungle Cakes is a UK-based jungle label owned by DJs, producers and all round junglist soldiers Ed Solo & Deekline. Founded in 2009 and known for its hefty compilation albums, the label has churned out some of the naughtiest jungle rhythms from both established and up-and-coming artists including: General Levy, Ray Keith, Ed Solo, Benny L, DJ Hybrid, Serum, Bassman, Gold Dubs, Nick The Lot, Jappa and Ben Snow. Jungle Cakes’ parent label is Hot Cakes. The label hosts a popular club night series too.
Review: Oh gosh... Jungle Cakes look back over their delicious back catalogue, and the wider jungle vista, to bring together 74 of the finest recipes known to mankind for this Gold level baking session. Featuring some of the biggest dishes in existence, one minute we're skanking out to Klue's insane 'Rudy, A Message To You', the next we're getting slapped by Spyda on Serum's 'All Ganja Man' then the next we're being tickled by seminal classics such as M-Beat & General Levy's 'Incredible'. The list of incendiary cuts goes on and on and on... Bossmen Ed Solo & Deekline's 'No No No', Potential Bad Boy's 'Over My Head', Dope Ammo & Taiwan MC's 'Babylon Falling' - every single cut is as hot as your oven on baking day. What a package... And there's a mix thrown in for good measure. Gold... Always believe in your soul.
Review: Jungle Cakes shake us and bake us once again as label owners Deekline and Ed Solo lure long time friend Benny Page into their lair for this incredible 58 track collection. Created as a mix but all tunes available for your own persy armouries, as always with the 'Welcome To The Jungle' series, we're treated to sounds and styles across the entire dnb spectrum. Expected everything ranging from Benny's own bubblers to more dancefloor styles such as Blaine Stranger's 'Dragon' and Octo-Pi's 'This Sound' via rugged jump-up uppercuts such as Lockerz 'The Funk', crucial jungle licks like Exposure's remix of DeJay's 'St Paul's Jammin' and pure futurism like Filip Motovunski's 'Ninja'. And this isn't even the tip of the jungle iceberg here, there's so much to digest here. Huge.
Review: Jungle Cakes have a knack for signing music that's infectiously danceable but still gritty and tough, a description that applies perfectly to their latest various artists album, which features music from label founders Ed Solo and Deekline, as well as Phibes, Selecta J-Man and others. Gella smashes his remix of 'Blood & Fire' by Niney The Observer, which packs funk and melodic progression into the introduction but takes things darker on the drop, a nice duality than lends an element of creativity to an extremely feel-good number. 'Sittting & Watching' is steppier, more stripped back and orientated for the dancefloor, with a sparse but punchy arrangement that smacks of old-school sounds. The label OGs also team up on their rework of 'Uptown Top Ranking', which is essential summertime vibes for the junglist who loves the way this pair roll out feel good drum & bass beneath lounging vocal notes. Lovely.
Review: Wake up and bake up, Jungle Cakes are back in the kitchen with their prize dish range 'Welcome To The Jungle'. This time the guest chefs are none other than Dub Pistols who've been flexing all styles and sizes of breakbeat since the very beginning. Currently coming correct with 50 tracks, they cover the full range of D&B through their dubwise, reggae-roasted selection. From the steam engine skank-ups like Isaac Maya and Daddy Freddy's thundering 'Bring Dem' to Deekline & Ed Solo's instant sing-along smash-out 'Bam Bam' to the dancehall bashment of Selecta J Man's 'My Style', this isn't so much of a jungle welcoming but more of a full jungle takeover... And you'll never want to leave.
Review: Jungle Cakes always tend to put out music that rests on the foundations of UK underground, the cross-over influences of soul, reggae, jungle and D&B. it's always a fresh sound and it always brings up connotations of Boomtown, free parties and sunny afternoons. This is a monster album curated by Aries and Kelvin 373, who have taken tracks both old and new to form a banging compilation. Bou nails it on 'Music Takes Me Higher', a rustic revisit to classic jungle sounds; Aries and Nicky Blackmarket roll things out in a tight way on 'Champion'; and Chimpo slams the brakes on 'DidDieDoThat'. We don't know the answer to that, but we do know this is fat. Big ups.
Review: This album represents a collision of worlds: on the one hand, the fact-paced and furious drum & bass tradition of Jungle Cakes; the other, the seminally classic reggae, dub and ska tones of Trojan Records. These worlds are connected, of course, as the latter was a key part in the evolution of the former, and this album celebrates that connection by giving a fresh, 170 spin on a load of Trojan classics. The Serial Killaz and Deekline remix of 'Reggae From the Ghetto' by John Holt, the recipient of Benny L's infamous 'Police in Helicopter' remix, is a fantastic blend of hard-hitting sub bass and funky reggae sampling, as the pair concoct a superb number with an infectious heart. Ben Snow adds jump up grit to 'Uptown Top Ranking', whilst the Ed Solo remix of '007 (Shanty Town) is another top class highlight. Incredible stuff.
