Review:
Calling all Brainiacs! Brian's back and he's packing some serious jungle heat. "Anything & Everything" is a roasty skanker that's precision tuned for the current heatwave thanks to its hurricane drums, soaking wet basses and refreshing dubwise horn section. "So Easy" maintains the Jamaican flavour with a surging, urgent vocal and a jet engine drop that could scorch your ear hairs from a 10 mile radius. Easy does it!
Review:
Taken from his Roots Garden-released album earlier this summer - All A We - Brother Culture teams up with Jungle Cakes bossman Ed Solo for a storming, skank-flexed junglist shock out. Where the original was all warm and deeply textured, Solo has flipped the dynamics for something a lot sharper and harder hitting. Saturated in sunshine stabs with really nice attention to paid on the backing vocal harmonies, it's yet another skank-scud. Killer!
Review:
A split single here between production duo Cain 1 & Wakutt, who head up the release with an ode to cough medicine in "Night Nurse", while Slynk provides more musical madness with "Bad Duppy Walk". The former is a bonafide jungle revivalist mash up with a lilting reggae swagger and a re-work of the syrupy sweet lyrics of Gregory Isaacs' legendary song of the same name. The latter also mixes a strong reggae influence with modern day D&B, plus some rave synths, cheery melodies, shuffling breaks and oodles of energy. Fun from start to finish!
Review:
You read it right - Jungle Cakes reaches its 28th instalment, this time led by the inimitable DJ Deekline. Catching up with the first track, "Alibaba" is a perfect jungle tune sampled from John Holt's reggae classic of the same name. Retro for the old heads but still vibing enough to lift the dancefloor up a level, this is something special. "Still Passin" is a fresh, more modern jungle approach featuring tons of flashy dancehall samples (and one from the charts a short way back - spot it) and breaks that just don't quit. Dust off your dancing shoes, this is gonna get messy.
Review:
Two brand new originals from the bass culture's cakiest crusader Deekline. "Pass Me The Rizla" features two of Jamaica's most iconic and versatile MCs; both Levy and Irie rattle their turbo-charged tongues with harmony as they pay homage to the skins over a skank-savvy beat. "Perfida", meanwhile, takes a more soulful route as Gala Osborn oozes charm over a horn-focused rhythm... Drop it and start missing the summer in seconds.
Review:
Murderation! Deekline and Rubi Dan hook up for a blunderbuss skanker that hits more spots than you ever knew existed. With drums set to slam and bassline set to bounce, it's the perfect bed for Rubi to lay down his distinctive lyrical call to action. Dig deeper for a crisp instrumental version and a deeper, creepier dancehall denter in the form of "Hold Up". Slinking and groaning but shining with occasional flashes of a lush vocal sample, it'll do more than hold up a dancefloor... It'll knock them sideways too.
Review:
While Winchester's Matterly Bowl still recovers from the mammoth slaying the Jungle Cakes crew gave Boomtown this year, Deekline and his mates continue to fire out the shots. Here we find the bossman teaming up with co-producer Fish and Navi and Blackout on the mic with for a foundation-primed jungle slap about. Big vocal harmonies, sun-kissed skanks and a warm-but-war vibe, it's another tasty Jungle Cakes treat. And it comes with a vibesome remix from jungle royalty Aries. Champion indeed.
Review:
Grab your index finger, grab your middle finger. Put them together, tuck your other fingers into your palm and run around your house screaming 'murderation' because you're about to check two regal stench blasts from two of bass music's most important consistent names in over 20 years and you just know you're going to slap a lot of party people with them. Both flexing that funk/jump up/ roller vibe, "Ray Gun" takes a well known skank, some wry horn blasts and an infectious bass hook while "MOFOS" is pure middle finger business that's not dissimilar to filth ups from BCUK's Safari era. Stick 'em up!!
Review:
Breakbeat warriors Deekline and Ed Solo team up again, and this time they've gone for it. Not content with producing some of the nastiest, wobbliest breakbeat around, they've decided to turn their hand to drum & bass and another release on Jungle Cakes. Lead cut "King Of The Bong O" is a cheeky exercise in bootleg jump-up buffoonery - the sort of tune that boasts a grin a mile wide and a happy dancefloor to match. Flip "Stickybuds Guaranteed" opts for a slightly more old skool jungle approach, mashing up skankin' MC and familiar pop vocals. It goes without saying that both tunes feature stupidly heavy basslines.
Review:
"We're sure there's absolutely no need to introduce Deekline and Ed Solo to you rowdy lot," say the liner notes on this double act of D&B madness, "so we'll save ourselves and you the bother..." With that unceremonious intro, we crash straight into the badboys of jungle's latest package of riddims. "Hot This Year" harks back to the sunny yesteryear of summer 2013, where the rain clouds had parted ways, and the sun shone. Ragga jungle MCs were bibbydibbying about London, and good vibes were all that anyone could hear. "Remember" was inspired not only by the lovely sampled vocals here, but also because Deekline really wanted to remind Ed Solo about the time he lent him a fiver...apparently. Grab 'em while they're hot!
Review:
And so we reach the 19th volume of the Jungle Cakes saga, placing Deekline and Ed Solo together to create the dancefloor sensation that is "Zunga" with classic ragga vocals from the one and only Rubi Dan. A big rolling bass and funky horns take pride of place in that seriously infectious hook - add the tight punchy drums and you've got yourself the ultimate party track. Track two sees another jungle smasher take charge with the unmistakeable classic sample of "No No No" featuring the silky smooth vocals of Dawn Penn. Remixed by Serial Killaz the bass bursts straight out of the speakers, punching though hard steppy breakbeats to get any crowd moving. Skanking crew, get your kicks here.
Review:
Two heart-warming jungle-tastic dollops of loveliness here from the Jungle Cakes label. Deekline and Ed Solo are the sumptuous cooks of these two delights and what a treat they are. First up is "Bad Boys" with the iconic vocal hook "Bad boys, bad boys, what you gonna do, what you gonna do when they come for you?" and insistent, pattering drums which are paired with jungle sirens and weighty bass beneath. Accompanying this is the equally as fun "You Can Be My Night" which continues the madness with massive builds, plenty of bass stabs with tearing drums and oodles of dancefloor potential.
Review:
With the summer just starting to show face, it's about time Hot Cakes' main man Deekline rolled up to deliver one of his sunniest efforts in years. Teaming up with the mighty Tippa Irie, get ready for a slice of reggae-infused jungle, perfect for some laid-back listening. Voltage and Nicky Blackmarket get their mitts on it too with their darkened remix, with breaks eking out every bit of attitude from that sunny facade. We knew there was some badness in there somewhere. Lastly, get ready for a Speed Garage remix, taking tips from the old school in a big way as the sound of UKG reigns supreme once again.
Review:
You read it correctly, the Jungle Cakes series has reached Volume 32, and to celebrate, Defkline has produced for us two mighty fine slices of jungle riddims and spiced up classic vocals. In "Tempo" a kaleidoscope of tropical sounds wash over a big bouncing bassline, while a drop reveals the ragga heart of the tune before building to dizzying breakneck speed again. On the flip, "Magnificent" harks back to the ruffneck '80s, where shufflin' rhythms were the way to move. Add some ballsy breaks and there's a brand new way to scuff up them Dr Martens. Everybody skank!
Review:
Dr Meaker are a live band slash electronic music outfit who make incredibly unique hybrids of D&B and other genres, notably soul and funk. On this occasion, however, they've taken a distinctly different turn in the direction of the jump-up sound, including a feature with Kings of the Rollers star Voltage, over on Jungle Cakes.'Baddest DJ' is that aforementioned feature and it's a roller of the type you'd expect, with snappy drums underpinning a naughty set of siney wobbles and low-frequency inserts. 'Wisdom & Knowledge' is even further from the beaten Dr Meaker path, a full on jump-up number with pitched up synth lines and grating atmospherics. Top stuff guys.
Review:
Barcelonian in Brizzle Dubtime teams up with two distinctive voices for his Jungle Cakes debut. Two originals, one version, it's an instant slap to the sunnyside senses as the both Mad Sam and Rankin Youth lay down hooky harmonic soul over two crisp grooves. "Ghetto Youths" whips up a storm with a high voltage tear out bassline while "Nice" grinds to a funkier arrangement where the bassline bounces and pipes and horns weave into the mix fluidly. Loaded with more of an instrumental twist, nice doesn't even begin to describe this EP...
Review:
You'd be hard pushed to name an MC with more of a distinctive jungle tonality than Spyda. With Fats coming a close second, Spyda has that musicality, hookiness but bare-faced brute force that instantly smacks with heritage. "Soundsystem Entertainer" is no exception as he does the dulcet damage over one of Solo's strongest bass hooks in a long time (which is saying something, considering his consistency high level) The end result is an instant floor-bubbler with all the funk and gusto you'd expect from the J-Cakes crew. Loaded with an instrumental for those rare arachnophobia association gala parties we all have to endure from time to time.
Review:
Welcome To The Jungle is a celebration of one of the most prolific D&B labels to have emerged in the last few years. Run by Ed Solo and Deekline, Jungle Cakes is home to some of the cheekiest, most accessible bangers available. One of two samplers, these are just two of the full album's 30 highlights. "Bam Bam" takes Sister Nancy and throws her deep into oceanic bass. With Serial Killaz trademark low-end brutality in full effect, it's an instant crowd slammer. "Raw To The Floor" is one of Deekline's originals; with a catchy vocal, references to hip-hop heritage and shivering synths, it's yet another tasty treat from jungle's finest bakers.
Review:
Brighton based breakbeat wizard Ed Solo steps up with partner in crime Deekline for this release on delectably entitled label Jungle Cakes. Bringing in the ragga jungle vibes with title track "Man Down", this one harks back to the Apache era, with buckets of Shy FX and Digi Soundboy vibes to boot. Punchy breaks are paired with cooing vocals and lilting rhythms to huge effect. "Untold" has tooting horns, jungle chirrups and lush, upbeat reggae vocals which drives this one along with a soulful swing.
Review:
Bassbin worriers Ed Solo and Deekline return to their Jungle Cakes label for more natty and eminently danceable vintage riddims soaked in recognisable vocal hooks. Barrington Levy's "Under Me Sensei" has proved an inspiration to the jungle and drum and bass heads for many years now and the duo manage to eek further fun out of that distinctive vocal on "Sensei", which deviates nicely between rolling rhythms wrapped tight around booming sub bass and nicely poised steppah breakdowns. The flip brings the junglist flavour to the iconic "Ghost Town" which song purists might recoil in horror at, but there has always been a playful nature to these Jungle Cakes releases - drop this at the right moment and the dancefloor will respond in suitably enthusiastic terms.
Review:
Few producers nail juiced-up jungle ragga jams like Ed Solo. Here he teams up with the super-talented Elijah MC for a bass-blustered slammer that's sugar-coated with Elijah's soft-but-solid vocal mastery. Instant reload material, this will raze any floor within seconds. Need calming down? Flip for Elijah's stripped back authentic original. Blessings!
Review:
Starting the sampler series of with a classic sample from '90s chart history, Jungle Cakes bring more of their ramped-up jungle vibes to the dance. Shaking up a hefty Ed Solo bassline with an addictive hook, it's already tearing up dancefloors and the sun hasn't even come out yet this year. Following up is Ed Solo & Deekline's VIP of "Bad Boys", a serious must-bag for anyone who's been anywhere near the two's tunes in the past couple of years. Tuned up to morph dub into womp, there's nothing left to do here but skank. The night is young!
Review:
You don't get much more junglistic than Ed Solo and on this latest release from Jungle Cakes, you've guessed it, some sticky, sweet jungle is the order or the day. "Smoke The Weed" is a classic jungle mashup, and with Canadian bass master Stickybuds on hand to provide some serious breaks it quickly escalates to an all-out skanking session. Before you can pass it on, "Joker Smoker" adds retro brass and guitar to build the reggae funk as the track fragments into not one but two different breakdowns providing the basis for some serious dancefloor workouts. Don't sleep on this.
Review:
Deekline enlists the skills of Feyder and Steppa Style for two monstrous skank-wise reggae bubblers; The Spruddy One-featured "Overcome" and the Ragga Twins-fronted "Sound Burial". The former flexes with a rapid Eek-A-Mouse-style vocals while the latter rips with the hype you'd expect from Deman Rockers and Flinty Badman. Version-wise we're also treated to reggae, dancehall and instrumental versions, each one adding serious roots authenticity.
Review:
Russian ragga vibes: skank merchant Feyder lays down a squishy, bounce-happy groove laden with perky organs, rasping snares and blaring sirens with enough space for Steppa Style to melodically extol the virtues of murderation. Deeper into the EP we hit a slightly sharper twist from Jamie Bostron and a gully amen-smashing, old school-minded shake-up of Steppa Style and DJ Vadim's "Sweet Love". Murder, love and rollers... What more do you need?
Review:
Filip Motovunski continues to chow down into the year with his Jungle Cakes debut. Flexing the label's dubwise signature, his rugged rolls, subtle skank stabs and high voltage bassline bring the message home while MC Spee's vocal rounds off the edges with love and positivity. Looking for a little less grizzle more of a thump to the bassline? Take a peek at Kursiva's remix. Listen up!
Review:
It may be Autumn but you can keep the summer alive with this remix release, working from the original 'Reggae Boom' we have a happy, sunshine track, reminiscent of the upbeat sound of SHY FX. Amens and horns create the relaxed vibe, while the vocal gives us something to grasp onto. The Dub version is as you'd expect, mellowed, slowed and coated in echoes.
Review:
The Freestylers take things on an old skool jungle tip here on, aptly enough, the Jungle Cakes imprint. "Entertainer" kicks off with a bounce, a wail of reggae-laced vocal, jungle tooting sirens, and sharp, rolling breaks. It swiftly progresses, with a souped up drop, into a classic latterday jungle riddim with low-slung swagger and lush amens. With plenty of attitude, this is a tune which keeps on giving, with samples, switch ups and all the sounds of 90s jungle. Watch out for the Serial Killaz remix as well, which is an essential addition to the package.
Review:
Oh em gee... Two of bass music's most enduring, party-smashing acts together on a classic '96 era Urban Takeover style jump-up D&B cut? You already know how this one's going to play out: chaos. The bass is warm and low, the beats are loose, the samples whiz around in a blur and the funk is in abundance. This lives up to its name.
Review:
Freestylers and Deekline on a jungle trip? You already know this is going to tan your hide, your mates' hides, your dancefloors' hides and, quite possibly, your mum's hide. Absolute slappage of the funkiest order: "Jungle Champion" is a bounced-out bubbler with a rising Zinc-style bassline that's harmonically tuned to perfection and a guttural Batonion vocal while "Rage" plays a swinging 60s wild card with its instrumental elements and unabashed bounce. Shaking and jumping with a tight bongo break, it suddenly switches from swinging to savage as the amens fire up mid way. Rewind, come again.
Review:
MC General Levy has been involved in countless projects spanning the UK ragga landscape and his instantly recognisable touch on the mic is always a pleasure to hear. This time, however, he lands on Jungle Cakes and his "The General" tune is reworked by Ed Solo into a nu-skool jungle workout with a filthy bassline running underneath Levy's intricate vocal twists. The second remix comes from the Mir Crew and this one is all about the beat work: stop-start jungle breaks slowing down and speeding up to drop into one hell of a groove knot.
Review:
House of David Gang know their onions when it comes to funky reggae vibes, even though they come from Canada. The Jamaican spirit lives everywhere! Ed Solo's reggae mix is a smooth, swaggering blend of classic reggae, rocking guitar licks and laid back grooves. Picking up the pace, the Ed Solo and Stickybuds edit adds super tight drums and a dancefloor-heavy bassline to get those arms flailing and those bodies grooving. Two very different sounds from one classic track, if you're a reggae warrior, you can't miss this.
Review:
Ever the dot-joiner, Ed Solo brings another authentic, hugely influential roots merchant IQualah to our attention and reminds us how close our music is to the source when suited by the right tailor. "It Is I" rings with IQualah's evocative Rasta sermon as Solo provides tight breaks, vibrant horns and a 1996 style jump-up bass lick that comes with a festival slaying guarantee. Irie levels are off the hook right here.
Review:
Jungle upstart Bostron bosses it up once again: "Man Of Livin" is a straight up homage to Haile Selassie I. Powerful vocals, clash dynamics, raw soul - it's one of Bostron's finest cuts to date. "Ruff It Up" takes a deeper, more sensual twist with honeyed vocals draping themselves over a slinkier roll and a purring elastic bassline that melts out a melody subtle enough to ensure the full focus is on the girls fronting. Serious vibes.
Review:
Oh Bostron you badman... Just when we think you've reached peak skank, along comes another clutch of ridiculously proportioned reggae jungle. "Blaze Up Fiyah" is the key message here.... A storming vocal, SL2-level bass hookiness and organs so brash and uplifting they could raise the dead: There's no question of this cut's surefire festival slammer status. For something a little deeper jump on the Phyllis Dillon-sampling "Hanging On The Wall". Proper.
Review:
Two slabs of bonafide bass music on the Jungle Cakes imprint fresh for summer 2012. Kicking off no less than the fourteenth volume in the Jungle Cakes series, this one's fragrant and fresh as JFB does a grand job at pairing gentle, rolling breaks and jungle chirrups with more modern D&B production. Every bit of "Tequila Sunrise" is a tasty one with its shimmying rhythms, tooting horns and murmuring bass; this will have you moving and shaking. "Five On It" continues the story with enticing vocal, punchy drums and low-slung fervor. A big release, right here.
Review:
The bright-light, groovy aesthetic of Jungle Cakes is back at the start of this year, so get out your Red Stripes and don ya wavey garms because JFB isn't messing around with this one. Two ragga-infused rollers are here for you, uplifting samples abound and suddenly it's not January - it's June, July and August and the sun is shining. This doesn't stop 'Shake It' from coming out the blocks in a moody way, though, and neither does it stop 'Worldwide Jungle' from attempting to knock your hat off. Jungle Cakes always manage to pull out the stops in a way that makes you nervously smile - this one is no different.
Review:
Jungle Cakes deliver the 16th volume of their Jungle Cakes series with Jinx In Dub at the helm and vocalist Kanjah for extra ammunition. First up is the glorious "Amen In Session" with its atmospheric intro, clinking piano keys, swaggering beats, stomping snares and infectious, swaying lyrics. As it progresses we are treated to a flurry of bass belches and shimmying melodies which are punctuated by jungle chirrups before the rolling amens kick in. As if this wasn't enough, "Seek & Find" continues the delightful narrative with soulful vocal, rattling breaks and plenty of junglistic vibes.
Review:
Last spotted on Jungle Cakes by way of Nicky Blackmarket's mix last year, Barcelona badman Karlixx returns to Deekline & Ed Solo's consistently bumping imprint with two more crisp rump-shakers. "Mad" sees him bringing co pilot Rasmich and vocalist Leroy Onestone into the studio for a vibrant bouncy-bass party viber while "Wicked Babylon" takes a darker turn down skank avenue with an even ruder bassline and a classic conscious vocal sample. South Yard soldiers representing; these are dubwise damagers through and through.
Review:
Cor blimey, Jungle Cakes aren't messing around with their Welcome To The Jungle series are they? Hot on the heels of Ray Keith comes another stone cold OG; Nicky Blackmarket. Digging deep across the classics and sparking up a whole forest of fresh fires, it's a 40 track, 2 mix, 10 FX tool trove of pure jungle magic curated with the wide-armed style you'd expect from an originator. With classic ranging from well known such as "Incredible" and "Pulp Fiction" to cult such as "Keep It Raw" and "Gangsters" and upfront jams flexing from all the right names (Serum, Aries, Serial Killaz, Drumsound & Bassline Smith), Blackmarket has absolutely smashed this out of the mark.
