Jungle/Drum & Bass Sampler no.1

Jungle music emerged UK in the 90s from the breakbeat hardcore scene, shifting towards faster rhythms, more complex percussion and heavy sampling of reggae, dancehall, funk and jazz music, with a particular emphasis on the Amen break.

With (relatively) affordable new gear like the Akai S950 sampler, musicians created a raw sound that first found foothold in underground clubs, spread to pirate radio and then further into global electronic music culture as a whole.

Around the mid-90s, a new style of bass began to evolve; louder, rolling, resonant and ultra-low, with inaudible frequencies the listener feels more than hears. These basslines are interplayed with more precise and more frequently synthesized percussion. 

The focused urban themes of Jungle expanded outward and became more abstract, adopting more uplifting and mainstream club themes. By the end of the decade Drum 'n Bass* had arrived and began to spread worldwide, and it's influence can be heard in mainstream club music to this day.

Here's 100 minutes of both genres—a high-energy mix of both for the gym. No long-winded, monotonous percussion intros here, but there's more flexibility here; most of the time I try to keep a low-energy intro to no longer than 15 seconds, but with songs like these, the intros provide a small breather for our ears.

Get the playlists with the links above, or take a look at any of the songs below and add them to playlists of your own.

† YouTube Music users getting the shaft on this one. Video form is available on YouTube but this album isn't available on the Music service.

* I realize that I wrote it Drum 'n Bass here, but the art, and the name of the playlist reads Drum & Bass—an ampersand worked better for the design.

How did I do? Did I mess anything up? Any tracks here that don't belong?

Leave a comment below and let me know.