Jungle | |
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Stylistic origins | |
Cultural origins | Early 1990s, United Kingdom |
Derivative forms |
Jungle is a genre of electronic music that developed out of the UK rave scene and roots reggae and dancehall sound system culture in the 1990s. Emerging from breakbeat hardcore, the style is characterised by rapid breakbeats, heavily syncopated percussive loops, samples, and synthesised effects, combined with the deep basslines, melodies, and vocal samples found in dub, reggae and dancehall, as well as hip hop and funk.[citation needed] Many producers frequently sampled the "Amen break" or other breakbeats from funk and jazz recordings.[1] Jungle was a direct precursor to the drum and bass genre which emerged in the mid-1990s.[2][3]
Departing from the customary predictability found in machine-generated dance music, where a consistent pulse facilitates a trance-like state for the listener, jungle introduces a palpable sense of jeopardy. The accustomed safety net is forsaken in favour of an inherent risk, prompting a recalibration of one's movement and a heightened state of vigilance. This distinctive edginess associated with jungle proved instrumental in redirecting the allegiance of numerous ravers away from the hardcore music scene, steering them back towards the embrace of house music.[4]
Even more common, especially in jungle/drum 'n' bass, is a break ... which fans and musicians commonly refer to as the 'Amen' break.