Soul Intent’s latest sublabel for Lossless Music, Dope Plates, keeps things retro with three new slices of old school-tinged breakbeat jungle goodness. To celebrate the label’s launch, we asked Alex to give us his Top 5 90s Jungle classics. Serious selections! Read on for Alex’s thoughts on each track…
Tom & Jerry – We Can Be Free [Tom & Jerry/Reinforced]
Rave and jungle sounds put together using (fairly often) ‘hot’ uncleared samples. To use of so many hot samples is why the producers chose to use a alias. If you have any of these on vinyl keep hold of them, as they’re worth crazy money.
LTJ Bukem – Demons Theme [Good Looking Records]
The track that put Bukem on the map. Big vibes, original samples, killer pads and a rolling beat. The early Good Looking releases were utterly brilliant….just don’t call it “intelligent”!
Rufige Cru – Menace [Reinforced]
Some “DIY production” but that was part of the sound. The fact that the music back then wasn’t ultra clean and polished…I miss that sound. You can hear Goldie’s magic touch still though, even at this early stage. I remember having a mix tape with Menace on but didn’t know what the track was for years. Discogs has been brilliant at finding tunes but continually punishes my bank balance!
The House Crew – The Theme [Production House Records]
Something I remember hearing on MTV Party Zone (funnily enough the clip I found is taken from a Party Zone recording). A breakbeat/hardcore piano vibe, but still pretty tough. Part of Acen in the production team I believe. I remember me and my brother regularly setting our VHS to record at 3am (we were only about 11 and 12 years old at the time) and being really excited about what videos might have got played. They used to do these video VJ style megamixes of about 6 or 7 tracks, with the odd shot of Simone Angel dancing in the studio. Such fond memories.
Tango & DJ Lee – Solutions [Legend Records]
Another tune that I had on a old Dreamscape mixtape and only discovered what the tune was about three years ago. Proper dark vibes from legends Tango and DJ Lee. So chuffed to be able to call Tango a personal friend and have featured a collab I did with him on my Late Night Sleaze EP on Lossless Music (LOSS005).
Love Me is out now via the Lossless Music Bandcamp with full worldwide release following on April 15th!