your favorite junglist auteur

[Tentative Andy]

A question (which could perhaps just as easily go in the Afraid to Ask thread), when junglists talk about 'hardstep'.... now, I know who the main figures were for this sound, and the historical period when it appeared, but what would people say are the major sonic elements that define hardstep?
I ask, because although I know I must have heard a fair ammount of it, a lot of the key players in it did other stuff before and and after, and so unlike some of the other jungle sub-genres, I can't always be certain when I'm listening to a hardstep record or not.

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

auteur, n a film-director, esp thought of as the creator of a particular genre, and showing a unique personal stamp. [Fr, (literally) author]

how many of those names actually fit those criteria?

a lot of them really do I think...I mean I'd stack up Crystl against Werner Herzog, 4 Hero against Tarkovsky..or whatever...

seriously think of listening to a ca. '92-94 4 Hero/Internal Affairs/Tom & Jerry record, a Foul Play record, an Omni Trio record, any of the latter No U-Turn records (& contemporary stuff on other labels by Ed Rush, Trace, etc.), a ca. '95-97 Ganja Kru/True Playaz/Frontline Record...you're going to tell me those records don't show uniquely personal stamps...sure not all of them in every case...but yeah I would call these guys auteurs...some (4 Hero, Photek, maybe the V Recordings/Bristol cru) perhaps more than others...but I think you can very much talk about a "RAM sound", a "Formation sound", a "Basement Records sound"...or DJ Crystl's or Danny Breaks' "oeuvre" or whatever...there is very much a mise-en-scene & it's mainly sonic but also the artwork/aesthetic/vibe...

this is isn't just limited to jungle of course. I'd very much put, say, Marc Acardipane/The Mover/Mescalinum United in the auteur category, also Basic Channel of course, Drexciya, Wiley, El-B, Burial, Juan Atkins, Wolfgang Voight (& that whole Cologne acid collective - Jammin Unit & Walker, Burger, etc.), I-F & the whole early Bunker Records crew, the Twin of course, Richard H. Kirk, Theo Parrish & Moodymann & Omar-S, Nasenbluten/Bloody Fist, Hellfish & Producer, Alec Empire, Digital Mystikz, hell even Villalobos...and so on...ardkore was by definition rather antithetical to auterism but even there man...Shut Up & Dance definitely, Acen, Liam Howlett, Grant Nelson...

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

A question (which could perhaps just as easily go in the Afraid to Ask thread), when junglists talk about 'hardstep'.... now, I know who the main figures were for this sound, and the historical period when it appeared, but what would people say are the major sonic elements that define hardstep?
I ask, because although I know I must have heard a fair ammount of it, a lot of the key players in it did other stuff before and and after, and so unlike some of the other jungle sub-genres, I can't always be certain when I'm listening to a hardstep record or not.

well it's one of the those rather nebulous things isn't it...surely Droid (& perhaps MMS? among others) are the people to ask...but I'll take a stab at it...hope I don't embarass myself too badly...

I think I mentioned the major sonic elements up thread; early-mid 90s hard/gangsta rap samples (Wu-Tang, lots of gun talk), other hip hop related samples e.g g-funk synths & dusty RZA dissonant string stuff, some ragga samples still but not as prevalent, super-HARD drums - sometimes chopped up breaks (tho not really total rinseouts) & sometimes 2-step - it was right in that transitionary period...everything well dark & hard & heavy, nary a diva vocal or ethereal pad to be found...

also it's very much an attitude/aesthetic, in fact apropos of auterism...so weed music (Ganja Kru) over E music...lots of stuff borrowed from U.S. hip hop (which would be carried over to MC garage - So Solid etc. & then on to grime...), fashion-wise/visual wise too..

one thing that's always confused me is the confluence of jump-up & hardstep...so I mean Congo Natty ca. '96-98 was all over the place sampling KRS-One & such but that's jump-up...I've heard SS/Formation referred to as both...

 

[Tentative Andy]

Cool, thanks, that makes a lot of sense.
I generally find jump-up easier to recognise than hardstep, but again I couldn't really explain the characteristics. Think it might be to do with the sort of bass you get.
Would you consider Super Sharp Shooter by Ganja Kru to be a good example of a hardstep tune then?

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

Would you consider Super Sharp Shooter by Ganja Kru to be a good example of a hardstep tune then?

it's funny cos culturally/aesthetically it's the defintion of a hardstep tune - made by Zinc, Method Man sample, etc. - but sonically it's kinda jump-up...I can't really explain this, the kind of rubbery bass & just the way it's put together...if it sound like I'm talking out my arse it's only cos I am...killer tune either way of course...

hang on a minute...hardstep..

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amazing track...
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and of course...

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[Tentative Andy]

Fookin hell, those are some top records.

 

[UFO over easy]

bukem atlantis is genius too, his only moment of genius but genius

madness

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[Corpsey]

I will love Bukem forever for his set at Exit a few years ago which went on for about four hours and coincided nicely with my eyeballs rolling backwards into my head alot.

In fact, I wonder if Bukem's music (and all that jazzy ambient jungle/dnb) is considered in terms of its relation to drugs, rather than as coffee table music to listen to with a glass of wine? Jump up DNB is always equated with pill-monsters/coke-heads but my personal experience from Exit is that all that slightly boring/bland liquid DNB can sound hugely uplifting if you're on the right cocktail of blood-poisoners.

Anyway, jungle is obviously better lol

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

Fookin hell, those are some top records.

aren't they just tho? I really love that No U-Turn records sound right before they went & invented techstep...so hard & dark but still with the chopped breaks...a kind of ambient jungle but dark ambient if that makes sense...Wu-Tang jungle...that buzzing on "The Force Is Electric" a re-imagining of the bees from "Clan In Da Front"...

dunno if you're familiar w/DJ Gunshot, the unsung No U-Turn don...man created his own style for a minute '94-'95...the R&B counterpart to hardstep you might say...the master of flipping mid-90s American R jams (Toni Braxton & such) into No U-Turn killer ish...

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[mms]

personally i think torque is amazing, it's as if the breaks have gathered grime from overuse, the joints in the drummers arms have gone bodyhammer rusty and robotic, from overplay.

 

[Catbwoy]

Fantastic thread, well done all

I voted Hype. Hype and the Ganja Kru were the first major junglists I got into - i fell in love with the jump up sound. DJ SS was the first jungle DJ i saw..

Peace, Love and unity has my favourite jungle bassline of all time and all of his stuff around this time (and previously) was tiptop.

Noticed this on Droid's blog too regarding a new Bizzy B comp-

"Ruff Revivalism from the label that brought you the excellent Remarc compilations. Unlike the 3 science Ep's which had a mix of great and so-so material, this promises to be an absolutely fucking essential release - especially on 3x12" (coming in July). Check it out on the Planet Mu site"

I'm so hyped for that release you wouldn't believe! Shame I've got to wait until July for it.

 

[subvert47]

but yeah I would call these guys auteurs...

ok, so

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

personally i think torque is amazing, it's as if the breaks have gathered grime from overuse, the joints in the drummers arms have gone bodyhammer rusty and robotic, from overplay.

nah I love love Torque as well...I'm a huge sucker for those moment/sound-defining compilations (The Darkside: Hardcore Drum & Bass Style, the aforementioned Still Smokin, the Kemet Crew LP, all those choice dodgy '95 ragga jungle comps...)...also that's a fantastic description early techstep...god No U-Turn was such a great label, I wonder if maybe ppl sometimes conflate it with the diminishing returns of Virus/Metro/etc & latter techstep generally...

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

Noticed this on Droid's blog too regarding a new Bizzy B comp...

I am all also absurdly excited by this...tho I'm not sure if it's just old material + remixes or new material or a mix of both?

 

[Spender]

I am all also absurdly excited by this...tho I'm not sure if it's just old material + remixes or new material or a mix of both?

It's a retrospective. Here you go...

http://www.planet-mu.com/discography/ZIQ145

 

[4linehaiku]

Wow, I didn't know anything about that. My copy of the Remarc compilation is really battered at this point, can't wait for this Bizzy B one.

This thread as a whole is quite wonderous.

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

It's a retrospective. Here you go...

http://www.planet-mu.com/discography/ZIQ145

thanks - already have a couple of those tunes on 12" but I'm still very very excited - really good look by Planet Mu on this I think - hope they continue make it into a series...

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

also just wanted to say that I'm happy that people have enjoyed this thread so much...I certainly have...

 

[viktorvaughn]

some wicked education for the youngsters, big ups all round!

 

[Tentative Andy]

It seems a little unfair that DJ SS and Andy C haven't at least got a vote each yet, but there you go...

As far as Torque goes, it was one of those records I didn't expect to like, but gave it a shot because of the historical importance etc, and yeah, turns out it's pretty great.
If we're still banging on about No U-Turn, I'd also like to say that I rate Bloodclot Artattack as one of, if not the, ultimate darkside/darkcore tracks ever. Although it only shines to its full potential in this particular mix (not sure if it's the original or not):


SPREAD OUT!