The last twelve months have been big for Melbourne’s junglists, with newschool junkies livewire, foundation stepper and unsoundbwoy all making waves locally and overseas. Similarly, the massive reinvigoration of the old school sound has seen Trooper and other dons of Melbourne jungle scene make a blistering return to the scene. Hybryd’s night Junglistic Riddimz is fast becoming legendary for its oldschool vibe and progressive outlook, with ac23’s set tearing the floor apart last month.
Harking back to Jamaica in the 1950s, a soundclash is a musical competition where selectors from opposing sounds match wits in selecting and hyping up the crowd. The object of the clash is to "kill" the other sound leaving one sound the winner. Melbourne town is about to witness its biggest jungle soundclash to date. Jungle Soundclash at Bunker Lounge on April 22 will be pitting the newschool against the oldschool, each armed only with a bag full of dubs, subs and amens.
Round One will see ac23 up against unsoundbwoy, warming the crowd and looking to make early blows. Round two puts Hybryd up against Foundation Stepper, clearly two formidable opponents, both with long and celebrated pasts. Round three will put the dons, trooper and livewire head to head. By the wee hours of Sunday morning, only one sound, as decided by the crowd, will remain standing. This sound will play dub fi dub until Bunker Lounge kick us all out on to the street into the light.
OLD SCHOOL
Trooper sound is a killa sound. Man needs no introduction to Melbourne junglists. Trooper has been blazin it for over a decade now and his burning set at Jungle Run II shows few can touch Trooper.
Brought up on Melbourne's early rave scene, listening to the sounds of acid-techno, before the jungle sound emerged from hardcore.
With a broad range of interests, Hybryd started his musical journey by spinning hip hop, breaks, Detroit, electro & all genre's of Jungle / D&B!!
Supported many Internationals, including; DERRICK MAY, JUAN ATKINS, CASPER POUND, HMC, SHAHEEN SHARY, SANDRA COLLINS, KRASH SLAUGHTA & DR.JAM, HUMATE, DERRICK CARTER, DAMON WILD, STEVE STOLL & TOM WAX.
Amen appreciation, subsonic warfare Run'n tings propa since Burning Spear @ Electric, playing along side, DAVID CARBONE, RANSOM, RUFFNUT, SIDEWINDER, TROOPER, ITCHY, NEPTUNE (Voo Doo).
Riddems @ the Big bamboo along side Dee Jazz, Lex, Phil Ruxspin, dope Beat & McD, Voodoo. Other gigs like, Mystic Moods, Supakalajunglisticravinveryvicious, Optic Nerve, Freefall, Just rite, Bassment. Interstate gigs @ Naughty Monkey along side PAB, PHINK,TOMMY JR, Worlds End etc.
More recently keeping the Jungle Flame Alive with JUNGLISTIC RIDDEMZ, showcasing Ol'skool & Nu Skool Dons.
Supporting DIALECKT USA, Smashing the party into pieces, with unique cutting styles. Ending with a standing and chanting Ovation from the crowd! Be ready for the Unexpected!!
At only 20 years, you wouldn't think AC23 wouldnt know much about the oldschool sound.
Originally from Manchester, UK. He's been dedicated to the jungle sound for nearly 8 years now. After hearing Kenny Ken tape from Hysteria, he knew he'd found the sound that was for him . He's been spinning tunes for nearly 3years now and is in love with all things reggae influenced with a rollin breakbeat.
NEW SCHOOL
Livewire, a DJ/producer based in Melbourne, Australia has been writing music and DJing for over seven years, pushing the sounds of Jungle, Hip Hop, Dancehall and Drum n Bass. Livewire DJs at many local club nights and has supported the likes of international DJs Bryan Gee (UK), Big Bud (UK), Chris Su (Hungary), SKC (Hungary), Dialekt (USA) and Mayhem (USA).
In his DJ sets you can expect to hear the full spectrum of Jungle/Drum n Bass from nu-skool jungle to neurofunk. And Livewire always drops exclusive international and local dubplates, with some Hip Hop and Dancehall cuts thrown down for good measure.
Livewire’s production covers many styles within jungle/drum n bass, and varies from deeper liquid funk to heavy dancefloor jungle. In 2003 he had his debut 12” release on Chicago based All Time High Records featuring the smooth vocal roller ‘Movin’ On' (feat. Phebe, and the darker ‘Headhunter’. 2005 saw the release of double A-side 12” on nu-skool jungle label Big Cat Japan featuring the tracks ‘Mash It Up’ and ‘The Zone’. Expect to hear more international releases from Livewire in 2006, including a remix of Big Buds’ seminal tune Blu4U, on UK label Soundtrax.
Foundation Stepper has selected a mix of dubwise, jungle and reggae beats out and about and around Melbourne since 2001. His jungle, reggae, dub and downbeat residencies and guest slots include venues as Black Cat, Evelyn, Espy, First Floor, Prince of Wales and Hi-Fi Bar; as well as gigs with The Red Eyes, Chant Down, and Ruffneck Souljahs. He has also played gigs in NZ and Japan.
Foundation Stepper’s jungle sets are a polyrhythmic mash-up of new school ragga sounds, toxic dancehall and concrete jungle with smatterings of breakcore, heavyweight U.K. dub and eleven secret herbs and spices.
Unsoundbwoy spent a fateful night at age 16 sitting at the mixing desk during a salmonella dub set and has not been able to look away since. Since that night, unsoundbwoy has obsessively sought out all things ragga and shortly after this was entranced by the amen break. unsoundbwoy’s production is a unique blend of heavyweight jungle, fierce ragga, dirty dancehall and breakcore mania.
On the decks, unsoundbwoy pushes the future of the sound, with a genre bending collage of dancehall, dubwise, mashup and new school jungle. Having recently played at junglistic riddimz, teratology, bloodclot warfare and ghetto fabulous unsoundbwoy is surely in form and has been saving a new batch of exclusive dubs for Jungle Soundclash ready to murder the oldschool sound.
For more info on soundclashes check
http://www.jamworldreggae.com/sounds/sounds.htm
