Jungle
The jungle is a wilderness, but London groove collective Jungle, led by Tom McFarland and Josh Lloyd-Watson, are masters of control. Everything is in its right place on their debut album, from the dance moves to the horn stabs, as they update \'60s soul (plus two-tone and trip-hop) with a crisp, modern touch. Aching falsetto tops off a spine-tingling mix of driving electric bass and swirling organs, while sirens and dub echoes make the noir nightscapes all the more vivid—seductive, but a little bit dangerous, too.
In the summer of 2013, an anonymous UK production duo only known by the initials of J and T released a 7" under the name of Jungle. They've since dilated to a seven-person live band, but their self-titled debut for XL retains the original duo's constricts, favoring the bantamweight soul reminiscent of early '80s British acts like Imagination, Fun Boy Three, I-Level, and Fine Young Cannibals.
If anything, Jungle knows how to market itself. In 2013, the London-based collective whose founding two members mysteriously referred to themselves as “J and T,” debuted with an expertly choreographed video for its single “Platoon.” In it, then 6-year-old breakdancer B-girl Terra spins and dances to the smoky, future…
London's most hyped and mysterious duo unleash the beast that everyone's been waiting for - and frankly, it's a blast.
Nothing to do with the genre of the same name, this west London specialise in smooth disco-funk, writes <strong>Kitty Empire</strong>
Review of Jungle's new self-titled LP, coming out July 14 on XL Recordings, the first single from the album is "Busy Earnin" Jungle play 7/27 in Queensland
Jungle seemed pretty mysterious and exciting when they first emerged, but over a whole album they seem a bit lacking, writes <strong>Paul MacInnes</strong>
Rising London elecrtronic duo don't quite match their hype. Review by Thomas H Green.