Ragga Jungle
Breaks · 1991 · 160 to 175 BPM · also known as Jungle Ragga
Ragga jungle is jungle with the microphone up front: dancehall and reggae vocals, soundsystem bass, and the Jamaican culture of London asserted front and center rather than sampled in passing. Its golden age ran from 1994 to 1996, with Congo Natty as the keeper of the flame ever since. It is the most directly dub-descended branch of jungle, and the most festive.
15 reference tracks
- Rebel MC: Wickedest Sound (1991)
- Top Cat: Ruffest Gun Ark (1995)
- Dead Dred: Dred Bass (1994)
- Aphrodite: King Of The Beats (1996)
- Congo Natty: Junglist (1995)
- Shy FX & UK Apache: Original Nuttah (1994)
- M-Beat feat. General Levy: Incredible (1994)
- Remarc: R.I.P. (1995)
- Deekline: I Don't Smoke (1999)
- Congo Natty: Jungle Souljah
- M-Beat: Style
- Bong-Ra: Murder You
- Bong-Ra: Dub Murderer
- Congo Natty: Jahovia
- Chase & Status: Dumpling Riddim
At a glance
- Tempo: 160 to 175 BPM
- First appeared: around 1991
- Machines: Sound system, Akai S950, Commodore Amiga, Steinberg Cubase
- The sound: Accapellas ragga et dancehall, Amen et breaks toastés, Basses sub dub, Sirènes de sound system
- Labels: Congo Natty, Dread Recordings, Serial Killaz, Philly Blunt, Original Key, Renk Records
- Key artists: Congo Natty (Rebel MC), Top Cat, General Levy, Dead Dred, Chopstick Dubplate
Producing Ragga Jungle
Ragga jungle sits at 160 to 170 BPM, the jungle tempo of 1994 and 1995, but the voice leads here, dictated by a deejay's flow counting in at 80 to 85, half the actual tempo. Play the Amen or Think break fairly whole, with cuts timed to the end of vocal phrases: break kick on one, snare on two and four, plus an extra snare on the and of four, a rimshot on three for the dancehall feel. The bass is the slowest sub in the family, a sine or filtered square between 40 and 55Hz playing a real reggae line, root on one, fifth on the and of two, back to root on four, then silence, like a slowed Sly and Robbie bassline. Build the top from ragga a cappellas, sirens, foghorns and a guitar skank on the offbeats.
The full production course, in French: tempo, drums, bass, sounds, arrangement, mix, plugins and machines, and a step by step start.
Frequently asked
What is Ragga Jungle?
Ragga jungle is jungle with the microphone up front: dancehall and reggae vocals, soundsystem bass, and the Jamaican culture of London asserted front and center rather than sampled in passing. Its golden age ran from 1994 to 1996, with Congo Natty as the keeper of the flame ever since. It is the…
What tempo is Ragga Jungle played at?
Between 160 and 175 BPM.
Who are the key Ragga Jungle artists?
Congo Natty (Rebel MC), Top Cat, General Levy, Dead Dred, Chopstick Dubplate.
In the same family
- Breakbeat
- Breakbeat Hardcore
- Darkcore
- Jungle
- Drum and Bass
- Techstep
- Neurofunk
- Darkstep
- Liquid Drum and Bass
- Jump-Up
- Drumfunk
- Drumstep
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