How city became home of drum and bass and jungle

It has been more than 30 years since Bristol with a "rebel" mentality ventured into the unknown, giving birth to the global phenomenon that is jungle and drum and bass music.

The city is still a heavyweight on the scene, inspiring generations of artists to continue pushing boundaries in dance music.

Jungle continues to be developed by artists across London and Bristol, but in its beginnings the sound from Bristol was more expansive and experimental.

It all started in the early 90s, with a DJ collective called Full Cycle. They were influenced by Jamaican sound systems, acid house and hip hop, which led to a new sound explosion in the city.

DJ Krust - who was part of the collective - said the music was about "finding expression through our artform which was DJing and producing".

"Rave culture was a huge factor in speeding the tempo up. Once it got to 160bpm and now it's 170bpm, that felt like home for us," he said.

The jungle music they had a hand in creating is still to this day characterised by its speed, syncopated rhythms, breakbeats and ragga, funk and reggae samples.

The Full Cycle collective showcased their new music on the streets at St Paul's Carnival and when they saw people liked it, they made more.

Krust said the beginnings of jungle and drum and bass were a partnership between the open mindedness of the city, the creativity of these DJs and their proximity to rave culture at free parties in the West Country countryside.

"We had to explore and dig deep to hear and see how this experiment can work in real time - that was huge to see," he said.

"When we finally figured out jungle we found our voice," he added.

The collective was made up of DJ Krust, DJ Die, producer Roni Size and DJ Suv - from Krust's original band Fresh Four, best-known for the top 10 hit Wishing on a Star.

By this time, Full Cycle had a show on commercial radio station Galaxy Radio - something Krust said became a really "pivotal moment" for the collective.

"It was like the calling for the youth - here you go, here's your new soundtrack, it's British and it's the sound of the streets," Krust said.

"You could feel it in the air that we'd got something and it was travelling through word of mouth - something was brewing and we could all feel it.

"This was the movement, this was the shift," he added.

In 1997, Full Cycle formed the live act Reprazent and released the album 'New Forms' which included the hit track Brown Paper Bag.

Later that year they made history by becoming the first drum and bass group to win the Mercury Prize - firmly putting Bristol, jungle and drum and bass on the musical map.

Jungle went on to become the precursor to drum and bass music which is also fast, but has a signature simple kick and snare pattern that sits over rolling basslines.

The two genres are sometimes used interchangeably, but both still have a distinct sound.

DJ Die, who was also a member of Full Cycle, said Bristol was at the heart of the movement because of its "rebel" and "do it yourself mentality".

"It hasn't seemed to have died yet, it's more healthy than ever. A lot of people move to Bristol for the music scene," he said.

"There's so many great producers here, there always have been - it's a hotbed for production," he added.

DJ Die attributed the longevity of the city's jungle scene to sound systems that have been passed down through generations and new talent inspired by Bristol's artists.

"You've got these grassroots soundsystems handed down from old ravers like Spiral Tribe," he said.

"You've also got to shout out St Paul's because that's had such a big influence and the Jamaican community there."

The scene is thriving now more than ever as new artists such as Nia Archives - who was discovered by DJ Die - make waves in the industry.

Nia's second album was shortlisted for the Mercury Awards, she headlined Bristol festival Love Saves the Day in 2025 and had also played a number of the biggest festivals in the UK, including Glastonbury.

Another artist continuing the city's legacy is Sherelle.

She said DJ Die and DJ Krust were direct influences on her high-tempo music, which includes a blend of footwork, jungle and drum and bass.

"If you were to separate Die, Krust and Roni from everyone, they have their own individual sound and when they come together, it also builds on another sound," she said.

"Bristol is such an off-kilter place. It's a place whereby exploration is so expansive.

"The city is rich in cultural undertones and you can tell that they're making music from the heart.

"There needs to be a lot of focus and emphasis about actually how special and important Bristol is to the current music, culture and climate that we've got now," she said.

Roni Size and Reprazent will perform their seminal album New Forms live across the UK next year to celebrate 30 years since its release.

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