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Into the jungle with the Brothers

In the foreground D. Bridges mixes it up while MC Assassin tells the crowd it's only going to get deeper and darker, last week at Apocalypse Now. PHOTO: JULES QUARTLY

Are you ready to go back to the jungle?" is a line Afrika Baby Bambaataa (aka Nathaniel Hall) is fond of using at shows, so expect to hear it tonight at Ministry of Sound (MoS), when the New York rapper puts down his rhymes with Mike G (aka Michael Small) on the back of some of the fattest beats that have fueled the house and hip-hop movements since they began.

Though the duo don't like being referred to as "elder statesmen" of the scene because they are still leading it, they have a legacy that stretches back to Straight Out the Jungle in 1988. Building on the funk of Marvin Gaye and James Brown, adding loops and discursive lyrics, they have been setting the musical pace for nearly two decades.

Through their early work on the record label Idlers, DJs across the pond in England took up the big beats and mixed it up, so that house, even techno, jungle (drum 'n' bass) and garage were all infected by their sound, either as the base for a mix, or in collaborative projects such as Judge Jules' Journeys by DJ compilation.

The Jungle Brothers have to be seen and heard to believed, at Ministry of Sound tonight. PHOTO COURTESY OF MINISTRY OF SOUND

But just as there are various house albums out there featuring the Jungle Brothers, like Best of House Music Vol. 3, there are compilations like Rap Rap Rap and Pass the Mic which claim the Jungle Brothers for hip hop. Even before these albums, the Brothers were known as one of the progenitors of what became became known as the East Coast sound, represented by bands like PM Dawn and De La Soul.

The Brothers have always taken the "intelligent" approach to rap, rather than the misogynistic, expletive-laden route. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, as part of the Native Tongues coalition with A Tribe Called Quest and Queen Latifah, they set out to educate the masses about what it meant to be African-American, pursuing a rhythm-and-blues feel to their music.

Everyone, it seems, claims the Brothers as their own, so tonight there should be a big crossover crowd. Before 11pm tickets cost NT$350 and there's nowhere else in the world where you will get to see the Jungle Brothers for under US$10. A word of warning, however, don't turn up at quarter to 11 and expect to get in before the witching hour.

Staying at MoS, ladies' night on Wednesday is packing in 2,000 every week and the Thursday retro night has gone hip hop with England's Jay Lin taking over the decks. The former Radio 1 DJ, who has worked with Trevor Nelson, will add class and numbers at the door.

In Taichung tonight, Swank hosts Liquid Lounge, with special guest DJs Coffee, along with Papillon and A100 -- plus more bass boxes to better feel the funk. For more information go to: http://www.inorbitt.com.

Finally this week, those nice people who run free parties under Huazhong Bridge in Taipei are doing it again tomorrow, from 6pm to midnight. Lim Giong (林強), Stingray, Ken Plus and local electronica bands will be lining up for the occasion.

Also, tonight, at Living Room, E.S.P.

Productions presents School Daze, with some deep house, tech house, "B" sides and rarities. On the decks will be Saucey and Trix. Warning: It's a costume party.

As for last week's action, it wasn't the biggest, it wasn't the fanciest, but Apocalypse Now hosted one of the better parties of the year so far with D. Bridges slamming down big beats and tough breaks for around 200 people at the late-night drinking place which could have been mistaken for a shed.

As it turned out the venue on Fuxing North Road wasn't a bad choice and seemed to suit the crowd, who were whipped up by MC Assassin and kept going until 4am. The toaster from Oz had a long line of spiel that was part prepared and part inspired, in addition to a fine rasta-sounding singing voice that smoothed the edges on the set to begin with. The longer it went on, the better it became.

The Vinyl Word: Get into the Jungle Brothers early, or get left out.

For your information:
Huazhong Bridge (華中橋) is at the far end of Wanda Road (萬大路), in Wanhua. The party's in the riverside park, under the bridge.
Liquid Lounge: 98 Chungming South Rd, Taichung. NT$350 includes a drink, from 10pm to 5am.
MoS: 310 Lequn 3rd Rd, Neihu, Taipei
(臺北市內湖區樂群三路310號)
Call (02) 8502 1111.
http://www.mos-taipei.com.
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