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Source: TVNZ
Read this review and enter below to win a Rumble In
The Jungle CD.
For a generation of New Zealand drum and bass fans, the term
"Rumble in the Jungle" does not instantly conjure up images of
Mohammed Ali standing toe to toe with George Foreman in Zaire.
Rather the term is synonymous with the annual battle to find the best drum and bass DJ in the land.
The competition had humble beginnings as a contest based in Wellington, which eventually spread its wings by asking a few Aucklanders to be involved, before spreading to the South Island, firstly via Christchurch and then Dunedin.
The contest has always carried an impressive prize haul to accompany the glory of being champion and for the second time the prize package included the right to put out a mix CD with your name on it through Empathy Recordings.
The latest edition of the Rumble in the Jungle mix CD is out now, with Import doing the honours after being crowned Rumble champion in 2008.
Due to the fact that the crew at Empathy recordings have to begin the hard work of licensing tracks long before the winner is crowned, the CD is not an exact replication of a set from Import but he's done a more than decent job with it nonetheless.
Well, a decent job doesn't really do him justice. As you would expect from a champion DJ the mix is flawless with the thought paid to the tracklist certainly paying off with a nice vibe built throughout.
The hard yards put in licensing tracks also bears fruit when it comes time for a roll call with the tracklist reading like a who's who of the current break beat scene including the likes of Concord Dawn, The Upbeats, Agent Alvin, Bulletproof, Cern, Dose, Trei and State of Mind, plus promising signs of things to come from up-and-comers such as Faction, Consequence, Blackplanet and Optimas Gryme.
To sum up the styles of drum and bass represented here I would call it full spectrum, but the pots and pans brigade would be up in arms if I did, so I'll call it a nice blend of tech rollers and upbeat liquid numbers, with the odd party tune thrown in the mix.
Overall a thoroughly enjoyable mix, just as good for warming up
to a big night out as it is for sitting on a bus wishing that work
was not your destination. If you like drum and bass it's well worth
a listen.
To enter our competition to win a copy of Rumble In The Jungle,
click right
here.
