The Jungle Scene in Toronto
“Jungle Scene Taking Storm”
Scene report by Chris Little
“I’m broad, I’m broad, I’m broader then Broadway”, is the soundtrack that can be heard all over Toronto area clubs as the jungle scene pushes its’ limits into the mainstream. Once a form a music that few DJs were reluctant to play, jungle has now become the mainstay of many of their sets. “The scene is bugging”, one obviously happy klub kidd answered when asked about the scene. “The music is truth man, it’s as close to God as you can get down here”.
But what of this beat entrenched genre of music, why has it become so big, and why is it seemingly taking the city of Toronto by storm. “It all has to do with the fact that klub kids are always looking for something different. No-one wants to be static, stuck with the same ‘ol, same ‘ol day after day after day. The kids demand change and that’s what I and other DJs deliver”, exclaimed a vibrant DJ Krankinit. And how could someone not appreciate this form of music which mixes and matches all types of music and brings it all together into one harmonious sound.
Jungle, true to its’ name, is very savage in its’ nature. The musical back beats are fast and furious and only the occasional vocal riff intrudes in on the hypnotic sound emanating from the speakers. A mere three years ago, Jungle could only be found in underground clubs heard through word of mouth, with only a few loyal followers and even fewer DJs willing to devote any of their precious set time to this strange,sometimes harsh sound. What a difference three years does make though, as at present there are 5 nights in the week in which a major Toronto club is devoted to this new scene. Peculiar, Alarming, INCREDIBLE. Many DJs and klub kids alike, see the commercialization of the dance scene and the lack of the famed underground raves as the likely cause of this phenomenon. As such, many klub kids are now looking toward the dreaded “club” as the only way to get their fix for the weekend. Many of these clubs do retain the warehouse feel though, with little spent on decorating, save for the odd Salvation Army surplus couch, and the ever present graffiti mural that seem to adorn the walls of these suto clubs like badges of honor.
The one thing that remains constant though are the people. No matter the club journeyed to, the people inside remain the same, save for their interchangeable faces. “We all love each other man, we’re like one big happy family”, cited one girl dressed in pink with homemade tinfoil stars around her eyes; “That’s why I love coming to these things, there’s no attitude, no dressed up people making you feel bad cause your hair’s not right, it’s all about who you are, INDIVIDUALITY BABY!!!!”.
And that’s really the key to the whole Jungle scene, so many different styles of dress, dance and display, it seems the more you stand out, the more you fit in. Jungle can be seen as the scene for the outsider, a scene that is accepting of everyone….and they’re mother, if she can dance of coarse.
Your Klub King Reporter
DetnoV
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