Ever notice how some bands seem to explode onto the scene, virtually overnight? West London’s secretive, electronic-pop duo known as Jungle have done just that this summer as they hack their way out of Shepard’s Bush and onto the international touring circuit with their debut, self-titled album from XL Recordings, available from July 14th.
Long-time friends Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland (previously known as simply J and T) front the music collective that Jungle has become and are giving us an idea of what it’s like to start a band with a bit of imagination and some recording equipment in your friend’s bedroom and take it all the way to the stage at Glastonbury, Reading and beyond.
These guys have DIY roots, there’s no denying that. They’ve embraced 1970’s funk and disco and have attempted to bring that sound into the 21st century by fusing it with their own electronic style and a smooth, hypnotic falsetto that dominates the album.
Jungle also seems to have developed an incredibly successful formula for writing music, causing tracks to flow into each other almost seamlessly. In fact, while listening, it was at times difficult to decide how one song was all that different from the last.
Songs such as The Heat and Time make for good chill out, party music but their best qualities are their accompanying music videos, which are undeniably mesmerizing to the point that they make you hesitate to listen to the album without the video playing in front of you.
The video for Time seems to pay homage to Fatboy Slim’s famous video for Weapon of Choice, which featured Christopher Walken doing a solo dance routine in an empty hotel. Jungle’s version features two middle aged men who break out of what has become a painfully mundane life in their favourite arm chairs in order to dance their way back to freedom and embrace life once again. Videos for the tracks The Heat and Platoon run along similar lines. Although much can be said for the impressive roller skating moves The Heat has to offer.
While I probably wouldn’t keep Jungle on repeat for the rest of the summer, they’re obviously doing something right. The music industry has decided to push the button on their debut album and blow their name all over every underground station from here to Tokyo. Expect to see Jungle back in the UK from their world tour just in time for Leeds Festival on August 22nd.
-Cais Jurgens
