Jungle - Jungle

Source: Allmusic

There's a certain simplicity that exists within Jungle's music which is, surprisingly, difficult to see; it's so full of so many different components, making the music swell and grow, that it very cleverly disguises the most integral part: the bass. The bass is constantly present. It may ebb and flow with the growth of the music, but ultimately, it's always there. It represents something so intrinsically dancey, so chilled, so smooth about Jungle that it's hard to resist the urge to get up and wave your limbs like a madman.

Everything that Jungle is about centres around dance. All of their videos are showcases of incredibly talented dancers, which just makes you want to die of shame when thinking about your particularly awful dad moves that you unadvisedly whipped out last Saturday night. None of their videos actually feature any of the band members, forcing you to appreciate Jungle for their music and not for their image, which is commendable in an industry obsessed with 'the look'. Most notable among their videos is Platoon, featuring an unbelievably talented six year old girl who could put anyone to shame. This simplistic style of filming suits Platoon in particular, because it forces you to really feel each beat of the well-timed vocals, guitar, and twinkly tambourine-y things, not simply passively listen to it. The way the girl starts putting on her armbands and beanie when the music builds up again reminds you that something impressive is coming. The visuals, rather than detract from the quality of the music (as often happens with elaborate, movie-style music videos) add to it in a brilliantly crafted way.

Busy Earnin' is one of their songs that particularly stands out as being something slightly spectacular among all of their slightly spectacular tracks. It allows you a bit of respite with the siren noises at the beginning before plunging straight into a heavy beat and an energising melody line. The layering is perfect in this song; the right bits drop out and come back in at exactly the right time to add emphasis to the best bits, and add decoration to the bits that need it most. The second verse becomes much more diversified, adding never-ending interest in unexpected places. By keeping you on your toes, Jungle manage to stay one step ahead of their listeners all the time. They know they're in control, and the flair with which they play exhibits this perfectly.

Source: Flickr

Another one that grabs you by the ears, spins you round and drops you off at the other end of the planet is Time. There's just something so fascinating about it; how can something with such a comparatively sparse drum beat be so compelling? The truth is that the sparsity of the drum beat allows you to locate the rhythm a lot more easily, and leaves space for other instruments to create grooves over the top of it without letting the focus be taken off the main beat. It's a genius tactic, really, and it lends itself perfectly to the breakdown, where all that's left is clicking, unidentifiable synth sounds and the vocals. The contrast is just a little bit beautiful.

Jungle have slightly crept onto the scene with a highly acclaimed, self-titled debut album. Music journalists are often very keen to draw comparisons between contemporaries ("any female with a guitar is the new Laura Marling!!", "any band vaguely originating from the North who play rock are the new Arctic Monkeys!!!") but that sort of ego-grooming really isn't possible with Jungle. They're fantastic in their own right, and although they're obviously influenced by a huge mix of people, they've chewed them up and spit out something definitively original. It's something so admirable in this day and age that it's hard not to love them for it.

Rating: 8/10

Recommended Tracks:
Lucky I Got What I Want
Drops
The Heat

Latitude 2014

Source: Eventful stays

Music festivals are so intrinsically linked to our idea of a good summer that to actually experience one is like being part of the elite, the desperately cool, the so on-top-of-all-things-cultural-that-the-human-race-may-as-well-start-trying-to-be-you.

Latitude, one of the biggest and best festivals in England, is renowned for being a bit more of a family festival, with much more to it than the music. There's an all-day Comedy Tent, a Film and Music Tent (both of which are discos by night) and several dance stages where the more cultured people can enjoy a spot of Sadler's Wells whilst munching on a bit of Greek cuisine. There's something for everyone there, so if the music isn't quite to your taste, there are plenty of alternatives at all times.

Source: Drowned In Sound

One thing that particularly struck me about Latitude (aside from the incredible coloured sheep) was the intensely laid back atmosphere. 'Intensely laid back' seems like a bit of an oxymoron, but there was just such an absolute lack of pressure to do anything unwanted, or to absolutely have to be anywhere at any one time. This made for a truly personalised festival experience, tailored to your wishes and desires, and not at all focusing on one aspect of culture.

The relatively close-knit layout of the festival meant that it was very likely that you would bump into anyone and everyone within your field of acquaintance; this created a fabulous sense of communal enjoyment of the proceedings, that everyone could take part in and enthuse about together. This make-shift society of enthusiastic music lovers created what Kevin Parker of Tame Impala called "our own little utopia", where anything was allowed. This gives you the freedom to actually be able to let go, forget any sort of stress or worries that have been nagging at you, and simply go where the wind takes you. That's the very clichéd way of saying that fuckin' anything goes.

Source: eFestivals

All this, and I haven't even gotten to the music yet. It was the most perfectly selected array of bands that could ever have been displayed at any festival ever in any universe ever. It catered for everyone's tastes, whether you're into indie rock, soft pop or a little bit of folkie goodness, they had it all. Despite Two Door Cinema Club pulling out at the last moment, the organisers could not have found a better replacement. Lily Allen was simply incredible, mixing her usual wit and sarcasm with pure talent that captivated the audience and created such an incredible buzz around her. Other highlights included Crystal Fighters (for the sheer energy of Plage, if anything), Haim (need I say more), The Black Keys (because they are perfect and no one can argue otherwise) and Gengahr, whose chilled out set gave the impression that they really weren't too fussed about being at Latitude, but whose quality of music and enthusiastic performance proved this to be utterly false.

The main thing that came out of the weekend was how open and accepting Latitude is as a festival. You can stay up all night dancing to some fantastic DJ sets, or you can go to bed immediately after the headliner for the evening. You have the option of seeing both Dara O'Briain or Rudimental in one evening. You can even eat whatever the fuck takes your fancy; the point is, it doesn't matter who prefers what, because everything is catered for, and everything is available. This idea of exclusivity disappears as soon as you walk in the gates.