An exhibition tracing Bristol’s 30-year connection to jungle music has opened at the Royal West of England Academy (RWA), running until 28 June.
Titled This Is Jungle Takeover, the show draws on archival photographs, rave flyers, album artwork and rare memorabilia to map the city’s role in the genre’s shift from underground movement to cultural force.
Curator Krust, a Bristol-based jungle and drum & bass artist, told the BBC:
“The obvious people get mentioned but there were a lot of people who contributed to the culture, who should be getting more recognition. That’s not just the people who made the music; that was also the people in the surrounding cultures like photographers, radio stations and label owners.”
“We’re trying to highlight that, the history, the pioneers, but more from the south west’s point of view. Not just looking back, but also how we use these tools, ideas and frameworks to look forward and create something for future generations so they can be inspired.”
Additional curators include DJ Flynn, co-founder of Independent Dealers label, and Gary Thompson, co-author of The Art and Sound of the Bristol Underground. The exhibition is presented by I46 Media.
Listening Lab Session
A companion event, the Listening Lab Session, takes place tomorrow (13 June) from 5:30PM to 7:30PM. Hosted and moderated by Krust and Flynnites, the session features panelists DJ Dazee and Dr Meaker exploring the records that shaped their careers, from early classics to exclusive dubplates.
