Trouble in Paradise #24 Shimmer’s Mixtape w/ Teplice

What you are about to hear is probably best described as a mixtape. It contains three original tracks interspersed with the voices of several notable characters from the world of jungle and drum & bass; these parts function like skits.

First up is Tony Fordham, who's perhaps not that well loved within this scene due to the allegedly exploitative business practices of the label he managed: Good Looking Records. He is, however, in a packed field, probably the funniest. The audio comes from a 1997 episode of the BBC 2 series 'Modern Times', which ran from 1995 to 2015, documenting life in modern Britain. This one follows the Good Looking Records crew as they career haphazardly around the globe, riding the wave of 90s optimism and dance mania. Whilst the label, managers, producers, DJs and MCs featured were all important to the development of jungle and drum & bass, the documentary itself has clearly had an impact on later generations of comedians who continue to reference its larger-than-life personalities and semi-intentional mockumentary style.

Next is a very young Phil Aslett, one half of influential duo Source Direct, speaking on dutch documentary 'Lola da Musica' about the production setup they share in one of their parents' homes where, despite being successful enough to each own BMWs, they are still living. Trainspotters may recognize the documentary from Joy Orbison's 2012 underground hit 'Ellipsis', which samples it.

The similarities between the music these people put out and that which I've placed either side of their voices are not huge, but the emphasis on rhythm and atmosphere that characterises the output of Good Looking Records and Source Direct has certainly influenced my own production efforts. Otherwise, I hope that these artefacts entertain and will encourage listeners to seek out the films, which are easily found online.