REVIEW : DJ Y Rethinks Jungle With 'High Life'
Jungle music definitely evokes images of MDMA'd-out UK raves from 1992. I mean, hey, I've seen the BBC documentaries; if you don't believe me, quiz me on my Thatcher trivia, I'm caught up. But, yeah, the more hardcore styles of dance music don't have to be artifacts of the past. In fact, they’ve known somewhat of a resurgence lately. Just ask Coco Bryce. His new EP High Life - released through his ungoogleable alias DJ Y - is exactly that: a redefinition of electronic music that pushes the boundaries of energy and cranks up that bpm counter up to 11. (Not 11 bpm... You know what I mean.)
Coco Bryce has already donned his DJ Y moniker a few times, notably on double A-Sides like Speed Fever and Knock Out. Earlier this year, he released the single Modern Wank - which now closes the album. The producer’s 2 personas are a match made in breakbeat heaven, an occasion to express himself through some attention-deficit-tinged styles of composition, without compromising on his extremely refined aesthetic.
Look, kids these days, they like their chill beats and their lo-fi keyboards. Coco Bryce has always been mindful of that, often flirting with vintage synth tones and dark, garage-y atmospheres. His single Come 2 U, or his album Night on Earth are a few examples among many. Today, he continues to bridge the generational gap that separates today's modern ravers from speedier, hardcorier (is that even a word?) forms of dance music.
The titular track of High Life opens the EP in style with a bouncy jam that could fit perfectly on your favorite old-school playlist, somewhere between two Dance Mania hits. The washed-out Roland drum beat grooves with a relentless, bouncy synth bass and some airy analog pads. It’s miles away from your typical, current-day EDM track, yet it could ignite a dance frenzy in the sweatiest underground clubs just as well as on the biggest outdoor stages.
Up next is Gutter Funk, which, as its title suggests, is a masterclass in saturation. But don't look for distorted guitars here (or for funk, now that I think about it), because Gutter Funk is rather an acid banger that encapsulates the spirit of the aforementioned heyday of UK raves. You'll notice a cranky techno edge that gradually adds some darkness to its euphoric 303 madness.
This is the kind of track that will really put you in a partying mood if you listen to it pre-drinking with your friends at the start of the evening. It might also make you rethink some stuff if you catch it on the comedown, at the end of the night.
It's noon where I am, I'm listening to it right now, and I’ll admit I’m rethinking some life choices of my own tbh.
The album closer, the deceptively titled Modern Wank, explores 2 distinct moods that - spoiler alert! - ultimately come together perfectly. One pole of the track has those pulsating synthwave arpeggios supporting flashy pad chords. The other has a bombastic jungle beat that becomes denser and more complex throughout the track.
Coco Bryce / DJ Y is a proponent of the minimal approach, and there's a real economy of means at play in his music. You know that if he adds an element to a track, it's because it’s necessary. But minimal doesn't mean boring, or over-intellectualized, or “empty”. At least, it doesn't have to mean that, m’kay? Modern Wank is a prime example, and expect the rest of you to take notes...
Like the rest of the album, the closer is refined, evoking that emoji of the little guy with a monocle, but also the winking face with its tongue sticking out because the track is fancy and also made to party, you know?
None of these 2 emojis are as good as my personal go-to, the skeptical emoji that scratches its chin with its hand. That's the only one that lets me express my passive-aggressive nature in a fun way. But, hey, that's neither here nor there...
Check out DJ Y’s new EP High Life, out now via Dance Trax.