As people who don't listen to lyrics properly tell us, jungle is massive.

Jungle's certainly been massive in the history of underground music. And it's even been massive several times in the mainstream, according to the whims of fashion and cool.

For award-winning artist Mrs Magoo, though, the massiveness of jungle has never been in doubt. Whether influencers are telling her it's on trend or not, she's been flying the flag for that foundation style ever since she first appeared on the scene. And she's made quite an impression.

Growing up on the central belt of Scotland, Mrs Magoo's musical tastes were shaped by all kinds of genres, including hip hop, rock and – influenced by her dad's tape pack collection – happy hardcore. So, when she discovered the multi-cultural, old-made-new-again ethos of jungle, combined with the bass-weight and rave-hyping energy, it ticked all the boxes. So, as is her way, she threw herself into the music with unrestrained enthusiasm.

Learning to deejay, then to produce, Mrs Magoo has already chalked up many major career milestones, but her passion for the music means she's never rested on past glories and taken her eye off what's next. She's toured internationally multiple times, she's scored prestige bookings like Glastonbury and Boomtown, and is always in the conversation when it comes to Best Female DJ or Best Jungle DJ (of any gender) awards. In a scene that's historically been dominated by men, Mrs Magoo has become an inspirational trailblazer for other young women to follow.

No wonder legends of the game are queuing up to co-sign her. She's had releases on elite contemporary jungle labels like Deep in the Jungle and Audio Addict, with many more to come. She's played for all the biggest jungle-focused promoters in the country as well as all the most prestigious DnB radio stations and streams. She's regularly rolled out back to back with pioneers like Kenny Ken and Nicky Blackmarket. And what's driven it all is pure unbridled love for the music and the ambition to be the best possible version of herself as an artist.

As she said in a 2019 interview with UKF, “I get so much joy out of mixing and finding those magic combinations. I don’t know why people wouldn’t practice? I have to practice. I want to know that I can bring something special to my gigs. I wouldn’t feel right not practicing and being my best!”

If you want to see a real dedicated junglist at work, someone motivated by pure passion for the music, and who can tear the roof off a dance at a moment's notice, get to know about Mrs Magoo.

https://linktr.ee/MrsMagoo

What makes a protest song? The Specials should know. First time around, back when the 70s were lurching into the 80s, they sang of racism, war, unemployment and the rough edges of urban life, and never in the same way twice. As the multiracial flagship of the 2 Tone movement, they made a political statement every time they stepped on stage. June 2021 saw the 40th anniversary of their last and greatest protest song, Ghost Town, a record that will retain its eerie power as long as there are concrete jungles, empty dancehalls and desperate spasms of violence.
 
It's fitting, then, that in 2021 the Specials are releasing Protest Songs 1924-2012, an unpredictable collection of unique takes which celebrates the long history and endless versatility of the form, from folk to post-punk, from righteous uplift to biting satire, and from Kingston to Alabama. It’s a potent reminder that there are no fixed rules to templates for a protest song. All that’s required is the combination of something that needs to be said with music that needs to be heard. “People have been using music as a vehicle for protest since time immemorial,” says bass-player Horace Panter. “Injustice is timeless.”
 
“2020 was the year of protest, wasn’t it?” says Horace. “It was in the air. The hardest part of the whole record was deciding what songs to use.” Following the musical liberation of Encore, genre was no obstacle. Each song demands a different arrangement or tone of voice. “We thought, let’s throw out the musical constraints of the Specials. There’s not a tonic suit or Fred Perry in sight. We don’t want to deny our past, because that enables us to do what we do now, but we have our own creative minds to make up.”

Music is life 
Drum and Bass Selecta Artist owner of Drumbasslover Instagram and The DnB Princess 👸🏼

 The story of UB40, and how this group of young friends from Birmingham transcended their working-class origins to become the world’s most successful reggae band is not the stuff of fairytales as might be imagined. The group’s led a charmed life in many respects it’s true, but it’s been a long haul since the days they’d meet up in the bars and clubs around Moseley, and some of them had to scrape by on less than £8 a week unemployment benefit. The choice was simple if you’d left school early. You could either work in one of the local factories, like Robin Campbell did, or scuffle along aimlessly whilst waiting for something else to happen.

By the summer of 1978, something else did happen, and the nucleus of UB40 began rehearsing in a local basement. Robin’s younger brother Ali, Earl Falconer, Brian Travers and James Brown all knew each other from Moseley School of Art, whilst Norman Hassan had been a friend of Ali’s since school. Initially, they thought of themselves as a "jazz-dub-reggae" band, but by the time Robin was persuaded to join and they’d recruited Michael Virtue and Astro – who’d learnt his craft with Birmingham sound-system Duke Alloy – the group had already aligned themselves to left-wing political ideals and forged their own identity, separate from the many punk and Two Tone outfits around at that time. The group had nailed their colours to the mast by naming themselves after an unemployment benefit form. Their political convictions hadn’t been gleaned second hand either, but cemented in place whilst attending marches protesting against the National Front, or rallies organised by Rock Against Racism.

By the time Chrissie Hynde invited them to tour with the Pretenders during the summer of 1980 and their debut single "King b/w Food For Thought" had sailed into the UK Top 5, all the essential elements of UB40 were already in place. Their line-up will remain unchanged for almost thirty years, and they will continue playing a mix of original material and inspired choice of reggae covers in a style that’s instantly accessible with its bright melodies and sweeping horn arrangements – one that’s allied to a formidable rhythm section, capable of holding its own with anything from Jamaica.

UB40’s first album was released the following September, on Graduate Records. Their deal allowed them more creative freedom than if they had signed with a major label. The cover artwork memorably duplicated an unemployment benefit card, with the title "Signing Off" rubber-stamped in red, but it was the music that quickly worked its way into the affections of a young, mainly student crowd with its knowing lyrics, solid reggae rhythms and dubby, instrumental passages, offset by warm horn solos and Jamaican style scatting. There was nothing else like it at the time. As a multi-cultural band from Birmingham, UB40 weren’t drawn into trying to sound "authentic," and there was considerably more depth to their music than that of many punk and 2Tone bands. "I’m a British subject, not proud of it, whilst I carry the burden of shame," they sang on one of the tracks. Accepting the truth of their own situation amidst a sea of other reggae songs proclaiming black heritage gave us a valuable insight into where UB40 were coming from. They were unafraid to stand up and be counted, and British audiences instinctively loved them for it. "Signing Off" duly went to No. 2 in the UK and stayed on the nation’s album charts for 72 weeks.

On September 2nd, 2013, UB40 released their latest album ‘Getting Over The Storm’ on Universal/Virgin Records.

Contact: admin@lemontreemusic.com.au 

Tash Sultana is a young, dynamic Melbourne artist. At just twenty-one years of age, Tash is creating waves and generating massive street buzz by playing sold out shows all over the World. Tash has made a name for herself busking on the streets of Melbourne and having homemade videos go viral getting millions of views online.
 
Since having her hands wrapped around a guitar at the age of three, the self taught artist quickly developed her own unique style that has people lining up to see her perform. Her vocal shines with a magical quality, she has a natural gift for melody and her virtuosic guitar playing is from another planet.
  
The young, one-woman powerhouse has literally sold out every headline show booked across multiple countries and played dozens of high profile festivals including Laneway 2017. Both singles ‘Jungle’ and ‘Notion’ were quick to receive high rotation on Australian broadcaster triple j with ‘Jungle’ been added as mega hit of the week on Netherlands 3FM radio and is picking up rotation on stations across North America. Accolades include a #8 ARIA album chart, topping the iTunes chart with her “Notion EP”, ‘Jungle’ coming in at #3 on triple j’s hottest 100, an APRA Award nomination, winning a J award for “Unearthed Artist of the Year 2016” and over 25 million streams Worldwide.

Drum & Bass artist originally from Northwest London. Entrepreneur, creator of the Bellyman show and car barz series.

Totally Dubwise Recordings is a UK-based record label specializing in reggae, dub and jungle music. The label has been active since 2014 and has quickly become a go-to destination for fans of bass-heavy, Jamaican-influenced sounds. With an international roster of highly talented producers and DJs, Totally Dubwise has been releasing high-quality music that pays homage to the rich history of Jamaican music.

Brendan Larmour is following