Summers at the Speed of Sound - EP

A Brief History of Jungle Music

Sampling is an integral part of African diasporic music, especially in the US and UK. In America, Hip-hop became the dominant form of black sampled music. This distinction went to Jungle music for young people attending clubs in the UK (“ravers”). That’s not to say that hip hop wasn’t present and incredibly popular in the UK— Jungle, Acid House, and Techno were just the choice for most partygoers and rave DJs in the early to mid-90s. 
As the 90s progressed, raves gained more and more media attention, as UK police began to crack down on these often illegally organized parties. In addition, rave culture was heavily associated with drug use. Ravers used weed, MDMA (ecstasy), and amphetamines, among other drugs, to enhance their partying experiences. After peaking in 1995, Jungle began declining in popularity because of negative media attention and police raids on raves. It was eventually succeeded by Drum and Bass, an offshoot genre that was ultimately more commercially consumable. 

This Track

While researching jungle music, and listening to Jungle music non-stop, I decided I wanted to release a Jungle tune for this EP. In true Jungle fashion, I primarily used samples for this production and a Roland TB-303 (bass synthesizer) emulation. The TB-303 also has a close association with Rave and Jungle music. The samples I used were taken from soul, jazz, and Jungle records. Since the sampler is integral to jungle music, the melodies and harmonies are often short song snippets pitched around chromatically to create motifs. I used this method to write the melodies and harmonies for this track. My drums are sampled from classic soul and jazz drum solos (called “breakbeats” in the context of electronic and hip-hop music) and chopped up into individual drum hits, which are then rearranged to create complex drum rhythms. 
Jungle music uses a variety of basses, ranging from electric basses to synth basses to samples. The most recognizable Jungle bass is the kick drum from the Roland TR-808 drum machine. Jungle producers would sample the 808’s kick drum and use it as a pitched instrument. For my track, I used a sampled electric bass, an 808 kick drum, and a specific synth bass sample, predominant in Jungle music and commonly known as the “Dred bass.” Another instrument I used was a Roland TB-303 emulation, which is heard at the end of the track building up to the climax.
Don’t ask me what this track means. It was an experiment to pay homage to a genre of music I love.

Jungle Study

Grey Skies
Written, recorded, and produced by Nelson Addison
 
(Chorus) 
Grey skies, and downcast eyes,
Looking for anything to make us feel alive
And if I don’t find it, will I be alright?
Will I ever make my way into the light?
Grey skies, and downcast eyes,
Looking for anything…
 
(Verse 1)
Surely I’ll feel better when I turn the corner
Surely I’ll feel better as I’m growing older
Surely I’ll feel better when I fall in love
Surely I’ll feel better when I have enough
Tomorrow everything is gonna be so different
Is a lie we tell ourselves when we’re naive and innocent
I won’t believe that bullshit for a minute. (x3)
But I gotta keep on living cause my death is imminent.
 
(Chorus) 
Grey skies, and downcast eyes,
Looking for anything to make us feel alive
And if I don’t find it, will I be alright?
Will I ever make my way into the light?
 
(Post-chorus)
Just one more night (x3)
Tomorrow everything’s gonna be just the same as before
 
(Verse 2)
Happiness, she flees me, at the speed of sound,
There's no way I can catch her running on the ground.
Sometimes I grab on to her as she passes by,
But let go as she pitches up into the sky.
Whenever she is gone, I tend to stay inside.
If I miss something important, I don't seem to mind.
In the evenings I do anything to pass the time,
 
In the mornings, I just lay and cry.
 
(Chorus)
Grey skies, and downcast eyes,
Looking for anything to make us feel alive
And if I don’t find it, will I be alright?
Will I ever make my way into the light?
 
Grey skies, and downcast eyes,
Looking for anything to make us feel alive
And if I don’t find it, will I be alright?
Will I ever make my way into the light?

(Instrumental bridge)

(Verse 3) 
I was never taught how to deal with pain of the emotional variety
Niggas not supposed to cry, so I just kept it all inside of me
It divided me between towr'in walls of ivory,
Sweet irony, had me thinking I'd improve with time, entirely.
If we live in hell on earth, then what is hell to us? How fiery
Can a furnace be, internally, that we live in for eternity?
The one I'm leaving now turned my skin and soul to vapors
So I don't give a shit about 2000 year old papers.
I want peace, I want it now, I want it right now.
I'll do anything to get it, anything, God forbidden
I want peace, I want it now, I want it right now. But I
Guess I gotta wait, maybe learn to live without it.
 
(Instrumental break)
 
Outro (faster tempo):
I just wanna die, I just wanna die.
I just wanna die
I just wanna die sometimes (I just wanna die)

I just wanna die, I just wanna die.
I just wanna die
I just wanna die sometimes (I just wanna die)

I just wanna die, I just wanna die.
I just wanna die
I just wanna die sometimes (I just wanna die)
I just wanna die, sometimes.

Grey Skies

Artists: m68k, T2X
Writers: Nelson Addison, Tavarie Taylor
Producers: Nelson Addison, Tavarie Taylor

My first collaborative song. 

(Verse 1 - m68k)
Same nigga breaking down walls left and right,
Before we broke dem walls down, a nigga had to fight
Plenty of people always asking, "Nelson, are you alright?"
I pushed 'em all away, they couldn't learn to see through my sight.
I been in places, situations that would break you,
It broke me, but I'm back now, Take Two.
Been through so much, I'm glad I'm on the other side
My homie called me up and said "Yo, you wanna slide?"
I said I can't right now, I'm working overtime,
He said, "Lighten up a bit and learn to live your life."

(Hook)
Ayay ayay ayay
I been to hell and back, but I still live my life (ayay ayay ayay)
I learned to love again so I could live my life (ayay ayay ayay)
No time to stop for tears, I gotta live my life (ayay ayay ayay)

(Verse 2)
Used to say “fuck the future,” now I’m future proof,
I keep my eyes ahead at all times, so I’m not seeing you,
And everything I do now is for my betterment,
You held me back, but back then I thought that you were heaven sent,
Seven-Eleven, white owls, you would roll us up a spliff,
We smoked and passed it round the table wit your friends.
But you were more than I bargained for, and less than it was worth
I guess from thinking with my dick, I got what I deserved.
Saw all the red flags, so I had the time to swerve,
And take a detour, but what I did this to me for?
I'm aching for affection, you were the cure.
The side effect was an erection, I got burnt with no protection.
I'm repping 803, all the niggas out my section,
Listen to me when I tell you not to stop counting your blessings.
Look to the future, but don't stress about this mess,
And just take it day by day and remember always, just to live your life.

(Hook)
Ayay ayay ayay
I been to hell and back, but I still live my life (ayay ayay ayay)
I learned to love again so I could live my life (ayay ayay ayay)
No time to stop for tears, I gotta live my life (ayay ayay ayay)

(T2X Verse)
Neva gotta ask you (ask)
Don't know what i did
Got me in my head And I start to reminisce
(I can't switch)
Stalling and Fallin
Shaking Hands I'm not calling Why you causing me problems
(No I'm not,no l'm good)
You know I'm tryna solve em
Nah you don't deserve to Take up more space
Hoping to find my purpose
But you won't let me think
Breathe
Away from me
You are no good for me

(Bridge)
My life is worth livin' on my own,
I don't need you or no one else,
To fill in where my holes are felt.
I don't know why I thought you'd change for me.
When I ain't changed for myself,
Until you left.

(Verse 3)
Headed to the other side, I'm almost there
Yeah you know my mama called me up, we said a prayer
I been duckin' in the dragon's den, deep in the lair
Cause I'm looking for a piece of gold, I need my share.
We all look for things that shine like,
Silver and gold, heaven and starlight.
We think it's hiding somewhere, outside.
We're all losing our pride.
Me and my homies, we finna blast off.
Into the stratosphere, Lightyear.
And even when they all know our names,
Shit ain't changed, we the same, but you know we finna live our lives.

(Hook)
Ayay ayay ayay
I been to hell and back, but I still live my life (ayay ayay ayay)
I learned to love again so I could live my life (ayay ayay ayay)
No time to stop for tears, I gotta live my life (ayay ayay ayay)
You know I'm pressed for time, I gotta live my life (ayay ayay ayay)
It’s niggas doing time, you better live your life
(ayay ayay ayay)
I learned to love again so I could live my life (ayay ayay ayay)
No time to stop for tears, I gotta live my life (ayay ayay ayay)

Walls (Live My Life) feat. T2X

Email: m68kz80@gmail.com for collabs and beats. Or DM me
Making music isn't free. If you want to support my efforts, feel free to donate to my PayPal (exodusmodules@gmail.com).
All tracks are self-produced unless stated otherwise.