The 7 saddest jungle tunes ever
It’s that time of year, and as tradition demands it, we have to kick this off with some music before diving into all kinds of adventures. And I want to set the tone with some proper sadness. Because sad music works really well as fuel for time travelling.
Let’s go, fellow timehoppers.
Pulse – Stay Calm
This is actually THE saddest jungle tune I can think of, so has to be on the very top of the list. Every single sound, sigh, string and moan in this production is just drenched in mournfulness.
Origin Unknown – Valley of the Shadows
Yes, we’ve heard this one before. I guess I could manage to squeeze this amazing classic into almost every single list of jungle tunes I ever make for some reason or other. If I had to pick one, JUST ONE, favourite jungle track of all time, this one would be a candidate. It belongs on this list because the saddest sound in the world kicks in at 2.24. Fact.
Badman – War in ’94
Melancholy compressed. Hands in the air in the gloomy darkness. And there you are, all soft and sensitive, and that evil drilling sound just ATTACKS you at 1:39.
Northern Connexion – The Bounce
I hadn’t heard this tune in AGES, but was reminded of it very recently (thank you, dj Nis). What a wonderful sonic reunion with that piano intro.
For any unaware first time listeners out there: Beware, there are glass splinters in the soup, as is often the case in junglist territories. You’re swimming away inside the soft embrace of that nice piano intro, you feel safe and calm and protected, and then, WHAM! – an unexpected attack by angry drums. And don’t be fooled by the sweet humming at 1:36 either, or the return of that same, comforting piano. It’s a trap! BAM! – you’re hit again. The evil peak of the track is at 3:06. ❤
Planet Dust – Bad Company
To be fair, I feel injected with an immense amount of happy energy every single time I hear this masterpiece of a tune, but then, at 2:00, THAT SOUND (oh, that hands in the air sound) just pierces into my heart region and releases all kinds of sad and sweet (and mixed) emotions from all those bruises you get from time travelling and remembering.
Red One – Alive N Kickin (Origin Unknown Remix)
I know that those jingling, tingling (yes, almost christmassy) bells dominating this track have a happy, hopeful sound to them, and they also play in a major chord, BUT to me this tune is still super melancholic.
It might very well be because it was played a lot at the raves in that summer month where I had actually moved away from London but was back on a four week visit, all too intense and all too short, missing everything even while I was there. I hadn’t perfected my time travelling skills yet, so distance (both between countries and between years) was way more painful to me back then.
I Need Your Lovin’ – N.R.G. Original Mix
Here’s another tune that’s not supposed to emanate sadness (I guess), but it does to me. It has a really heavy ‘this is the end of the party’ vibe to it. I can’t shake the feeling that it was, in fact, used as the “okay folks, that’s it, lights on and go home“-tune back in the day in The Paradise in London. Or was it at the Opera in Copenhagen? Maybe both places. Someone reading this might remember.
Fuel for your flight
As mentioned, music is excellent fuel for time travelling, and since we’re embarking on a bit of a journey, feel free to jump back and get some extra doses of grief and yearning in the 7 Most Romantic Jungle Tunes Ever selection from last year’s kick-off.
Enjoy your sadness soups and see you tomorrow.
Christina Majcher 
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