Banana Boat Man

Main Feed
Submit Content

Banana Boat Man (Dubplate Remix, Original Lion Remix)

Rebel MC [Congo Natty]

22 May, 2008 | 11.57PM

Written by: The Last Real DJ Alive
Filed under: Music Recommendations: banana boat man, congo natty, dubplate, original lion, rebel mc

What year this track is from?

“I have no clue,” says The Last Real DJ Alive.

“All you need to know is that it’s rugged, raw and a prime cut of oldskool ragga jungle”.

The curiously-titled ‘Banana Boat Man’ is enough to bring a tear to the eye of the ailing junglist whose lungs are on the verge of collapsing from smoking too many stogies.

It’s an unreleased mix and a perfect induction to house heads who don’t “get” drum & bass, who need to be coaxed gradually through that genre’s deceivingly dark doorway with something accessible like this.

They really don’t make ‘em like this anymore, sadly.

The pure sine basses dip and dive dynamically, ploughing underneath chest-caving, incessant drums, killer ragga vocals, wonderfully-worked samples of police sirens and suchlike, and all the classic jungle jingles of yesteryear.

This recording has clearly been taken off an old skool vinyl plate and remastered, which gives it a lovely, authentic-sounding texture, complete with crackles and pops.

It’s a “snap” away from everybody’s favourite cereal.

As the record progresses, it really tells a story—something unthinkable in today’s drum & bass (with its rigid, but welcome repetitive formula).

This progression tells tales of reggae sound clashes and acid house whisperings, with all manner of eclectic melodies shimmering through into the mix.

Keep an eye on the Original Lion remix too - it’s more steppy than its counterpart, speaking of which, the two are varied enough to be mixed into each other.