Still Rolling: Brockie Reflects on Jungle and the Evolution of Drum & Bass Ahead of Pure Science

More than three decades after Jungle first erupted from Britain’s underground rave culture, Brockie still speaks about Drum & Bass with the passion of somebody discovering it for the first time. Ahead of his appearance at Pure Science at SOCIAL in Maidstone, UK on May 23rd, the pioneering DJ and producer reflects on survival, loyalty, rave culture and the scene he helped shape, often without even realising it at the time.

“Yeah, I came through in the rave scene,” Brockie says. “Do I think it was going to last for so long? No, I didn't. But I prayed it would.”

That uncertainty feels difficult to imagine now. Drum & Bass has evolved from pirate radio frequencies and illegal warehouse parties into a global movement, but Brockie remembers a time when the culture’s future looked genuinely fragile.

“Back then, I really didn't think it would last because we went through a bad spell when there were no raves at all for a couple months and some of our DJs turned to Garage,” he recalls. “I just said, nah, I'm not going to switch. I'm going to stay where I am and stick to Jungle and whatever happens, happens.”

For Brockie, the decision was never commercial, it was personal. “If it meant I had to get a 9-to-5 job or whatever, that's what I would have to do because I was sticking to what I love,” he says. “And I didn't switch.”

That refusal to abandon Jungle became one of the defining characteristics of his career. Through the 90s, Brockie became known for explosive sets packed with exclusive dubplates and cutting-edge sounds that pushed rave music into new territory. Yet even now, he talks about that period with the excitement of somebody still standing in the middle of it.

“Yeah, I didn't even realise what I was doing,” he says. “I was just getting loads of fresh dub plates from new artists. Don't forget the music was new, it was fresh, it was exciting.”

At the time, Jungle itself was evolving at breakneck speed. DJs weren’t looking backwards because there was no blueprint to follow. “We just heard good music and good artists,” Brockie explains. “I was just playing up front dub plates, cutting edge Jungle and that turned into Drum and Bass.”

Only later did he realise the impact those sets would have on the wider culture. “I'm proud I pushed the boundaries,” he says.

For Brockie, what made early rave culture so powerful went far beyond the music itself. “It was the mixture of cultures and backgrounds, as simple as that,” he says. “And everyone coming together with the love of music and just to dance and enjoy themselves.”

There was also a rebellious energy running through the scene at the time, fuelled by opposition to authority and establishment pressure on rave culture. “At the time, it was against the government, the establishment,” he says. “There's a lot of factors, but the main thing was the love of music and the mixture of cultures. It's a beautiful thing.”

Three decades later, that same energy still motivates him every time he steps behind the decks. “I live for it and love it,” Brockie says simply. “That's all I can say really. I think about Drum and Bass and Jungle 24/7. It's a part of my life.”

More importantly, he still thrives on the connection between DJ and crowd. “The main thing that puts me behind the decks, that makes me want to get behind every time, is the audience in front of me,” he says. “I love them.”

That relationship with the dancefloor defines Brockie’s approach to DJing. His mixing style, relentless, energetic and constantly rolling, was forged during an era where technical ability mattered enormously. “That's how I mix. I like to roll,” he says. “I come from an era where we used to roll, so mixing was very important because you had to roll the tunes.”

Unlike modern digital setups, learning to DJ in the early rave era demanded precision and discipline. “You had to learn to mix properly. You had no choice,” Brockie says. “And plus, it was on Technics, so it was double hard, but it was worth the effort.”

Alongside his work as a DJ, Brockie also became a hugely influential producer through Undiluted Recordings, the label he launched with Ed Solo in 1997. “Starting the label was just to get music out that was in my head,” he says. “I just wanted to put something on the table.”

For Brockie, production became a way of expressing his roots and identity through sound. “Because I'm from reggae, I had to get something to show, let people understand where I'm from through my music,” he explains. “That's why production was so important for me as a DJ, to have freedom and just to bring something to the table.”

Undiluted would become synonymous with the explosive late-90s jump-up sound, distorted basslines, rave energy and unforgettable hooks, but Brockie insists there was no conscious attempt to shape a generation of Drum & Bass.

“Nah, we didn’t know we were defining the era,” he says. “Definitely didn't. We were just having fun.”

Some of those now legendary tracks emerged from surprisingly humble beginnings. “Most of those tunes were made in my spare bedroom,” he says. “We were just trying to put something back into the rave scene.”

His partnership with Ed Solo became one of the scene’s most respected collaborations, built on friendship as much as music. “Ed Solo is a great engineer, great producer and a lovely human being,” Brockie says. “We've never had an argument, never had a disagreement and if we do, we pan it out and we move on.” Then he pauses before adding warmly: “I've got so much respect for him and love for Ed Solo.”

Among Brockie’s catalogue, one release still carries particular emotional significance, the remix of his and Ed’s track “Represent” created by the late Dominator. “He done a remix for me of “Represent” just before he passed away,” Brockie says. “That tune is close to me.” The loss still clearly affects him. “He was a lovely brother,” Brockie says. “And the scene lost a great engineer and a great human being.”

As someone who has experienced every stage of Drum & Bass evolution first hand, Brockie has watched technology completely transform production and DJ culture. But despite modern software and digital equipment making things easier technically, he believes creativity still comes down to instinct and musical understanding. “You still have got to be able to create a good tune,” he says. “You still have to put what's in your head down and make a good tune.”

The same applies to DJing. “You still got to know how to select music and put it together to make people dance.”

That philosophy extends to the next generation too. When asked what advice he would give aspiring DJs and producers, Brockie focuses less on fame and more on trust and honesty. “Stay focused. Believe in yourself and have the right friends around you that believe in you,” he says. “Good friends, ones that stand beside you.”

But equally important, he says, are the people willing to challenge you. “Friends that will be honest with you and tell you that mix was crap, or that wasn't a good set,” he says. “That's the people you need around you.”

Brockie also remains fiercely protective of pirate radio culture and the role it played in Jungle’s rise. “Kids would not be listening to the music they listen to if it wasn't for underground pirate radio,” he says, reflecting on younger audiences discovering Drum & Bass through social media and streaming platforms.

Even after all these years, what surprises him most is not the global growth of Drum & Bass itself, but the way rave culture now stretches across generations. “What’s really surprised me the most is how much parents that are ravers now bring their kids out,” he says. “Or their kids want to be DJs or MCs or dancers or producers.”

For Brockie, that evolution proves the culture has become something much bigger than a trend. “It's a beautiful thing,” he says. “It's why I know this rave scene's never ever, ever, ever gonna finish.”

That spirit is exactly why he believes nights like Pure Science remain essential to underground music culture. “Yeah, I'm doing Maidstone with Pure Science,” he says. “They are veterans. They've been there from the beginning.”

As Drum & Bass crowds continue to evolve, Brockie believes older ravers are playing an increasingly important role in keeping the scene alive. “A lot of older people like to go out more,” he says. “There are so many old school raves, classics, Drum and Bass, Jungle.” For him, age should never become a barrier to rave culture. “Age is just a number,” Brockie says. “I hate people that put an age to raving. Why should you stop because of your age? That's just backward thinking to me.”

Instead, he sees events like Pure Science as proof that Jungle’s original community spirit still exists. “I love to see everybody out across all ages,” he says. “But of course, I love to see the older crowd out more because I'm an old guy myself. To see the older lot still supporting, representing, it's a beautiful thing.”

Brockie is headlining Pure Science at SOCIAL, Maidstone on 23^rd May. For more information head HERE. 

Read the full interview at The Night Bazaar HERE.