There are more interviews this time around, and as it was written in late 2004, it is very current in its outlook, referring to today’s scene, recently established DnB/Jungle artists, and he also makes reference to recent world events, such as the Iraq war, in his poem ‘It’s All Gone Pete Tong’.

Personally I’ve found All Crews to be very inspirational-I for one, am hoping to check out the DnB scene in Russia, having read that it’s just starting out there, and it’s as fresh and friendly as the dance scene was here, back in the late ‘80’s.

All Crews traces the origins of Jungle to the hardcore illegal rave scene of the late 80’s early 90’s, and goes through its history and development, including the influence of 80’s Jamaican Dancehall music. His sympathy with the underground dance scene comes across when he talks about the warehouse raves. Also, in his ‘personal diary’ he gives a vivid account of doing a DJ set in the middle of a road at a Reclaim the Streets party.

I think the author is very courageous, when he writes about race issues in the scene, and about the difference between DnB and Jungle. Both terms are still used, but the latter was associated with black culture, and unfortunately, violence. It took guts to write about the negative as well as the positive aspects of this scene.

The positive being the energy and originality of the music; the diversity of the crowd, and the fact it’s one scene where black and white kids mix; the fact that it’s home-grown, rather than a US or European import, and the fact that it’s spread around the world now. The negative aspects such as violence at raves in the mid-90’s, and the ‘closed shop’ element of hostility to outsiders to the scene, especially women, who want to make it as MC’s or DJ’s is talked about. It’s worth saying, however, that he also acknowledges the increasing amount of women involved as performers in the Jungle/DnB scene nowadays.

I like the fact he ‘named and shamed’ a DJ who still owes him loads of money!

There are a lot of DJ’s and MC’s profiled in All Crews, some established pioneers of the scene, and others just starting out. All Crews also looks at DnB on the radio, legal and otherwise; producers and record companies; record shops; promoters, and artists’ agencies, people who build the world’s best speaker systems… Plus interviews with some of the most important people- the ravers themselves.

And it’s entertaining; some of it made me laugh out loud, like the quotes from DJ Hype, and some great stories of things people will try in order to get into raves for free, such as one about a group of 12 travellers trying to blag into a rave, who all fell out of a generator that they were intending to use as a Trojan horse! Is that story for real?

Whether you’re new to the scene, and want to know the names to check out at raves, or whether you’re a seasoned raver who’s been around for years, but with a few gaps in your knowledge, All Crews is essential reading. Also, it’s a good size book to skin up on ;0)

Minnie Mouse.

Available in good record shops, and from http://www.knowledgemag.co.uk