Backstreets: Junglist

by Two Fingers, James T. Kirk

Back in print after more than twenty years, this cult classic of underground British fiction tells the story of young Black men coming of age among the raves and jungle music of London in the 1990s.

Layered with poetic verse, prose and humour, this cult classic of underground British fiction documents the rollercoaster ride of a weekend spent raving during Jungle’s cultural takeover in the summer of 1994. Jungle, with its booming basslines and Jamaican patois, burst from the pirate radio stations and mixtapes into cavernous clubs, pulling a generation of Black British ravers with it.

Originally written as a way to document street culture as it became a feature of London, charting a time when working-class kids, both Black and white, merged to dance as "one family", Junglist is both a testament to Black British sound system culture and a rawthentic account of inner-city life.

Genres: Fiction, Music

216 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1995

Reviews

[Joey · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Jungle is a headf*ck. The sound of a transformer banging its head against a wall.”

This long out-of-print cult classic, now being reissued by Repeater, documents a weekend through the UK's junglist rave scene. Written by two 19-year-old creatives, the book is a raw and truly poetic experience. Explosive prose that is oftentimes surreal. A bender of a book, literally.

Get your hands on this if you have an interest in music, subcultures, fringe philosophy, rave, critiques of capitalism, or psychedelic art.

[Markus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feels a bit aimless but definetely worth the read

[Joe Heywood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absolutely loved 99 percent of this book and it would have been 5 stars if it wasn’t for the most pointless, jarring and bizarre episode of domestic and sexual violence that is not addressed again in the novel.

Up until that point I was thinking that this novel was relevant more now than ever, but sadly that vignette did the absolute opposite. It made me question the characters that until then, and after, came across as endearing. Very bizarre. I had to go back and reread it to check I’d missed something, such as it actually being a dream or something the character had witnessed as a child himself and not committing himself.

Spent the rest of the book praying that they would go back to it in some form. Gutted because before that it was my favourite book of the year and was raving about it to different people. Now nervous to recommend.

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The quality of writing here is markedly better than that of Trevor Miller's Trip City, allowing for a better sense of flow, though it treads similar thematic ground. Rather than forcing a narrative around drug-induced states though, the focus is on a weekend in the lives of a group of friends - a sincere snapshot of London youth culture in 1994. Time spent talking about drugs is handled with sincerity and counterbalanced by accompanying discussions of race, policing and relationships.

[Stuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really insightful mood of a book; capturing a subculture in a time and place and shedding light on the young Black men (the book multiple times talks about how it's not just Black boys there but it's Black culture and the main characters are Black) who shaped it and were a part of it. Not much happens, and even less is clear. The book is written in a surreal stream of consciousness that alternates between the four MCs, although their voices are hard to distinguish for me. It's a challenging read and it isn't necessarily some sort of life-changing, moving, novel, but it exposed me to a culture I knew next to nothing about, and it is full of rhythm and vitality, even as it pulses with a thrum of desperation.

The thing I really liked about it is how intimate the book gets with the four MCs emotions, and how vulnerable they are with each other. These men are talking about the heartbreaking depths of love they hold for ex-girlfriends, how they loved so much they got scared and ran away. They are so close and to each other and share such comfortable casual, tender touches; one of them ruffles the other's hair and gives him a goofy smile to reassure him, they talk deeply to each other as much as just shooting shit. It's a picture of young Black men being emotionally vulnerable, and it's a shame that is such a novelty culturally, but this book at least gives these men a fullness.

There is one out of nowhere scene of domestic violence that might in fact be a dream? I'm not sure. And this book is written not to be understood but to be felt, which does make understanding it difficult at times. Nevertheless, an enjoyable and insightful glimpse at the Jungle scene.

[sakari · Rating 4 out of 5]

amazing read, the author is very articulate, but i was completely thrown off course by the very unnecessary depiction of sexual violence?? we don’t revisit that event again at any point and it does absolutely nothing for the plot. other than that, i highly recommend, especially as a black person in the alternative scene

[Daan Leber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zonder zwembandjes word je in het diepe gesmeten, en het enige wat je kan doen om niet kopje onder te gaan, is settlen in de flow van de woordenstroom

[Simon Cox · Rating 1 out of 5]

A good depiction of the London music scene in the 90s stronger at the start and the flow tailed of as the book progressed.

[Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Must be read with the bass pumping!!

Would have rated higher except for "jarring" scene of domestic violence.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A must for any jungle fan. The writing and pace of the book are imbued with the culture of jungle. Outside of this I felt the book was sort of auto generated like a work of Amish fiction.

[Max Bannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine The Waves but about 90s London