The Tracks Which Influenced Markee Ledge On Spotify

Markee Ledge is an award winning music producer (as well as a founding member of electronic music group Kosheen) and this year he’s launched a four part series ‘Laws of Emotion’, which he kick started with ‘Equinox I’ on Zonal Recordings.

It’s a musical journey through the emotions of each season, with his interest in ancient civilisations and how they marked the Equinox, something which transcends many human cultures. He uses cutting-edge technology and music production to package this throughout his recently landed four track EP and its forthcoming parts, which takes you on a voyage across his sounds as a producer.

To celebrate its release, Markee Ledge has pulled together a list of influences, which mark the nether world between house, hardcore and hip hop. Be sure to check it out below, and grab a copy of Equinox’s first part here.

Massive Attack – Unfinished Sympathy

I remember listening to this on the radio in a bedsit in Bristol.

The strings, the breakbeats , great vocals . It encapsulated what I wanted to do, and here I was in Bristol and this music was made here, it influenced me in the strings and structure, when writing, something like, ‘Wish You Were Here’ for Kosheen.

The Orb – Little Fluffy Clouds

This track was when sampling was new and people would just riff massive sections off in their tracks. This being one of the Orbs more upbeat tracks, the rolling breaks and bass, with a hooky synth arpeggio takes you into its own space. It’s not really a jungle track, but the elements and sampled vibe was there, this was something to listen to at home on a Sunday after a hard night in a concrete desolate warehouse.

Psychotropic – Hypnosis

Jungle Techno vibes. This now sounds like it needs to be speeded up a lot, but the hooky riff and raw synth chords give it a flavour of its own. It’s definitely a darker hardcore track that stands across the eons of time since those early days of samplers.

React 2 Rhythm – Intoxication

With its breakbeat intro and flanged break, the sub elements and hypnotic synth loop, this track would have sat in ‘house’ sets at the time, but the pre jungle elements are there, ready for the jump to jungle hyper-space. This was a big tune at underground raves and free parties at the time.

Johnny L – Hurt You So

One of the first 12” I bought, the sections on this track go through on its euphoric build to that massive riff and breakbeat drop; the hardcore flavor with pianos and strings is unmistakable.

SL2 – DJs Take Control

Slipmatt and Lime – this track with its rolling sampled breakbeats and a euphoric synth loop break to set the tension, bring in the beats… Listening to it now, there’s a definite Prodigy vibe, this tune has a good time feeling track for those early dawn sets, with the light in the broken warehouse window the only sign of the new day. Time to get our heads down and rave some more!

Top Buzz – Living in Darkness

With the passing of Jason K, this track will always be remembered as a key stepping stone. I remember well being at a rave in Plymouth with the Ledge crew and in those days there were no phones etc., so what you had was what you remembered from the night and this track was the stand out and still stands out to this day.

The main element is of course that big stabby synth horn riff.

4hero – Journey from the Light

Here we are, the breakbeats chopped up, the horn, sub bass line, and emotive vocals . All the key elements, this track brings us banging on the Jungle room doors. Very shortly after these prototype tunes Jungle arrived as it’s own ‘genre’ no small thanks to Mark and Dego aka 4Hero! Thank You!

Renegade – Terrorist

Now we have a bona fide banger of the genre, ‘Terrorist’ by Ray Keith aka Renegade.

Although sampled and so not the first time, it was used as a Jungle bassline with the Reese bass sound that has revolutionized and became a mainstay of the jungle/drum and bass sound which appears on this record. Nuff Said!

It’s an example of the development of breakbeat ,sub bass , sampled vibes music..

Monty – Hypnotise

One more recent track which shows the elements are still here, the vocal snippet and its highly infectious drum break and rolling build, with the rave horn, although rather subtler, the deep base working with the hypnotic groove, keeps building and grooving. Definitely has given me anticipation of the new great drum and bass tunes coming from Monty and the 1985 label.