Cement Shoes

@2dark2sinister is an Instagram page run by Jack Shepherd. On the page, Jack documents the darkest Tech-Step, Neuro-Funk, and Jump-Up Drum ‘n’ Bass from the years 1995–2002. Jack’s page is one of a number of pages documenting the long and complex history of Jungle Drum ‘n’ Bass. I thought I’d chat to Jack to find out about the push on social media to document rave history.

Quite a few people seem to be curating their own niche within Instagram, documenting aspects of Jungle Drum ‘n’ Bass and Dance music history more broadly. What made you want to start 2Dark2Sinister?

Jack: I started @2dark2sinister as a place to showcase what I was buying after seeing other accounts, namely Kriminal Archive, doing something similar early on into my journey into the sound. At that point I was spending like six hours a day sifting through Discogs looking for tunes and honestly just wanted to show the rewards from that graft.

How long have you been collecting records? And has it always been Tech-step/Neuro-Funk/Darker 1996-2002 sorts of tunes?

Jack: I’ve been collecting records since around the end of 2021. Up until last year, I was purely buying 1997-2001 drum & bass, until I started getting really into Happy Hardcore after hearing a lot of my Dad’s stories of raving when he was around my age.

When people reminisce about Jungle and Drum ‘n’ Bass and document it, particularly on Instagram, it’s typically a very specific sound—either ’94–’96 intelligent or atmospheric productions, or that ’94 Ragga sound. What is it about the tunes you post that you feel makes it important to share and document them?

Jack: I think it’s so important for me to share the tunes I do, as not many others do. Whether that sound isn’t as sexy in comparison to the more commercial appealing Jungle & the intelligent sound, if that makes sense. A lot of the tunes I post are ones from sets I’ve heard from pirate radio sets from Rude FM or Cyndicut – a setting people glorify but it is nowhere near as much about the music getting played on those stations.

Obviously, with Happy Hardcore as well, it has experienced that similar sort of derisory attitude that a lot of Jungle and Drum ‘n’ Bass fans have had towards Tech-step, darker Jump-up and early 2000s Drum ‘n’ Bass. A lot of criticisms, I think wrongly, are thrown at the two as being “too in your face” and “not as sophisticated”.

Jack: See, on the “too in your face” criticism, to me that is fair, but also, that’s what I love about it. I just love those tunes, like Powder – Tirant, which purely exist to be lairy. Tech-step, though, is just as technical as Jungle in my opinion.

Touching on my Dad raving in the ‘90s, I do think there is a potential interesting link there, as it wasn’t something I consciously thought about when I got into that late ‘90s sound. I do think it’s a strange that that’s what I was so drawn to – obviously a completely different genre but very interesting to think about. We’re from Portsmouth, which was very deeply involved in the Happy Hardcore scene of the ‘90s, with a lot of the biggest names being from Portsmouth (Fusion & Hectic Records, as well as
Hixxy being born here) and its surrounding areas.

With Tech-Step, there is quite an aesthetic jump from ‘93-‘95 Jungle, with a greater emphasis on technological warfare, computers, robotics, artificial intelligence, etc. It seems particularly relevant still, which is great, I think.

Jack: I didn’t even think about that – yes, true, it goes very dystopian up until the turn of the millennium. Then, post-2000, it goes all sci-fi, space-age, and it’s lost that same sinister edge to it.

What’s been your biggest bargain? And do you have tunes you wish got more love?

Jack: The biggest bargain I remember picking up was Code Of The Streets – The Trouble on vinyl compilation for £4 on eBay. It has the Energise VIP on it, which I’ve heard being battered a lot by most DJs in the darkside space. It’s a proper classic. As for tunes I’ve got that don’t receive the love they deserve, I’d say the Chel series by DJ Phantasy. They were all white label releases around ’99, but especially Chel 002 & 003 . 002 has a proper rolling bassline with some serious weight to it (the video on the page really doesn’t do it justice). Definitely one I’d love to hear an MC on, whereas 003 has this ridiculous alien-sounding bassline and some heavy breaks.

As a dance music archivist, are there any other Instagram pages you’re a fan of?

Jack: As for accounts I love, I could honestly chat for ages bigging up people, but I’ll keep it short – Kriminal Archive, DJ KRPT (@djkrptdnb), and I recently found Pablo G (@pablo_g_vinyl_videos) too. All these accounts are so consistent with what they do. As for non-Drum & bass, I am a massive fan of @onefourtybpm and his write ups. For sure something I aspire to do on my page. Favourite Child (@fav0uritechild) is also great for the same reason – big ups to her. And one to watch out for would be @1051records. I know Ellis is going to be posting a lot of good tunes over there, as well as some pending new music – focusing on the drum and bass sound that I love.

Many of the accounts documenting dance music history seem to be run by relatively young people, including yourself. Why do you think that is? Beyond a general interest in the music, do you think there’s also a sense of nostalgia for something that our generation has missed out on?

Jack: Oh, 1000%, I agree there is definitely a sense of nostalgia for something we all missed out on, but that’s massively coupled with the music back then being miles better sonically. I know for me, I got into the old-school sound initially through collectives like Singularity and Da Demolition Squad (specifically Ariel @bringingbackdasound),who pushed out good-sounding music alongside information about how the ’90s and early ’00s were a much better for music and atmosphere. That definitely solidified the nostalgia for me. Then, speaking to my Dad later about his own experiences just honestly made me jealous, but I’m glad I can somewhat share experiences with him about that.

Do you have any plans for the page going forward? Is there anything you’d like
to explore or do with the music that you haven’t done yet?

Jack: As for plans, I have so many plans for the page. I need to learn to be more consistent on there, but I’d absolutely love to do a few different series. For example, going record shopping in different cities with a different guest in each place, as well as doing a series similar to one that Locked On Records does, where DJs come on and select a few of their favourite plates and speak on them. I’d love to do that with
darkside, as it’s very similar to what I do already, just getting another person’s taste and perspective. Obviously, I’d love to learn to mix properly, as my collection is rather
good – even if it’s just for me.