Junglist Network Meets.......Potential Bad Boy and Uncle Nuts
Having been on the scene for over 30 years (!) under numerous aliases, producer, DJ and record label owner best known as Potential Bad Boy has released dozens of high-quality breakbeat, jungle drum and bass and garage tracks and is still going strong. Having released titles under the seminal label Ibiza Records as well as Ganja Recordings and now his own Hungry Hill Recordings label, Potential Bad Boy easily makes into our Jungle Hall of Fame.
We caught up with him and Uncle Nuts to talk about all things Jungle & their new single Wa Dadda Deng.
Junglist Network: What have you been up to recently?
PBB: Well, I played a gig at Vauxhall and a few days after that there was lockdown so it was return to the lab. Obviously there was lockdown for a couple of years, so nothing much was going other than production. I’ve stopped DJing now following COVID and I’m concentrating more on work in the studio.
Junglist Network: After a couple of years in the studio, did that help, we’re you inspired?
PBB: It did take a little while for the inspiration to come, in that time I dabbled with different music styles. I did a couple of Afrobeats, a couple of grime, garage, did the whole circuit really but my real love is Jungle so that’s what I’ve been focussing on recently.
My first release [Wa Dadda Deng] on my new label ‘Hungry Hill’ is going to debut with Uncle Nuts (Mark).
Junglist Network: Is there a mission statement or a particular sound behind the label?
PBB: No, it’s the same sound, Jungle, but it's just me, without the influence. You understand, the influences can sometimes stomp you, it can get you into feeling tracks in a particular way, when you’re bombarded with other people tunes, you’re influenced. It's my take on Jungle, you know.
Junglist Network: Have you got any other collabs coming up?
PBB: Yes, we’ve got a project coming up with Ibiza, some of my old Ibiza records, we’re going to be fixing them and hopefully with the originals as well. Its work in progress, we don’t have a timescale for release.
Junglist Network: Will it be on Vinyl or digital?
PBB: Both!
I’ve also got a couple of projects coming with Shy FX. Also with Troublesome, after the Uncle Nuts release we’ll release the Troublesome one, I’ve got a release with Demolition Man and hopefully a couple of the old artists I was working with. It's just continuous work without the DJing.
Junglist Network: Do you run any other labels in addition to Hungry Hill?
PBB: Yes, I’ve got another label that I’ve parked at the moment called Jekyll & Hyde Recordings.
Junglist Network: We love some of those Jekyll & Hyde tracks, particularly the ones with Yush
PBB: I’ve been working with Yush all of my musical career. Unfortunately he recently passed. That took a hit but at the same time I feel inspired because he’d hate for it to affect me and affect progress.
Junglist Network: What was he like?
PBB: He was music. He was the vibe, he could sit in a room and we could build a couple of tunes in a day. He wasn’t a producer but, you know, he’s got vibes. if the bass wasn’t working, you wouldn’t see him move but soon as you get it working, he’d get up and you’d see him skanking, that’s just the kind of vibes he brings. He’s been there for 30 years so it’s a big loss.
Junglist Network: Lets talk about when you started in the early 90’s.
PBB: It was the late 80’s but my first release wasn’t until 91. Autoload. That was my first tune and from there I got noticed by Ibiza & from there I started working with Ibiza and E label.
Junglist Network: 91 & 92 were such amazing years for music.
PBB: It was an innovative time, everything was new then, you understand, it’s completely different to today, today just sounds like a repeat of everything we already know.
Junglist Network: Some of those sounds are making a resurgence.
PBB: Yes, it is making a resurgence because there’s nothing else going on, that’s how I feel. It’s dead, there’s no new ideas so everyone is just going back. Listening to other peoples stuff and making ideas out of it you know? That’s the game though. It's what every producer wants is to influence other people so if people are doing something similar to you, all great, at least people are feeling you.
Junglist Network: Uncle Nuts. Let’s talk about your new single.
Uncle Nuts: Wa-Dadda-Deng. It’s a nice vibe, it's kind of build on an old skool style with PBB providing the heavy bass line, it was a surprise when I went to the clubs and heard them playing it.
Junglist Network: What was the reaction like?
Uncle Nuts: Good, yeah, one DJ had to peel it up about three times.
Junglist Network: Was making the Video good fun?
Uncle Nuts: Yes, it was a good day, the only sad thing is that one of the people in the video is not there to share it with us, Yush, he was in the video so it’s also a sad occasion, but we have to continue.
PBB: The Hungry Hill label. It's named after where all of us are from, we used to call it Hungry Hill that’s us, we’re bringing it back.
Junglist Network: What else have you got on?
Uncle Nuts: Music wise, I’ve got some other things I want to do, I want to do some Afrobeats as well, we’ve got to test ourselves on it. I’m looking forward to it, as we have come out of lockdown I’m optimistic we can do things.
Junglist Network: Any plans to do the single live at any events in the near future?
Uncle Nuts: Hopefully, hopefully we get the chance.
There’s a lot of gigs and events at the moment, there’s a lot of people who have lot a lot of money over lockdown so that’s why there’s a splurge, you’ve got to hit it whilst it’s hot right now. The kids are thirsty right now and what to get out there. It seems different though.
The younger lot seem a bit different, they seem to have a real interest into what was going on before them, it’s the foundation from which you build on. It’s also the parents, they are educating because they were there and are sharing it.
PBB: I still get a lot of interest in going out but what I want to do it make sure other artists get to go out there and do their thing, even if its standing on stage for 10 mins or featuring on the next mans set or letting them know Uncle Nuts is available!
Wa Dadda Deng is out now on Hungry Hill and available on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Amazon music and all good platforms!
Follow on:
Hungry Hill Records: (1) Hungry Hill Records | Facebook
#hungryhillrecords
@officialpotentialbadboy
@djunclenuts
Potential Bad Boy & Uncle Nuts are wearing:
by Jnglst Clothing