Clockwise from left: Kool FM family MC Co-Gee, Ruddy Ranks, Eastman, and MC Remadee, in the early 1990s
DJ Chef. Photo by Carl Wilson
From left to right: MC Remadee, Smurff, DJ Trace, and DJ Ice at Kool FM in 1994
The Ragga Twins, Flinty and Deman. Photo by Carl Wilson
Blusey G, Skibadee, and Tekka at a Kool FM night in 1995
The success of these Kool parties led to the setting up of Jungle Fever, a regular club night that's still going today. "The name Jungle Fever came from the Spike Lee film [of the same name]," says Eastman. "The film's about mixed relations, about black and white, which I thought was fitting, as rave culture was doing more for race relations in the UK at the time than anything else."The nights were wildly popular, but didn't come without their own era-specific, firearm-y issues. "In 1994, we did a Jungle Fever in south London—there was some trouble there in them days," says Eastman. "Police had to stop that one because there were some guys outside the venue waving guns about, arguing with security."It was because of this climate that Kool—along with a number of other pirates of the time—ended up unfairly accused of involvement in the UK drug trade. Memorably, The Evening Standard ran a front page splash making out that Rush FM, one of Kool's contemporaries, was part of one of London's biggest drug operations.Like dance music? Read Thump, our whole site dedicated to it.
Jungle Fever, 2005
DJ Crissy Criss, aged about 12 (he started DJing on Kool at age 11)
DJ Footloose at Jungle Fever
Smurff, DJ Ash, and DJ Slippery in the Kool FM studio, 1994
Funky Flirt at Jungle Fever, 2008