Words: Shaye Rosengarden
Photo provided by Scumtapes
Chicago is best known for its roots in house music and footwork, however a fresh-ish genre of electronic music has been carving its way back into the scene. Jungle, a high-energy genre driven by fast breakbeats and deep basslines, is experiencing a modest revival as talented pro-ducers honor its roots while infusing it with their distinct, contemporary styles.
At just 17 years old, producer Hayes Hagedorn (Silver October) self-released her debut album RAVEGURL in Nov. 2024, featuring ten tracks of explosive yet atmospheric dance music that blend jungle, house and footwork for an entranc-ing listening experience.
“I’ve kind of found a pocket of sound that I’m go-ing to explore for a while—it’s footworky, techy, but still very melodic and flowy,” said Hagedorn.
Her path to music production began with curiosi-ty and experimentation. “When I started producing music, I didn’t know what I was doing at all,” she explained. “I came across a lot of breakbeats and thought, these
actually sound really cool. If only there were a genre of music where it was like that. Then I discovered jungle.”
Hagedorn’s early work was heavily inspired by New York-based electronic group Machine Girl, with an intense, in-your-face rave sound. Over time, it evolved to incorporate elements of Chi-cago’s electronic music scene.
“Footwork and house are from Chicago.
It’s cool to tie the sound back to that,” she said.
Founded in 2017, Scumtapes has built its label by connecting underground electronic artists and spreading its music globally.
The collective includes producers Kabuto, Gar-bagio Garbageson, 5002 Seven, AmoebaGod and Belgium-based producer MOM$.
While Scumtapes is based in Chicago, members are also scattered over the East Coast.
“We’re not your typical local-based collective. We’re very online, which makes us different.
