Hidden is the first full studio album from this group of Dutch lads, who retain their youthful exuberance and innocent energy, and delve deeper into their own sound. Moving slightly away from the Afro-beat blueprint that characterized last year"s self-titled debut LP, the nine-piece have added Gamelan tones and studio effects to their Afro-funk template, as well as exploring other parts of Africa like Mali"s desert soul and djembe rhythms from Senegal. After two years of playing, and having performed over 80 gigs last year, the group have settlled in their own rhythm, and Hidden sees them trying out new ideas and forms. Still keeping the unit strictly instrumental, one strength of Jungle By Night is their innate sense of democracy - the quality control of the hive mind. Tracks are jammed out and developed from the rehearsal room to the stage, keeping the audience in mind all the time. Hidden feels very much like a live record, in the vein of classic jazz albums for example, while at the same time utilizing all the digital options that today"s recording techniques have to offer. The album opener Rangda marks this new improved version of the band, using selected pieces of Gamelan instuments and sounds. "Two of our band members, their families are from Indonesia, and their houses are loaded with Gamelan instruments. But the Gamelan tunings have little to do with western tunings. It just sounds eerie, hypnotic and mysterious," said the band. Rangda nods to the spirit of early Tortoise and mid-90"s MoWax, and while Jungle By Night know how to stick to what they do best, they"re partial to the odd experimental excursion too. The album is laid out by a group who clearly understand live dynamics, building the tension of the first half of the LP with the tight riffs of Togetherness, the mix of west-coast organ and plaintive horns of 2 Days Before 2012 and Gallowstreet 34, which could easily soundtrack the 70"s edition of GTA Addis Ababa. Midway through the album also points to another interesting path, the drumless ambience of Night Fight, a duel of thumb pianos and slide guitar, awash with delays and reverbs, evoking fireflies and glow worms amid the nocturnal jungle creatures.