DJ Alex Corton – Vinyl Reviews

Good Looking Records

PFM – Wash Over Me / Love & Happiness

1994

As we reach the double digits in releases on Good Looking Records, we now have our introduction in the year 1994 to the world of PFM. 

Over the last three years of these reviews, Mike PFM Bolton has been mentioned on a few releases, including Earth and Deep Rooted, (both on GLR sub labels), along with several remixes, and then we had the early unreleased work that was thankfully dug up on De:Tuned, with a release that was made before today’s, called ‘Runaway’ 

   For those of us around raving in 94 though, this plate was our first introduction to Progressive Future Music. Back then, it was Mike Bolton & Jamie Saker, who later left (around 1996). We were taken on further excursions into the hemispheres of distant worlds with all the poignancy and flair of Bukem’s journeys on Good Looking, with a hypnotic and intense bass which allowed the knighthood of chords and pads to build toward unrivaled heights. PFM’s journey on this label is one of a sequence of resonating supremacy that seemed to effortlessly carry and evolve the torch of the epic. The mind opened up to hidden senses and unknown feelings through each piece of PFM’s work. The promo of this is GLR 010, for those nerd friends, of which I fit in perfectly. 

   For our first PFM track on Side A, we have ‘Wash Over Me’, working its way across the elevated sensitivity through your skin. Luckily you can mix with this one too, as the intro has enough going on within those theatrical levels of sweeping synths. Something that PFM were masters of. When we hit the breaks we press the buttons for the flight path ahead. The bass pounds its constant purity and the second layer of synths gently waft in. All we need now is a vocal wail and maybe some pan pipes?… well, look at that, you get them too. ‘Wash Over Me’ made the rounds at quite a few events, introducing us to the unparalleled and distinguishing style that we received with PFM.  Forgive me if I’m wrong, but I did hear that it was one of PFM that used to work on the oil rigs? If so, I can imagine that there’d be times where the inspiration all ideas for this music would be incredible, out on one of those. Maybe I dreamt it though..  To hit the raves with this level of music, was quite something. PFM were here and in a big big way. 

   ‘Love & Happiness’ is one of those tracks that takes all the chilled out focus and funnels it deep into the core of your being. Mixing it in, you judge the little intro chimes to sound like they do in the main tune and you’re set. So, it does miss a small section when cuing. For me, this track blew my fucking mind when I first heard it. It was most definitely progressive and in regard to future music? Well look at us now. The simplicity of the break hands over the jets of time bringing moving pads, with a tranquilizer that seals up the tender lullaby and knocks the lights out. When you think about the bold way that this music was launched, and the gift it gave us not only out on the dancefloors, but practically everywhere else, we now had music that broke the frantic fusion under the big roofs and now took the mind up and into the air, keeping the desire fluid and tempting. We also have music like ‘Love & Happiness’ to continue to stretch the headspace into a level beyond the reaches. 

Utterly beautiful.