DJ Alex Corton – Good Looking Records

Good Looking Records

The Chameleon (Featuring Kirsty & Isla) – Links / Just Close Your Eyes & Listen

1995

As we trek further into the hive of Good Looking Records, we remain in 1995 and swerve toward the summer of that year, with today’s priceless 12” release from The Chameleon. 

   The Chameleon was a one off project from Tom Middleton & Mark Pritchard, who we reviewed independently on The Beloved’s – ‘Sun Is Rising’ and Mark’s work on Droppin’ Science as Harmonic 33 and Use Of Weapons. His work with Chaos & Julia Set and with Tom, as Global Communication needs no further proof on their dedicated and talented ways. To have them release this perfect duo of tracks was a glimpse of just how impressive their skills are. One side has a rhythmic carnival of ideas that move you with nourishing tropics and one of the most famous samples in the deeper side drum and bass, while the other side opens up the windows in you mind to a sunshine that casts rays of eternal warmth and happiness. The two vocalists credited with this are Kirsty & Isla. Kirsty is Mrs. Adam F, Kirsty Hawkshaw, who lent her talents to an abundance of electronic acts, and it’s on Side AA that we get her unique voice. Not sure what happened to Isla though. 

   Side A was the tune that had me from the very first radio interference noises. I was intrigued, and vacuumed into the quest to hear where this was heading. Then we have that quote. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…life moves pretty faaast. You don’t stop and look around once it while.. you could miss it” (Ferris Bueller – 1986). What follows from this is a journey through crowds of assorted percussion, golden piped plumbing, with a few circuit board drops seeping though for that urban life essence, along with a mix of vocals and bass that create this tank, packed with variety and depth. ‘Links’ is a presentation of art that moved the boundaries of the scene we were in and experimented through a lens that no one else could do in quite this way. It not only showed how majestic and elegant music like the could sound, it also broke a mold in my view, by stepping into a world of abstract and worldly acceptance. This was a tune that connected with people from outside the UK dance music scene and lights were coming on in places that were suddenly hearing these incredible sounds. It was not only enriching, but fresh and clean. I think even Bukem realized that this release had a calibre that made him pinch himself that this was on his label. We’ve covered so many executive tunes on this label. ‘Links’ just pushed out the boat further more, and stitched another pocket in this Good Looking coat of history. Those beats at the end of this track just add to the fucking perfection of this tune. Untainted lessons in real music. 

    Side AA I first heard Bukem play on his Kiss FM show on April 10th, 1995. ‘Just Close Your Eyes & Listen’ had a movement within it that lifted you away from the darkness, the clouds, and the negativity with ease. You just feel happy listening to this tune. The tune itself is another beautiful beat workout, but check the bass line out in this tune. It’s like nothing else. The vocals make the tune feel more like a love story with the sunbeams streaking across the sky onto your face. If you could bottle up the goodness gained from this piece of music, it would need reinforced glass. The Chameleon boys have given not just Good Looking, but the atmospheric drum and bass world, a 12” piece of music that you could play to anyone, anywhere and to me, and this release proved that this label was more than just a label distributing full on dance floor classics. It was music given to the people of the world and Bukem was taking this ship through another zone of appreciation. 

   On a side note, it was great to hear that Peshay’s fight was successful, in getting his 1996 studio set mix back without hiccups after the whole debacle over ‘Links’. People taking work as their own, when you have the history of this music, experienced by so many of us who are like…”excuse me?” Just farcical, and I know it doesn’t end there. One small step and all that..

   The status of GLR was not slowing, not dipping, just soaring higher and higher. You had to wonder just how much further could this label go, pushing this mass of pure brilliance. Well, we’re about to find out and It’s not a surprise that more was to follow.