DJ Alex Corton – Vinyl Reviews

Good Looking Records

Big Bud / Intersperse – High Times / Blunt / Moonscape / Radiolucent 

2000

   For the next 12” in this release we welcome the story tellers of the atmospherics back for another couple of spellbinding tunes. Intersperse open up the shutters for another vivacious encounter with their climatic unspooling of thoughts and feelings, connecting us with the dreams and spiritual levitations within us.

   The cover of this release has a really nice contrast with the sharper straight edges of the front cover and label images, hit with the light from outside, balanced with the rounder, calmer lines of the back cover and the light inside those ovals. Gareth Paul Jones is the guy behind this artwork. He was behind many of the sleeve designs between 2000-2004, having been handed the baton from Nick Purser. Plenty coming up from him, and a big respects for the following info:

“Brings back serious memories seeing this one. It was a very early one for me, having joined GLR in early 2000. So it was probably an early test by Nick Purser to see how I got on with a sleeve artwork. The architectural aesthetic was often a core visual theme with the artwork, so this was most likely my first take on the theme. From what I remember, ‘Moonscape’ must have been my lead, with the visual being some kind of man-made lunar structure. Tricky to fully recall what with it being 25 years old ;)”

  Side A provides us with a multi layered pad extravaganza that redefines the harmonies of music. ‘Moonscape’ excavates a terrain that sets the mellow drifting arks of the past into a new and futuristic, upbeat stand of beats which was becoming a staple within circles of the scene. It was almost as though the drifting and tranquility searched for that punch which spun the momentum of the dance floors forward. This is one of the first examples on Good Looking where the tempo is pushed up a notch, and the all round composition designed to skank and twist a little more frequently. For me, this track is all about those luxurious pads. They move and overlap with graceful expertise.

    On the B side of this plate, we have ‘Radiolucent’. Of the two, this is more my go-to. There’s a gleaming cover of first class atmospherics in every area of this tune. The beats are magnificent, the bass bounces up and down beautifully and then we get more soothing pads that just excel for the entirety of  the track. The Intersperse boys hit a jugular with this delightful trip through the asteroid belts and planetary rings of space. For the 9 or so minutes of ‘Radiolucent’, remove yourself from life and give yourself some time you never knew you needed. Absolutely top grade fucking magic. 

    Our next double 12” release is up tomorrow. Good Looking Records, forward bound with the sounds.