DJ Alex Corton – Vinyl Reviews

Good Looking Records

Blu Mar Ten / Akira / Nu Moon – B.R.O / Yellow River / Dark Matter / Sakhmet

2000

As we hit our half way mark for the week of reviews, we return to the picture sleeves, the double 12” releases and most importantly, the continuation of really good music. 

    For today’s release we have three artists featured. The future of the releases would eventually feature 4 tunes by 4 different artists on 2 X 12”s. This was a step toward that happening. So, I’m sure you’re itching to get down to the tunes and who we have on this one. 

   The artists on here are Blu Mar Ten, Akira and Nu Moon. The Blu Mar Ten boys follow up with their third 12” single following ‘Future Proof’ and ‘Slipstream’, on Good Looking. It’s a real killer of a release too. I know, Connor Tennyson, this is one of your favorites mate. 

  Blu Mar Ten are up first with ‘B.R.O.’ Which was made as a Bukem Rip Off, hence the B.R.O. Taking elements of ‘Atlantis’ from Bukem, it was designed as a slight dig at Bukem’s sound which, while considered pretty average by BMT on this studio session, continues to be very highly accepted and enjoyed by many of us. The beginnings of this epic tune sweeps you off your feet very early on with the easy chords and the chirping submarine blip. I think the way the bass in this tune purrs along with that rolling amen, is the stellar ingredient here. That and the breakdown of expanding glacial compressions, cascading this release of high pressure drops, creating sanity between the cracks settled within the madness of the world. This really sends the hairs up on end and that shivering burst of exhilaration down the spine. Top work from BMT!

  Akira Shimizu is the brother of Makoto Shimizu. While Akira had a helpful foot in the door, the music he made had a standard to hit for the Good Looking bouncers to admit entry. He most definitely managed to produce the goods. ‘Yellow River’ sharpens your senses, for its distinctive and beautiful aura shrouds the mind through the lens of this Japanese artists vision. There is a distinct inkling that Makoto may have played a hand in this one too. He’s not mentioned but there’s a freshness and jive that links this sound to him pretty clearly, right down to the key changes. Nevertheless, it’s a decent tune that gallops along with grace.

    We are back to the sleeve art, which again has Gareth Jones delivering another eye catching design. A sense of more underground tube shots maybe? Any background my good man? I’ll take what you comment (as I have been, for the picture sleeves) and put them in the blog, so it is stored there too. Here it is for today:

“Another early favourite sleeve for me. And one I always hoped no one would ask about. So you might think it was a cool underground location shot, but in fact, this was a few shots of our in-house A3 Epson printer we used for print testing. The shots were, of course, then heavily manipulated to achieve the final result. This was quite a standard approach for us – finding the magical in the everyday mundane. Certainly not the only time we took such an approach either Nick Purser 😉 Secrets of the GLR artwork”

  We will run out the second plate of this release, tomorrow, with the first release review of the magnificent, Nu Moon. I’m very excited to review it!