DJ Alex Corton – Vinyl Reviews

Good Looking Records

Greenfly / J-Laze / Soul Purpose / Intense – G-Funk / Chinz & Grinz / Dominion / Timecode

2002

The days roll by and the records keep on shifting across the shelf, one by one, as we work our way through the Good Looking Records catalogue. Having hit each one since Bukem’s ‘Demons Theme’, you have to say that the progress made over the ten years, in both sound production and how society was speeding ahead of itself, was startling. The experimentation and unknown future we once had, was proving to us that it was maybe here to stay. Creativity was advancing in a different way, not just used with the equipment and sound, but it was stretching things into different strands of the scene, and breaking things up into more styles. That being said, there were also many areas that became monotonous, copy cat and flat. It took a little more work to make it truly work. 

    The music on Good Looking had really waved good bye to the continuous anthems pouring out, and while the music sounded incredible, it was up to the status and history to keep the standard worthy of its branding. Luckily, Good Looking was releasing tunes that stood out in the field of the music during this time. It’s largely down to releases like the one today. 

   Gareth Jones is on artist credits for this one, with an intriguing image, posing many questions as to its idea and background. I can’t work this one out at all! Hopefully we have more details. The backgrounds to the shots are always truly welcomed. 

Gareth commented: “Another one I’d completely forgotten about. So from what I remember the image contains a shot taken of a shark or ‘big fish’ at the London Aquarium. It must have been from the same shoot for the ‘Visions’ compilation artwork. Not 100% which track was the lead with the theme though.”

   On the first side of the first 12” is Lawrence Green. He was an artist based in Reading, who produced between 2001 and 2009, having a flutter of releases on GLR/LGR. He is better known as Greenfly. ‘G-Funk’ rolls out the red carpet, designating the path into the most fresh, groove filled jazz hub, that the label has seen for quite some time. In fact, does it get more jazzy? What a tune! There’s a complete cloud of jazz funk swirling meticulously in the air of this vicinity. The bass guitar, open percussion, sexy sax and the keys, all combine for this fusion of world sounds. The xylophone adds a real vibrancy to the tune too. This really is like nothing else on the label. One thing to note when mixing it is due to the live sounding beat, it can make you work at finding that connecting track. You’re almost looking for something with a minimal intro or slight off sound to make it glide together. Bukem opened up Progression Sessions 7 with it too. Have fun mixing it out there kids! (Well, old fuckers now ha ha). This is a real flavor within a flavor. 

    Side AA has the return of the musical legend that is J-Laze. ‘Chinz & Grinz’ lowers the mask of filtration and yawns in one of those paradise pleasures from the talented technician, inhaling a stream of pure gold. Rob Blazye had this gifted knack at spilling the atmospheric tide over the walls and swallowing you whole. The bass coarses along, the pads spin you out of orbit and then the work on the breaks takes things to new heights. I fucking adore this piece of music so so much. Another one of those tracks that lets you know that the world of the atmospherics was not a year to cast aside in 2002, and if you truly searched, you’ll find a real gem of music like this slice of utter brilliance. 

One of the best tracks on not only GLR, but across the full arena of the era.. 

      The second 12” is up, tomorrow. If you need your fix of any of the Good Looking 12” Singles from the beginning up to now, this blog has a few words and pics for you. I hope you get the chance to browse back at some.

Respects!