DJ Alex Corton – Vinyl Reviews

Good Looking Records

Makoto – Human Elements

2004

Plate 3 – Side E / F 

For the final plate on this album, we have four tracks to review. The styles fluctuate, bringing a dose of the spectrum with which Makoto accomplishes his expressive talents. Good Looking Records had these wide opening arms for music that caught the attention of Bukem’s diverse roots and his background in music. Very few labels stretched across this variety of styles in quite the way GLR did. This plate switches on another beacon of light in that department. 

   ‘Seventy Three Jam (Interlude)’ begins today’s journey on Side E of ‘Human Elements’. Such the perfect section to explore, freshen and resuscitate the wellness of your being. We get one of the many hats of Makoto here that puts all his eggs in one basket. Smooth, funky, soulful and seasoned with his love of jazz. You’ll hear the key foundations of his work in the full duration of this fantastic piece of music. 

   Up next is ‘It’s No Mystery feat Lori Fine (Coldfeet)’. Lori is probably most known for her vocals on ‘You’re Devine’, with Makoto, but her history with her Japanese, electronic band, Coldfeet, stretches into a rich depth of material. This track has Makoto and Coldfeet, move into the mid-section of a very enticing Venn diagram of ideas. Watusi (Atsushi Tsunoda) accompanies Lori in the group, Coldfeet, and joins in recording duties. Makoto pastes a jiving, house vibe that whisks up the tangy froth, jolting the senses into a deep gyrating, body twisting fluidity. If you are in any doubt with just how impressive Makoto is as a musician, this will answer those questions. Take into account the tunes he had already made on Nexus, GLR, LGR and Earth, you can’t deny that his talents stretched in ways that only artists like Big Bud, and PFM had done with their variety of work on the label. 

    Side F sets us off on ‘Four Silver Rings’. I wonder what the title on this one is referring to? It could be a magic trick, a stove top or maybe the silver rings / rims around the drums in the percussion set up? Either way, we have another of Makoto’s flamboyant excursions into the alternative realms of his music. 

   This plate is a really enjoyable one to listen to again. The production, balance and togetherness of this particular piece is a marvel in making it so rounded and elegant. 

    Last up on this vinyl album is ‘Black On Blue’. We crack open more voyages into the downtempo paradise here. The harmonies of Makoto’s exquisite and mind blowing Moog bass, and Takashi Chida’s guitar overlaying the easy pads and swaying beats, make for a fucking incredible funk filled jam of epicness. 

  Makoto was setting things alight around this time. That’s the first of the two Makoto albums reviewed for this week. A huge shout out to Makoto for giving us such breathtaking musical creations to enjoy. It just never dates itself and still after 22 years, holds a very strong place in the history of Good Looking and the history of the scene. 

   Onto the next album, tomorrow. Until then, my blog has the Good Looking reviews I’ve posted so far. Here’s the link. Thanks for reading!