DJ Alex Corton – Good Looking Records

Good Looking Records 

MC Conrad Presents – Logical Progression Level 4

2001

“And I know now you can see clearly, through the mystic” – MC Conrad

    Our last plate on this Logical Progression Level 4 LP, has Makoto on Side E and Big Bud on Side F. These two had been stalwart artists on Good Looking and also profound, down-tempo artists across the Earth volumes too. Both incorporated a splash of jazz that spread from the blues tinted melancholy up into a funky bubbling, body twisting groove session, all done in a way that pushed the live band sound out to us, the listeners. 

    The photo on this third sleeve was clearly taken in the studio offices, up on the first floor (yes my American friends, floor 1 is upstairs as we have ground floor), of the GLR studios with the files (we’re talking hard copy folders here kids), and the GLR/LGR records up on the shelf. It looks like Conrad’s heard someone knocking on the door with this one..maybe Tony’s on one of his door kicking sprees down the hallway? Ha ha! Big up Nick Purser as always. 

   Let’s get these tunes rolling. First up is a piece of music that caught my attention in a huge way when I first heard it. We have already reviewed the remix of this tune, as we covered Makoto’s LP, ‘Human Elements’ from 2003, where that was featured. It was, however, this original version that really set the needles on the gauges, flicking the highest level of bass-line riffed infections. Makoto dropped one of the funkiest, jiving pieces of music, that the Good Looking label had released. ‘Take My Soul Baby’ finger clicks that intro as the faint background mingling (that featured at the end of the remix) gives that impression of the integral building atmosphere, of a drop dead gorgeous piece of music. The snare lined beats and that catchy brass and smooth keyboarding, spiral up a dynamite session that hold you in place before that bass. That bass. That BASS! ‘Take My Soul Baby’ has a live swagger unlike any other. Makoto provided one of the most memorable and infectious tracks here, and with the volume cranked up, filing my head on the headphones, it’s pure indulgence of the sweetest kind. Drop this track again and the party will only push the roof off a little more. One for the real movers and jazz cartels of our scene. “Woooooo!” You can instantly understand why MC Conrad was a big lover of this track and why the partnership between both Makoto and he, became so very special. 

    Our final tune on this LP provides us with the grace and magnetic draw of the musical legend, Big Bud. Robin seemed to churn out tune after tune on Good Looking, each maintaining such a high quality result. ‘Indian Summer’ has Big Bud departing from the depot of his studio wizardry with this hooked guitar loop, cementing with it that pumping beat, those drifting pads and fucking beautiful techno blinks. The belching bass regurgitates a heaving chest cavity of depth which has this cross between a drowning bullfrog with a cold, and a Martians last breath.

Big Buds sounds hold you in a stunned state, as you listen to this. It’s one of those unforgettable tunes which takes you into the breakdown and as with nearly all his breakdowns, it’s here that the music transcends the boundaries of possibilities. Slip into the atmospheric addicts coma and lose yourself.. it really does not get much better. Robin had the Crown Jewels of music making and shared them with the world. The words will never do this piece of music, justice. 

Listen and learn…

   That my friends, is the last tune on Logical Progression Level 4. Tomorrow we have a real treat though, as we have six of the best artists in the business, remixing some of Conrad’s original material from Level 4. Then we’ll spin into grouping a few of the CD’s together, before hitting the Good Looking EPs. How about that? 

   Onwards we go.