DJ Alex Corton – Good Looking Records

Good Looking Records

Intense – Solar EP

2000

For our last record in this EP, it’s more prizewinning studio masterclasses with the Intense boys. It will be a while after this release until we play more of their work, although I do have a sneaky one on the Great Asset label from them with some music from the early 90s. We will also eventually get to a label (in the more distant future), that gave Intense some of their most impacting music, on Rugged Vinyl. 

   Today though, it’s all about the tensing and sweeping tracks on this ‘Solar EP’. 

   On Side C, ‘Witness’ flash freezes the clasping winter air that slows down life in its framework of tantalizing suspense. Ghost like pads turn the handles of the machine, laying a causeway of chilling and haunting silhouettes. Once the rolling beats and key changes inflict their own character, the bass drops into the game, knocking down the fort, manning the artillery and sweeping these fucking crystalline pads that envelope the whole package with golden folds and perfect Rhodes droplets. Molly Duncan (R.I.P.) is back sending those magical breaths into that legendary Saxophone of his. He is so sorely missed and was such a vital cog in the Intense mechanics. 

We have the privilege of this track being on the live Intense CD of Logical Progression 3. Luckily for us, we now have this treasured piece of music on vinyl too. Music this good needs its own wing of the museum. 

    Last up on Side D we have a tearing piece of music called ‘Destruction’. Intense had that ability to spread out the lazy jazz vibe, but also rip holes in the floor from the opposite side of the globe. These beats don’t just crack the surface of the earth though, they tilt all the fucking planets in our Solar System a few degrees and re-orbit the moons sending them into cast-off erratics and hyper pinball ballistics. Alarms blink, as bass lines shatter the brittle bones of the space pod and you spin out of control into the fires of the thick belts, protecting the scorching surface of a new world. You clutch the white hot rods of stability only to scream in terror as the skin unzips itself from your liquid skeletal fingers. The horrors approach and the nerves that warned you, now entwine with a chaotic spasm of fury and uncertainty that you never knew existed. There is a sadistic beauty that tears you apart but wants the process to evolve into a passion and addiction which Intense serve up in this blistering and beautiful slab of wax. Fucking burning up the speakers right now and firing out the raw energy on this. Jesus, it’s so good!

    A Big shout goes out to Beau, Simon and Dan. The music that Intense made will always hold such a priceless and timeless place in my life. It will forever be admired, enjoyed and more importantly, played as much as possible. 

Maximum respects! 

   My blog holds the other Good Looking Records write-ups, so far, including most of the 12” singles and the artist albums. I hope you enjoy scouting through some of them!