DJ Alex Corton – Good Looking Records

Good Looking Records

Future Engineers – Technetium EP

2002

As the sand drops through the glass, the onward journey through this incredible collection in the series of EP’s on Good Looking Records moves on. I hope that your weekend had those special moments to wallow in the music of your desires. 

   This next EP I always felt was something of a mixed reaction by many. The reason being, that the direction of the artists seemed a little different from the previous outings. It was one of those catch 22 moments, where the expectations from the discerning listeners were conflicting the evolution and vision of a fair few music writers of this time. The consensus with a lot of historians in the jungle and drum and bass world was that 2002 was a tough year. The funny thing is, if you dig with any sort of “Bagger 293” you’ll turn up more than using a fucking tea spoon. It’s effort, and lo and behold, there are some sublime pieces of music out there. Including this one today. 

    When I reviewed the 720 label and Ascendant Grooves, on Facebook a few years back, (both of which will hit my blog in the future) the Future Engineer boys, Lee Batchelor & Kier Cleminson, had already built up a staggeringly impressive catalogue of work. It was the culmination of studio creations from the early Renegade Recordings   in 1997, up through to the works on Tayla’s Nexus label in 2000, that brings us to today’s music. Future Engineers have a way to balance the meticulous circuitry of a future technology with a rhythmic buzz, of fluid and ever-energizing grace. 

    The artwork for this EP was in the hands of Gareth Jones, and for me, is one of my favorite of the series. First of all, that typeface layout of the artist, and titles, is so simple and incredibly classy. Then we have the cool little space invader characters at the bottom of the front sleeve, which must be an ode to Lee & Kier? The imagery on the front and back sleeve, is where the real impact lies, with this giant, cylindrical, metallic colossus, which depicts this force of strength, and immovable magnetism, while the possibilities of it spinning and creating enough fusion for another solar system, lies within. Now though, you’re going to tell me it’s the inside of a cheese grater, Gareth?! Ha ha! 

   The inside gatefold provides the communication between the machine and the human touch. The microchip of messages that stretch deep into the links from our conscious to the unthinkable magnitudes of a new world. 

   It’s also worth noting that the collaboration between Gareth and the Future Engineers, is still occurring to this day, on Transference Recordings. Go check that out.

Gareth adds, “So this was probably the start of my ongoing collaboration with Future Engineers, which is still going strong to this day. As with the music, the aesthetic was obviously futuristic and technical. The artwork had this very industrial outer image which linked to the EP title, whilst the inner had this kind of abstract skyscraper scene bathed in that pop of red (very different to the outer sleeve!). The inner was classic ‘making magic from the mundane’ as I took shots of stacks of CDs in the office… There were numerous designs for this.”

This cover alone, transfers the way Future Engineers were moving, and that’s where we begin these 4 musical stories. 

    The labels have another twist in the design thread for this release, with an abstract, litho print look using what looks like, the FE initials in places. Side A is where you’ll see this, on the photo (included). The beige color works really well too, giving this retro/classic look which piggybacks off Nick’s previous art on Blame’s ‘Firestorm’ EP. The label at this time had swung into the black and gold styles in the 12” singles releases. The vintage look was in the blood stream of the organization. 

    Let’s get the music rolling. Side A settles into a slowly rotating satellite of intrepid mechanics. While the static placement within space, counteracts the high velocity of the craft, it’s the billions of messages being reflected out that hold the heartbeat of the track. ‘Spyglass’ has its frantic scouring for the portholes of leaked information, searching for the molecules of disruption in bouncing back the shrouded figures, tipped hats and raised collars of the secret underworld in the new galaxy. Future Engineers were docking their work into Blame’s space station of forward thinking, evolving productions that stretched way beyond the knowledge of our time. It’s this sound that I feel people missed the point with, but you have to realize, it’s still such a strong Future Engineers’ sound and it was moving through the gateway which Blame was moving. At the time, it was a harder sound to truly understand, but listening to it today, 24 years later, it really holds its chest puffed out and a mighty fine presentation of unique and beautiful music. 

    Side B, sends us the manic tapestry unraveling ‘Source Code’. That Future Engineers bass line punches out those orgasmic, alien growls while all rhythmic duties display that tremendous force of the mineral compounds mixing with the acoustic fluidity of a rich, vibrant reactive sauce. The beats build up with that added snare overlay and high hat festival, moving this magical message of wonder, in the most seductive and intimate style. You cannot doubt that this work is from the FE boys, lifting up the shells of emotions and dreams and releasing the spirits of the light in our universe that are yet to reach us. Outstanding work! 

   I have to give a massive shout to Lee and Kier at the globally connected Transference HQ and their continuing work still making that cutting edge music and building a community of talented artists along the way, via their hub of production and studio sessions. It’s always great hearing the work coming out! Big up every time!

   The next plate is up tomorrow. I’m itching to get into more of this one. Go revisit it, and remind yourself why this work sounds so fucking monumental.