DJ Alex Corton – Good Looking Records

Good Looking Records

Aquasky / Cascade – In The Zone / Mysteries (ASC Remix)

2004

Today we review a release that holds onto many of the fibers of pure quality that skittishly floated around during this period. The sleeve for this was originally just a paper sleeve but I somehow had a spare black and white sleeve for it so slotted it in there. I don’t know if it messes up the vintage or not but I knew that this particular plate deserved a decent home. 

    Aquasky are up first with a piece of music that scorched my mind the first time I heard it. We used to head to Progression Sessions as much as we could during the late 90s to the early to mid 2000s, when it was at Ministry Of Sound, and I could be wrong, but this was playing while I was in another room and we just became aware of this bassline pulsing through into Room 2. I can’t really pinpoint it though, however the frequency seemed to ferociously shake every atom in the air. It was then when I heard Bukem play it on Progression Sessions 8 that I recognized it again. 

    First of all, I couldn’t believe that the tune was by Aquasky. Dave, Brent and Kieron had rewritten their manifesto and supplied us with one of the best of the best. Known for the more chilled experiences and then the earlier Fugitive/Mad Dog/New Vision days, leading to more breaks and bass, the Aquasky boys charged the battle field with ‘In The Zone’ like a force possessed. I played this at my first ever gig at Plush in Austin in 2012, and it ripped up the dancefloor. Bryan Robinson, you are the one I still cannot thank you enough for. 

    Side A takes drum and bass, sieving out a haunted techno laced build that leaves you hanging onto the cliff edge with your teeth. There is not one morsel of life that is ready for the bassline in this tune though. No-Thing. 

It’s just the most monstrous, deep, brooding punch in the face you’ll ever hear. The beats then add another layer, the techno sounds keep bubbling…I’m fucking even speeding up my typing just writing this.  God it is so, so fucking incredible. 

Then the breakdown….hold ya teeth in…

Vocal wail….high end bass…shit your pants… bass!!!

   If Good Looking ever needed something to rise shit up again, this is one hell of a choice. Aquasky made, for me, THE tune of 2004 right here. Utterly brutal and a powerhouse of musical perfection. Hats off guys! 

   How the fuck do you follow that? Well, if you have anything with ASC’s name within striking distance, it’ll be damn fine. Here, he remixes a track that originally came out on GLR048 in 2001. ‘Mysteries (ASC Remix)’ keeps the decadent synth stabs and has James Clements drop some rapid beats, soothing pads and deep electro bass into the mix and hey presto, the soundscape becomes a brushstroke of clean and textured finesse. I believe that this is the first remix of a previous tune on GLR, in the 12” single catalogue. Have we covered one at all yet? 

    This 12” is a seriously impressive release. If you haven’t got it, it’s highly recommended and if you do have it, slide it off the shelf again and rewire your mind back to this rich and beautiful disc of music. 

   If you feel like reading any of the Good Looking Records reviews so far, you can revisit them all on this blog.

Good Looking Records

Commix / SKC & Bratwa – Brass Eye / Solitude 

2004

Welcome back to the Good Looking Records conveyor belt of music. I hope everyone had a good weekend and managed a few moments of musical medicine to infiltrate their soul. 

    Today, we move into the realms of uncertainty with Good Looking. The format of the label saw the regular sleeve removed and the label design move to black & white. The Test Press of this release kept the regular GLR064 catalogue number but this particular release (labelled as Project: Good Looking, as though it needed a special title), was stamped up as GLR064W. This was the dawn of the Good Looking ‘W’ era which became a short lived concept, for now. It did return for GLR080W but had a hiatus from GLR065 onward. 

     Sometimes there is a moment of most fitting circumstances surrounding things. Good Looking Records was struggling to keep its head above water. With the first artist on today’s release on its way, the same could be said for George Levings. For someone to have the history of so many amazing tunes, turn and take a great deal of money from people who looked up to him, seek guidance in the ways of the studio, and not return the service, is something that alters so many emotions. When I write this up, the music is my focus. Nothing else. At the time of this release, many of us loved hearing Commix. We still admire the tunes. That’s my focus. Even though his future is all but done in the field. At least until his names changed (which I heard had turned into a woman’s name? I kid you not).

Let me click fingers and retrieve you back into the real world..3..2…1 and your back. So, where were we. The music. Let’s stick to it. 

    Commix on Side A sends a spark along the circuit boards with ‘Brass Eye’. The luring swirls of those pads and the tech stab, throw down the tracks and then we get a seriously addictive bass line moving this along. While the beats hold a steady course, it’s the mesmerizing assortment of electronic gadgetry that you find yourself constantly listening too. Commix had a real knack for composing tunes you never want to end, and this highlights just how impressive his work is. It’s this that saddened me the most with ripping off so many fans of his that trusted him. The hub of this scene is built on togetherness and expression. We open doors of trust which can be closed, if needed. 

    Now, on Side AA is Gábor Nagymáthé Who is a Hungarian producer, SKC, and Steve Bratina, AKA Bratwa. The label has “Ska” written instead of “SKC”. Personally, this is the only tune of theirs I’ve heard, although I know they had a small number of other tracks released. ‘Solitude’ drifts along the fog balancing banks of time. The way this tune moves and permeates the soul is just fucking magical. There is so much originality and unique ideas in here, you get the feeling of so many influences across the world. The vocals, the strings, the chopping and chilling beats and the wind instruments only add another layer of magic.

I cannot advise you strongly enough to put some quality headphones on, drop this tune and just turn that volume up. It is truly one of the most incredible tunes I’ve listened to in a while. 

Good Looking Records

Vice Versa – Shining Through / Solid Ground

2004 

The year 2004 is upon the Good Looking label and it’s a return for the Ozzy duo, Vice Versa. This version is the stickered white label, although it was available with the designed sleeve from Firesnake or as the promo release. I can’t for the life of me remember where I bagged this tune? Racking my brains on this one. 

   Let’s kick off the review and crank up the volume so we can get the weekend rolling. 

   On Side A is ‘Shining Through’ which is spelt the same way as the promo, but not ‘Shining Thru’ like the main release. The words aren’t  why we are here though is it? This is the sound of Vice Versa with a moment of clarity within the spectrum of their work. The components of this tune keep a really strong bond with the past of Good Looking and offer up hope that the future shines. There is a really positive connection to the 90s with this one that gets the ingredients rising to the surface and wafting into the air of the blissful, atmospheric kitchen of the cosmic. A top tune this one,  keeping things classy and groove lined. 

    Side AA provides us with ‘Solid Ground’, which is another really impressive track. The techno riff keys and the percussion, work splendidly, soaring up into the jet stream and gliding without the sense of any movement. The air of creativity, churns out in force here. You can imagine the late, great Marcus Intalex being all over this one. Simple, eclectic and stunningly beautiful music. 

   Vice Versa will be back on one of the side projects on Good Looking. 

   That’s the week complete. Next week we have one more from 2004 and then enter a time portal, while we skip through a stagnant period for Good Looking. All will be revealed and one thing you can guarantee, is that the music and vinyl will not slow down. Have a super weekend and pump up the noise! 

My blog spans back if you would like to sit back in the rocking chair, lay a blanket over your lap and read up on a few Good Looking releases from GLR 001 to GLR063. Thanks for the many comments and input so far. This history continues to amaze me, teach me more and help me enjoy this incredible genre, every day. 

Good Looking Records

Greg Packer / Drumsound & Simon Bassline Smith – Feelin’ / Planet Saturn

2003

Today’s review features my last picture/image sleeve on Good Looking’s 12” singles. From now on it’s white labels, the black and white series and then the white label series, taking us up to the final vinyl pressing days of GLR. Who knows whether it’ll ever resurface? I doubt it to be honest. Regardless, it has left a major beacon for many many years to follow. 

     Today’s release has two tracks from Progression Sessions 9, mixed by Makoto, live from Japan. It’s not one I listen to much to be honest. At least these two tunes are half decent, as are a couple of others. It did lack a big punch without the Bukem and Conrad effect, which will forever be the ultimate in partnerships and thought provoking story telling. 

    Greg Packer is an Australian producer and DJ who released tunes from 2000 onwards. He is a major pioneer in Australia for drum and bass. Having previously established output on Tangent and Hardleaders labels leading up to Bukem’s Looking Good label in 2002 with ‘Secret Doors’, he now has his first release on the father label, Good Looking. He has not  released new music for a bit under his name, but still tours as a DJ. Big shout goes out to Greg! 

   Side A provides ‘Feelin’’ carving out a weathered channel of naturally flowing musical oil to lubricate the senses. Greg Packer rolls out a track that kept some of those breaks in check within the liquid format and how can you not feel every fibre shake with that bass line. Absolutely huge! “Where am I at”.. there’s a fluid, bouncing energy in this one. The music was bubbling along, and 2003 was about to close its doors, leading to a pace and style that was soon to be the main format of labels in the atmospheric scene, for many years to come. 

    Simon Bassline Smith is a truly monumental figure in the world of drum and bass. When we ventured through the Absolute 2 Records way back in the early reviews, it was his mission from those early days of industrial, raw and resonating sounds that had the hardcore ravers experiencing this heavy hitting, brutal heavyweight of music, pushing out tunes that tore holes on the earths crust. For the release today, he is joined by Andy Wright who is Drumsound. ‘Planet Saturn’ has a very dramatic intro, holding the suspense with a cinematic and emotional launch pad. Side AA for me is a real l killer tune on GLR, as it maintains something old school within its DNA. That piano in the intro really spices shit up. Drop this now and fucking watch it kick off. As with so many tunes with Simon Bassline involved, that bass (Bassline by name and nature), is just explosive. Deep, thunderous and core tremblingly beautiful. Also, check the beats carefully and you can hear that familiar ‘Who Knows’ “yeah, come on” lift. A very impressive tune indeed this. Big shout to Simon. 

   Watch the ride with this beast! 

   Here’s your bonus question: What was the other Good Looking release that Simon Bassline Smith was associated with? Mmmmm..ponder at your leisure and no cheating. 50 points and a packet of melted Revels to the winner.

   Tomorrow we go into another white label. Until then…

Oh, and if it’s the blog you feel like perusing, covering each Good Looking Record up to now, check back on the blog and enjoy!

Good Looking Records

Greenfly / Omni Trio & Deep Blue – Blue Corvette / Station To Station 

2003

As we embark through 2003, we have an updated overhaul of graphics and label design, which to me signified the dwindling of the mighty power that Good Looking once held. Before I get pelted with rotten eggs and flour though, the tunes remain pretty damn good.  

   The label management was however hitting a messy time. The label seemed to struggle to maintain the consistency and flexibility within a new digital market, and artists had issues with music being released without a return of earnings and the marketing became a problem. Other labels were enticing the artists that once reigned supreme on Good Looking. I’m sure a few of you have some more details to add regarding this period. 

     We have about 4 more releases to go until the hiatus between 2004 and 2007. Let’s pull up to the curb, open the door and get rolling. 

   For the artwork on this release we have Ben Brewiss from Firesnake. He also designed the Deep Rooted covers on GLR, and Earth Volume 7, and worked on a couple of John Graham’s Boz Boz label. 

    Lawrence Green is back with his jazz soaked swagger and another of his live sessions of freestyling freshness. Greenfly made some incredible tunes, unwrapping the covers of drum and bass and exposing this core resin of masterful jazz funk. Everything about this track comes straight off the stage to be honest and that down tempo section in the middle showcased the brilliant guitar of British Jazz musician, Hugh Turner. It’s that guitar that stands under the hot spotlight on this tune. The only qualm I really have is the speed this plays at. Stick it on -4 and you’ll get fucking all the feels. There’s your sweet spot. Even the bass guitar spreads its wings with this drop in tempo. Go roll it out and thank me later. 

   On Side AA we have a really special collaboration from two of the big hitters from Moving Shadow. Rob Haigh and Sean O’Keeffe both made some of the most recognizable pieces of music in the history of drum and bass. Rob was of course, the mighty Omni Trio, releasing 10 volumes on Moving Shadow and a host of dynamic and blistering remixes across the label. 

    Sean, is not only half of the rave duo, 2 Bad Mice, with Si Colebrook, but a legend in his own right as Deep Blue. Deep Blue had many quality releases, such as Helicopter Tune, Staircase and his collabs with Blame. Recently, ‘Close Your Eyes’ was released on Over Shadow which was a previously unreleased tune from around 96/97, with a VIP mix of Destroyer (from Partisan), on the flip. Deep Blue has that extremely unique style, as does Omni Trio. The bar and expectation was extremely high even before the needle dropped. The result? Well it is, as follows. 

   Deep Blue’s influence really pulls apart the ratio on his one. The simple beat, yawn swallowing gulps of bass, the Detroit techno synth loop and addictive, hypnotizing endurance, send this particular Good Looking track into a territory that stretches the sounds. ‘Station To Station’ typifies Deep Blue’s vibe. I do find it hard to pin point the Omni Trio sound anywhere though? To say this tune delivers so much more than when I first heard it, is an understatement. Simplicity made fucking incredibly creatively. 

   A treat of a disc this one. Well worth grabbing off the shelf again and simmering the Good Looking talents with pride. 

Good Looking Records

Laroque / Vice Versa – Someone Like You / Still Doin’ It

2003

For the review today we have the stickered white label 12” release. The art will be returning on a couple more before 2004, and think there’s a different artist credit on them? Let’s worry about that when we get there.

  Today, we also have two new artists linking up with Bukem’s, Good Looking Records, all be it short, but sweet.

   Laroque was Tim Carroll who sadly passed away a couple of years back, in July of 2023. He had a couple of releases on GLR/LGR and went onto have tracks out on Fokuz and I believe his own project, Walnut Recordings. This was his first release and it gave Tim a great bounce into the fray. Not only that, it also grabbed the attention of many listeners. ‘Someone Like You’ drops a pretty rapid tempo with its snare based break and then that fresh, organ riff which moves you into a state of harmonious solitude. The sound was moving into those gardens of Liquid, ploughing the turf for a barrage of music with so many bones from music like this. The beats just flow, the jive swings rampantly and we hit a vibe that was a catalyst to so much more to come. Tim had a real talent. A sorely missed producer. RIP up there and know that your music is still cherished, greatly. 

    For the second new artists to Good Looking on this release, Raj & Roh Deshpande joined Bukem’s label with a short flurry of tunes, beginning with ‘Still Doin’ It’. The Australian duo were to go on with releases on GLR until 2004 but did continue productions as Vice Versa until around 2016. As tunes go, this has something lying within it that grows inside you the more you hear it. I’m not going to lie, but I wasn’t all that impressed with it on my initial listens, as I thought the bass was too sped up and those little noises started to irk me a little. However, I then started to think..”it’s gotta packed funk punch, the beats layer brilliantly, the yelps and the synths actually dismantle the tower of confusion and reassemble this organic and evolving skyscraper.” It’s original, infectious and drives the force forward with a molded yet malleable confine of jazz fusion drum and bass. 

   Tomorrow we hit another 12” single and back to an artwork cover. We also have the second release from Greenfly, on Good Looking and then a couple of Moving Shadow legends on the other. Oh yes…

Good Looking Records

Nookie / Intersperse / Soul Purpose / Pariah – Destiny / Time Out Of Mind / Falling / Second Nature

2002

Welcome to another week of Good Looking Records releases, as we move onward through this landmark label of music. I hope your weekend was a good one and you had plenty of top music to devour? I had a weekend away from the tunes which felt a bit odd, and only seems to have created more craving this coming week. That makes me extremely happy. 

   We have the second 12” in this double white label release, with the duo of Soul Purpose delivering the cosmic halo to place over the head with ‘Falling’ on Side A. Solo & Kymera (the two guys behind Soul Purpose), are back in the studio. As featured on Progression Sessions 7 mixed by Bukem, the tune captures a sound that keeps its standard within the bandwidth of atmospheric zest and encroaches on the liquid border fence. The Detroit style influences resonate within this tune. ‘Falling’ spins a creative twist into a very simple track, spurring on the movement that was to evolve into the sounds that were to become Liquid.

    ‘Second Nature’ on Side AA is a true beauty of tune. This is one of those tracks that grabbed the hammer and chisel, and chipped away at the originality and cracked the shell of catchy and thought evoking sound. It has a very similar blueprint to ‘Confessions’ in its ability to use so many sounds that stretch through the tune, providing the composition with a fascinating display of variation. The tech bleeps, twinkles and then the electric guitar drop, all keep that velvet bass line and trademark break (with end of bar twist as mentioned in the last Marc Pariah review), within this pristine bubble of

brilliance. 

A super little track this. 

     Tomorrow we roll back into some more single 12”s and we not roll onto the 60th release, but enter 2003. In the next couple of years, we hit about 6 single releases before the label stops for a bit. I’ll be dragging in some fellow GLR experts, when we reach it, as the reasons and rhymes get interesting. Somehow, the music pulls on through though, which is really all that matters, regardless of opinion. 

Good Looking Records

Nookie / Intersperse / Soul Purpose / Pariah – Destiny / Time Out Of Mind / Falling / Second Nature

2002

It’s our end-of-week review and we reach the last one of the double 12” releases that I have on Good Looking Records. As you can see, it’s also the white label of this particular edition. The fact the artist and track titles have been written by myself on the label is purely so I don’t have to squint at runout grooves to find the track I want. To me, it’s worth having the writing on it. It’s not like I have any desire to sell it. 

   Today we have the return of two established artists on the label, Nookie & Intersperse. They lay down real high end music. Let’s spring into action and get this 12” spinning. 

    ‘Destiny’ is one of those Nookie tunes that unleashes the freshest, funkiest capsule of flavors. Every molecule of sound enhances the listener, unraveling a jiving bass guitar that glues this music together perfectly. The little yelps and the enticing pads just sprinkle more seductive art across this canvas of awe. Production quality is, as always with Gavin , off the chart. A master at the controls making the head nod, fingers click and body let loose. 

Top notch work from one of the best of our scene. 

    On Side AA of this first plate, is the return of Intersperse. ‘Time Out Of Mind’ may not have some of the grandiose, epic story telling as much as their previous work, however take this one for a ride and cherish it. Intersperse make this into a voyage that doesn’t need to be dragged out for 10 minutes. It holds some of the deepest sounds, comforting tranquil pads and unfiltered spices that flash the visions of life that become minuscule in comparison to the expanding space and time. As the torments and combatants fight to win a war with no end, it’s the ones who leave the infinitesimal chaos and jettison out into the true meaning of being. We are surrounded by the horrors of the world. This track removes the pain, the suffering and bleeds out the resins, leaving you open to digest one of the most positive experiences on the label. A fucking magical piece of music. 

   That’s the week complete. The next 12” is up on Monday in this release. We then turn to the regular 12” singles again to take us up to 2004 and the first shut down of the label. More about that, when we arrive there. 

  I hope you have a terrific weekend and go listen to those tunes, or maybe put your feet up and look over the write ups in the blog. 

Cheers all! 

Good Looking Records

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

2002

For our review today we have the second 12”

In this release, with a couple of tracks that spark more delicacies along this path of high end quality on the Good Looking Records label. 

    For our artists today, we have Soul Purpose and Intense. Soul Purpose was also a name used by DJ Mayhem (Martin Ikin), however this Soul Purpose is a collaboration between Mark Wilkins and Ross Marshall. If I said they were DJ Solo (from Production House and the Ils & Solo fame) and Kymera, then you may realize why this particular track is so damn good. ‘Dominion’ is a tune that sounds like it could have been a kids TV show from the 80s to begin with, squelching and bellowing these odd sounds. Don’t wheel out the TV trolley just yet though. It’s the pads and beats that reassure us of its seriousness. The bass is beautifully placed, as a grinding burst that slots into the bar with a distinct drop. You have to marvel at the way this tune works. It has a slight ‘Feel It’ flavor from Danny C & Mike Pears, floating through it too with pitch bends and the odd sound here and there. The originality of the tune is the real catch here though. It’s got creative juices pouring out, taking us into the realms of the future sounds of drum and bass. A pure fucking killer piece of funky, deep and alluring slab of solid atmospheric music. I love it! 

    The track is dedicated to a guy called Duncan Smith, who must have had a personal connection to either Mark or Ross. 

   On Side AA we have Intense running with 2/3 of the group, Beau Thomas & Simon Vispi. ‘Timecode’ is a prime piece of Intense musical architecture, un-scrolling the rich, textured tapestry of their artistic flare and demonstrating that the murky and mysterious nature of their work could be sinister, while angelic. The rolling waves of darkness only crack open when the piano chastises the rough weather above and drops the fine drops into your soul. It’s a pretty simple tune really, with a steady beat, hypnotic, 4 key bass and then those robotic amphibian sounds, mix with the zapping synths. You cannot deny how good this tune sounds. It’s not in the usual collection of their greatest work, but the whole tune puts on that cloak of suspicion and plugs in the thriller killer circuits for a really special swansong from Intense. 

   While we might be waving Intense good bye on the 12” single boat, they’ll be back on the EP series and of course Log Prog 3.

   For our Friday, fruit bat (whatever the fuck that means), we move onto our final, double 12” release on Good Looking and then hit the 60th release, taking us into the next wave. A few white labels and the about to stroll into the mystics of the some of the labels Black & White series up to 2004. 

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!