DJ Alex Corton – Vinyl Reviews

Good Looking Records

Intense Presents – Logical Progression Level 3

1998

As we voyage from the glimpse of the continually approaching horizon via the rotation of Earth on Bukem’s Logical Progression, up into the pitch black vacuum of space, to the planet Mars on Logical Progression Level 2, where Blame provided the visions and soundtracks, we now turn to the nuclear fusion of the one star in our solar system that provides the light and energy for survival. The Sun. The dirt slides open, on Intense Presents – Logical Progression Level 3. 

    Over the last few years, the accolades and admiration for Intense have been abundant in the many reviews and in depth posts I’ve written. Not only is this due to the number of their tunes that sit in the collection (and quite rightly so, being must-have purchases during the 90s), it’s releases like today that reinvents the seal that they stamped on the music scene. 

   Taking such prolific art from the studio to the stage with the group of musicians that Intense worked with, was a stroke of genius in not just giving the die hard lovers of this music at the time, but recording it for this Logical Progression CD. While the CD contains this masterful live performance on CD 1 and then 9 studio exclusives on CD 2, it was only 6 of the tracks on CD 2 that made it onto the 3 disc vinyl set. You would have had to have had at least a 6 disc vinyl set to have captured everything though, and we did get six incredible tracks on the vinyl LP, and two of the live Intense tunes in their studio format on their ‘Solar EP’ (Witness and Shara), from 2000, which we’ll review in the near future.

   Of the tracks on the Intense Live CD, I would loved to have had ‘Wastelands’ on a vinyl press, as I remember Bukem playing that on Jan 7, 1998 Kiss FM show. It’s always struck me hard that one, (you know that though, Beau). There really are some wonderful pieces of music on it though, and having the music connected to the words of Conrad too…priceless!

   Before we hit the vinyl discs, I want to give a huge shout to Beau Thomas, Simon Vispi & Dan Duncan along with Killian Madden, (Mr. Psyne and bloody good drummer), & Tim Cansfield. Big up also to Tony Cuenca. A special shout and honorary bow of the head also to the incredibly gifted Malcolm ‘Molly’ Duncan who was such a huge part of the Intense collective and their catalogue of work. R.I.P to you. I know you’re up there jamming with Conrad, and watching the arena fill with the many figures that seem to be sadly leaving us down here. 

    The artwork for this Logical Level is by Chris Jackson & Pete from Luton based, Propeller Design studio. It may have changed its name since 1998 or have folded, not sure. The vinyl was distributed by Charged, part of Vital Distribution. 

   Today we will review the first of the six tracks selected by LTJ Bukem. Record 1 and Side 1 & 2. One record for review each day this week. We start with an artist who has probably had more music released on Good Looking than any other artist. probably even the next two artists put together. We have here the first of the two Big Bud exclusives, ‘Freedom’. 

   The record labels on this LP have the artists connection with the Good Looking Records camp. Interestingly, it’s one of tomorrow’s labels that I have some interesting questions on. For now, Robin O’Reilly is back with his blueprint sounds that charm all the guests of the manor, in that electrifying and mesmerizing way of his. It’s a Big Bud extravaganza of dub fueled bass, a streamlined and beautifully balanced beat, thermal spiraling pads and then those vocal wails which split open the clouds, letting the heavens pour through. This was a time that Robin had been with the Good Looking label around about one year and I believe had already got Bukem thinking about having him branch out from the GLR tree, with his own label, hence the ‘b’ design on the label. As for that idea, things only made it as far as his one off 7” ‘Runaway’, on a dub tip in 2000. It was however, a concept (also based on Earth Vol. 3 from the same year, 1998) that had been hinted at. 

  On the other side is Conrad Blame with the head reeling ‘Alpha 7’ succumbing to the gravitational draw of that unmistakable space capsule of Blame’s future moods within the sci-fi universe. The label has that 720 logo brandished for very good reason as this has every cell of Blame’s personal journey in sound filling the air. His 720 label under the Good Looking umbrella had been blowing up the atmospheric drum and bass scene since late 1997, by this time, taking some of his most indelible and poignant ideas for downloading into his work. ‘Alpha 7’ showcases an extremely special time with Blame and his vision. The style here was extracting a side of the music that spun a whole new trajectory into the cosmos. 

   Tomorrow we move onto Record 2, for two of the more of the big guns on Good Looking. 

Good Looking Records

Blame Presents – Logical Progression Level 2

1997

Today we review the third and final 12” plate on the Logical Progression Level 2 LP. All three tracks have been featured already, within those classic 12” singles, which you can find easily on my blog. One track however, has a special twist to it on this LP, and it’s the one we’ll dissect again with the added bonus of having two of the best Masters of Ceremonies in the business. MC Conrad (R.I.P.) & MC DRS

   The inner sleeves for this disc shows a club photo-shot from a packed night at (I’m presuming) a Logical Progression or a Progression Session night. Can anyone recognize where it is? I can’t bloody remember! I don’t even know if it’s between two rooms. 

   The other side of the sleeve has Bukem, Blame, Conrad and DRS from the same photo shoot as the other two sleeves. You know that as soon as the shot was over they probably just burst out laughing. Blame…I’ve seen pupils like that before ha ha! The memories at this precise moment must be pretty good ones though, prior to the shifting of things onto different paths. 

    The tunes on Side A, have Atlantis (I Need You) by Bukem to start the record, and it’s the one that harks back to those early beginnings on the Good Looking Records label. The write up on this can be found here for GLR 003

https://djalexcorton.music.blog/2025/06/23/good-looking-records-

   It’s our next track on Side A that we open up for dissection, as we have Good Looking Records (GLR 019) from 1996 with Blame’s – ‘360° Clic’ with a very special twist added. Both MC’s hit harmonies and a vibe of verses that stands in place as a monument in the music. It not only provided each MC a chance to rollout their individual talents, but they also got a chance to MC over a tune that has that waltzing 4:3 beat, highlighting the way they both switched up their creativity to the music. I fucking love the way this tune works with their lyrics. It’s a track that is really hard to go back to and hear, without the lyrics on you head, and not have that “360 Degrees make you flip..side to side a whole new trip..” spinning through your brain while it plays. 

   Blame must have been extremely happy with the result on this! 

   Last up is a track we reviewed back in early July on GLR 15 from the Source Direct boys, called ‘Complexities’. I’m really glad that this was the track that was included on this LP rather than the rip-curling raucous of the extremely explosive ‘Secret Liasion’. ‘Complexities’ fits the mood on this album a lot more. Here’s the write up on for you, from this 1995 classic:

https://djalexcorton.music.blog/2025/07/08/glr-15/

    I have to mention the mail order section in the leaflet here too, with the photo of the following artists together. A big shout to Patrick ‘PHD’ Henry, Danny Bukem, MC Conrad, Russell Tayla, Beau, Simon and Dan from Intense, Conrad Blame, Olly ‘Shogun’ Lomax and DRS. What a cracking photo! 

    We sweep into the next Good Looking Records LP, tomorrow. It’s onto the third level of the series as the Logical Progression launch tower gets a very treasured combination of music from both the CD with the live performance from Intense and then the selected tracks which were exclusive to this vinyl release album. 

    The lift is ready…the door has been held for you. Come on in. 

Good Looking Records

Blame Presents – Logical Progression Level 2 – Side C / D 

1997

For today’s review, we get to three more classic pieces of music courtesy of the selective choices of Conrad Blame on this second plate on Logical Progression Level 2. 

   The inner sleeve pictures on this one, have one side with the microphone maestros, MC Conrad and Delroy ‘DRS’ Pottinger. The picture looks like they’ve made it to final round of a Musical Chairs contest and things are getting serious. Ha ha! Joking aside, we have a picture here that captures two of the best there has ever been, in this world of our music. The way they complimented each other when they worked together, was outstanding, as it seemed they not only gave space for each other with their different styles, but when they did harmonize, it cross-haired the center of their lyrical Venn diagram with a unique and unmatched quality, that really has not been rivaled. Conrad may have left our lives in person, but if there is ever a presence that we still feel when we hear some of these tunes, it’s his lyrics, body dipping swagger and connection between the music and his words, providing listeners with something unmatched, that is as strong as ever. 

   DRS is ‘Dirty Rap Scallion’ who began MC’ing in the 90s, and someone who Conrad had wanted to join the GLR stable as a second MC. Delroy was a good friend of Marcus Intallex, hailing from the Manchester area, and on hearing his style of MCing it was a perfect fit for Conrad and the team. 

   The other side of the sleeve is an interesting picture as I feel like the figures in the shot are a tad mysterious. It must be Bukem in the foreground with those glasses and that hat, but who are the other two figures? One has long hair it looks like, so who is that? Anyone who has a background on this, please let us know so I can add it in. The booklet has pictures of Seba & Lotek, the Intense trio, Tayla and Olly Artemis, all showing us the spritely youth of 28 years ago. 

   Now we turn to the main event. The music. It’s Side A that we kick off with and a track that I feel needs its own red carpet of distinction. Seba & Lotek with ‘Universal Music’. Seba had become one of the new artists on Bukem’s, Looking Good Records with his debut release on LGR 005, ‘Sonic Winds’ and ‘So Long’ which gave us a taste of the way he was defining a very different blend of Scandinavian folklore and temperature plummeting soundscapes with the chillingly beautiful echoes of the mystics of drum and bass. It is on this same ilk that today’s incredible piece of music, unfurls. 

   The track can also be heard on the Modern Times documentary from 1996 as the soundtrack to Mr. Tony Fordham making his way over to Japan “to sell some more fuckin’ records”. The label was in very safe hands then…regardless, he had some ideas which gave us some bloody good music. 

  ‘Universal Music’ for me is one of Seba’s most incredible pieces of work. He was still working at this stage, with Staffan Soderman from his earlier Planet Peanut days around 1995 to 1996 (Lo-Tek or Lotek) on Fluid Recordings. 

   As this track begins, life slams to a halt immediately. We enter the gaping caverns of orchestral enlightenment without raising the chest cavity for a single breath in, or eyelid blink, or landing on your skin from a floating molecule of dust. Every single space of your surroundings holds still and the only funnel of feelings, is channeled through the music you are about to experience. The way this tune transports you is like nothing else. The beats hold a pattern and accumulation of high level creativity, the bass saunters along with a majestic and suave temperament, while the fjord filled spirits hark, wail, whisper and echo their dreams, fears and untold fables for the generations that follow. If there was a piece of music to blanket the world in a single moment, with untamed radiance from the center of our universe, it would arrive with this track to wrap us in unrivaled perfection. ‘Universal Music’ will remain as one of my favorite pieces of music in the history of drum and bass.     Listening again to this masterpiece continues to confirm that there may be something more meaningful than life as we experience it. When these sounds hit the receptive life forms out there somewhere in our universe, they might begin to realize that we are more than mere humans. Seba and Staffan go above those capabilities of the average music makers and take our levels of creation into a realm that still beckons our discovery and understanding. 

  Breathtaking, unequalled music. 

 Side D on this LP has two classic tracks from the Good Looking Records label. We have already reviewed the music on both of the following, so please dive into those links as it’s plenty of writing to give you a very deserved overview of both mesmerizing pieces of music. 

Intense – Positive Notions on GLR018

review can be found here: 

https://djalexcorton.music.blog/2025/07/11/glr-18/

PFM – Love & Happiness on GLR 010

can be found here:

https://djalexcorton.music.blog/2025/07/01/glr-10/

Tomorrow we reach the third disc on this essential LP. An LP that belongs in every electronic music lovers collection and an LP that seals its importance and prowess in defying time and emotions with music. 

Good Looking Records

Blame Presents – Logical Progression Level 2

1997

Good morning, or afternoon, or night, it’s time to stretch around the world for another review of music on Good Looking Records. I sincerely hope that the weekend was a good one and music found its way into your life, bringing with it the joy and heightened levels of appreciation and feelings, one gets? After that intro, let’s get down to business. 

   One year after the volcanic success of Logical Progression on FFRR, it was time for the Good Looking Records collective to launch the follow up. Like the first Logical Progression, this included many releases on 12” single, and then two tracks exclusive to the vinyl release. I should say there is also a third track with a vocal version on here too, of Blames ‘360° Clic’ with Conrad & DRS rolling out the lyrical poetry, so we’ll revisit that one. 

    The CD however has a fucking incredible mix from Blame on CD1 that has several tracks from GLR and his own off shoot at the time, through Good Looking, 720 Degrees.  CD2 has the vinyl tracks unmixed for you. The one tune I really wish had made a vinyl appearance is ‘The Breeze’ by Nookie. 

    This was a time when the deeper sounds of drum and bass had become one of the healthiest branches growing from the jungle and drum and bass tree. Bukem must have been looking back at the journey he’d traveled and thought..”fuck me…this is more than I could have possibly imagined, back in 1992”. Five years later and look where the label was and what the music had become. A flagship of mind blowing, thought provoking wonder which continues to defy the capabilities of our sometimes insignificant existence. That may sound morbid, so let’s say, the artists that make some of the tunes you are about to hear, hit realms we may never have thought existed. 

    I’m looking forward a lot to revisit this LP. Of the seven tracks on here that were released on GLR, one of them we have not already reviewed as it is the only track that came out on Looking Good. Therefore, if you want to read an in depth review of the following, then my blog is where you’ll find them. Just look for the catalogue number for check on Discogs and you’ll find it:

Chameleon – Close Your Eyes – GLR 14

Intense – Positive Notions – GLR 018

PFM – Love & Happiness – GLR 10

Source Direct – Complexities – GLR015

    The two exclusives though are absolute dynamite on this Logical Progression Level 2 LP. Seba & Lotek and Intense are the two artists involved which should automatically make you cream your pants to be honest. Those tracks we will review with gusto and upmost detail in due course.

  The artwork for Logical Progression 2 is by Jason Arber with the artist shots photography by Fiona Freund, who also worked with the GLR stable on Earth Vol 1 & 2. Here we have Bukem and Blame on the record, inner-sleeve and on the other side, Bukem doing his digging somewhere out there in clubland, for the next record. Blame mentions his shop for that Orange jacket for the shoot:

“I remember the label telling me the artwork would be based heavily on orange and red. I had to go on the hunt in London to find an orange jacket to match the theme, which I discovered wasn’t as easy as first thought!” – Conrad Shafie

    Plate 1 has two tracks on the A side. The first is that wonderful summer epic that we featured back on Good Looking Records GLR 14. Here is the review if you want to read more on this one. 

https://djalexcorton.music.blog/2025/07/07/glr-14/

   Next up is a track that we will be reviewing when we reach Looking Good Records. It is by the surgical audio technicians, ILS, Illian Walker AKA Axis, and Mark Wilkins who is DJ Solo. The temptation to just roll out words hearing it is too great, so here is a quick blurb, as it deserves a heap of praise. This track really brought an electric jolt of life into the atmospherics, as during 1995 when it was released a majority of the tunes seemed to be luring listeners into a hazy state, that settled minds and drifted conscious states into worlds of sedation and bliss. Then this track came and injected a busy, fun, bubbly character of music into the fray and the scene spun a thread of upbeat jazz funk directly at us. 

   ‘In The Area’ is a fucking classic example of removing the barriers, brick by brick and cementing a fresh dose of flexibility and movement into the mystical sounds of drum and bass. The springboard of the beats, that unbelievable bass and all the little zips, zaps and vocal swirls splatter the tune with this stylish, creative and freshly doused sound. It’s like the washer jets have sprayed the layer of grime of the windscreen, that you never really noticed, until it happens. You don’t realize just how fucking clear everything is now it’s cleaned. That’s how this tune makes your mind feel. 

   Side B has one of the pieces of music that I’m ploughing my words into. I have to start by saying I am gutted that the label is off center and that the label is a little creased. I tried correcting it but it’ll tear the label. The main thing is, the tune plays brilliantly and the label only extends a little way to the inside edge of the etching run out. 

   The tune itself is one that really pummels me with a whole heap of emotion. The three wizards of Beau Thomas, Simon Vispi and Dan Duncan, are yet again taking their skills as Intense, into the hearts of listeners, with ‘Dark Skies’. Switch the speed to 45, turn the volume up to max and feel the pads on this one soar, swoop, glide and loop, sink and orbit, as Intense strap you into their capsule of music from another dimension. Every single moment, from the crystal, pinpoint beats, stirring bass, the orgasmic impact of those electro synth stabs, all leading to a breakdown with sweet organ keys and that electric storm cloud of pads, make for a track that stops me in my tracks and conjures up the moment of devilish skies, seconds before the frantic collision of negative and positive neutrons collide in a cataclysmic crash of treacherous flashes and then wall crumbling explosions. 

  If the visual or experience of ‘Dark Skies’ ever needed a sound track, hearing this track provides the most vivid image you could ever need. Intense turned everything about their music into an art that exceeded the capability of our senses input. It became a deep soulful feeling which will always transcend possibilities. 

   A massive shout to Beau, Simon and Dan. Your music will maintain some of the most precious sounds we’ve ever heard. 

   Tomorrow we hit plate 2. 

FFRR / Good Looking – 828 739-1

L.T.J. Bukem – Logical Progression

1996

Plate Two: Sides C / D & Plate 3: Sides E / F

It’s time for our next integral plates on Logical Progression, and we shimmy onto the next chapter on Bukem’s ‘Logical Progression’ album. 

   Side C has Tayla teaming up with Rupert Parkes (Photek) for the Aquarius & Tayla track ‘Bringing Me Down’. A meeting of two big guns who showed how it was done. We have hit this release already in the GLR reviews. Elegance and pinpoint producing. 

  The next track is PFM ‘Danny’s Song’. This holds a place in my life that will forever be a part of my heart. I first heard it at Dreamscape XI in Bukem’s classic ‘94 set. He mixed it into Aquarius – ‘Aquatic’ in a way that created its own magic blend, and then ‘Danny’s Song’ did the rest. It was one of those moments that I felt the lifting of drum and bass, into the highest and purest jet streams of purity. Then ‘Cold Fresh Air’ cuts in those perfectly timed crossfade flicks from Bukem which snap a bolt of lightning across the moment. Bukem is the ultimate DJ  and holds that finesse of unequaled brilliance. The whole set is fucking unreal. ‘Danny’s Song’ took a whole new meaning to the sounds. 

An ode to the master of the GLR kingdom. My kids adore this track too. In their words, “it sounds calm and peaceful”

   Side D is Peshay’s – ‘Vocal Tune’ which again, we have reviewed during the GLR 12” single reviews on the label. This has the same vocal as his early Metalheads release. It was also a return for him after a lengthy illness from which he came back pretty damn strong, musically. The next track is the one we are reviewing though. LTJ Bukem’s – Coolin’ Out. 

   This track is a big surprise that it did not make its way onto the GLR label as a 12” release. It’s a sheer beauty. If waterfalls could express the magic of the light that fractures across its curtained wall of glass, this would share its artistic values. ‘Coolin’ Out’ is a real gem of a release. 

    We return to the final plate on ‘Logical Progression’ next. I hope you get moments to dive into this music, and if this album is the one to do it, you’ll reset just perfectly then. 

  We reach this peak selection with the reviews and continue with the last plate on the ‘Logical Progression’ album. I hope that your enjoyment of the Good Looking Records tracks and those on this pillar of the music, have been enjoyed as much as I’ve enjoyed putting them all together. 

   Side E holds track all to itself, and what a track it is. The original ‘Western’ thumped a huge pack of the most radiant and powerful expressions into the mystic sounds of the music. Add in the legend MC Conrad on vocals and this just elevates to a new altitude where the cruise control picks up an extra 150 knots of tail wind for a sonic glide which is a permanent commemorative art piece. Hearing this again pours moments of history out into the drinking cups of ultimate digestive ecstasy. One of the best tracks, the very best MC’s to ever grace this earth. We will always turn to the guidance of tunes like this to see clearly through the mystics. RIP Connie.

   Last up is Side F with a LTJ Bukem classic, which we’ll review in greater detail during Looking Good Records. This was the first release on the GLR sister label and holds many many memories. The parties, crowds that went from losing it, then to the chilled, and the air of never knowing how or where this musical ride was going to take you. We had expectant goggles, thrilled minds and a mass of love for the sounds. They will be eternal in the wake of this wave of a triumphant era.  It is also good having a second copy of this tune as my original is a crackly and heavily played plate. It does fade out before the little Tom roll out at the end though. 

Essential music. Essential Bukem. 

One of the ultimate albums of our time.

Next up, let’s get into the almost unfathomable confines of the lift and press the button for the floor above. Get ready to expand your mind even further! 

Big shout to all that are enjoying these reviews.

FFRR / Good Looking – 828 739-1

L.T.J. Bukem – Logical Progression

1996

As we move on, forward bound… 

    When this album was released around April of 1996, I took a look at the tracks featured on here and realized that nearly every one was already on my shelf. Having locked into the allure and addiction of everything that LTJ Bukem touched, I was kidding myself that this was going to be one I could “live without”. How very wrong. It was largely down to one track though, that I had to get this album. PFM – ‘Danny’s Song’. I was fortunate enough to be at Dreamscape XI to experience what I still believe to be one of my favorite raves. It was mental, hot and had some of the best DJ sets across the board. Bukem’s set was no exception and stood out as a classic as soon as I heard it. Bukem dropped ‘Danny’s Song’ and the world of atmospheric drum and bass became a connection that will never break. 

   Then we have ‘Coolin’ Out’ and a Conrad (RIP) vocal of PFM’s Western Tune, which are the other two tracks that did not find their way onto 12” single. The rest were nestled on the shelf already. These three tracks sold this album to me. 

   But it wasn’t about the die hard GLR fanatics. It was about releasing an album for those unaware of the underground sounds that Bukem and his label had been pushing over the last 4 years, and opening up those sounds to the surface community. To many, it was a first taste of the labels mission and path, and to a few, it was a lesson in how fucking good Bukem’s journeys in the mix, are. The CD (pictured) holds a delightful story, told by the Jackanory master. 

    The cover for Logical Progression was a picture that Basement Phil was called in to help choose. It signifies the dawning, the horizon, and the Earth signified by the light emerging and the growth of the GLR label which had broken with massive impact into the scene. It is a classic image, conveying a moment that released the undeniable progression of this electronic music in the UK and the broadening of the scope of the roots of drum and bass. 

    For the tunes on the 3 x 12” vinyl release, many will be put on the operating table and dissented piece by piece when we reach the Good Looking label. It is with this in mind, that we will be focused on a brief review of each of the tunes that feature as releases on GLR and plunge into more detail on the three tracks that do not. Conrad’s vocals are on ‘Western’ but we will have the original within the GLR reviews too. 

   We therefore start today with the first 12” and 4 tracks which provide just how superb Bukem’s label is during the early days of its existence. Side A is Bukem’s first release on his GLR label, ‘Demons Theme’, which dared to be so different and risky, but succeeded in every way, followed by Tom Middleton and Mark Pritchard’s, ‘Links’ under the Chameleon name. I’m itching to go into more detail on these again, but we have done so, with the GLR 12” single reviews. Side B has Bukem’s ‘Music’ backed with PFM’s ‘One & Only’. Music was a unique release at the time, unlike anything else I’d heard before, and hearing again. I still love the simplicity and things like that little bass switch between “low-low-high-high” to “high-high-low-low” building to the breakdown. PFM had that gift of hooking you and carrying you into dimensions of paradise. ‘One & Only’ hit so many chords with this beauty. ‘Horizons’ & ‘One & Only’, are the only two on this album that are on Looking Good (Good Looking’s sister label). This plate alone, puts the 5 course Italian dinner down in front of you and feeds you a style of music that dissolves words and stirs up euphoria within. The purest and deepest drug. 

   Next, we go onto plate two and 2 tunes we will sink our teeth into, while the other two after, we will scan over, as they’ve already been picked apart during our extensive 12” Single collection on Good Looking.

GLRBS001X

Bukem – In Session

2013

It’s our final review of the week and it’s time to review one of the mix CD’s that came out from Bukem, containing many of the vinyl and digital releases from the White Label period of the Good Looking Records label. 

   We have reviewed each one of the 12” white labels that came out between 2012 and 2015 through the online Good Looking Organization store. On this CD, Bukem blends up a healthy batch of them, while on the second CD we get edited versions. This was also a problem for the many CDJ & digital DJs that were looking for the vinyl tracks on a CD or download. The full tracks were on the vinyl only. I suppose that balances out after the number of CD tracks that I wish that had been released on vinyl. Tit-for-tat really. 

    There are also downloads available of Bukem’s mix via the code on the insert, which allowed files of Bukem and Deeizm on one, and Bukem and MC Stamina on the other. 

   I recorded both of the collaborations onto blank CD’s which sit with this CD on the shelf. Is it worth having these additional CD’s? Well, I recorded both of them, listened to them once and I have not played them again. 

   The main reason this CD lacks that renowned Bukem allure is largely because many of us know the standard by which we used to hear Bukem, DJ at events and in the studio with mixes like is treasure box of Yaman studio mixes. His period between 1992 and 1997 is one of epic proportions. He is one of the best story tellers our music has ever had. The history is fucking legendary. The Journeys, the blends, the chops and the sheer dedication he put into his performances will be admired forever. It’s this history that makes this CD in comparison fall flat. The story is mundane and the mixing, while spot on, is just…well..standard mixing. 

   If that’s not all, the MCing duties had no impact whatsoever. We all know MC Conrad and also DRS, were able to compliment the music and fit with the way the DJ worked the set. Conrad..the master! R.I.E.P. 

   Neither MC here, add anything to the mix. 

   The disarray that simmered at the GLR HQ was very apparent with this release. I’m sure the profits that were projected, gave some sort of incentive to put this release out. If anything, it may have been a wake up call to Danny, that living on the tour circuit would need a whole lot more of his trademark skills to make up for it and pay him more anyway. 

  This was purchased, listened to and to be honest, the thought hadn’t entered my mind to hear it again. I may re-listen to it someday, and being a collector of physical material from Good Looking, it will always remain in the collection. Good Looking Records though, deserves to be remembered for the vast amount of incredible music and mixes that did have the Bukem tonic coursing through it. 

   We still deeply miss you Conrad! 

  Enjoy your weekend and get ready for one of the highlights of the Good Looking Records label, next week, as we reach our journey through the Logical Progression Levels. We have already reviewed the timeless, Logical Progression via FFRR, (about a year ago), so we will be starting Monday on Level 2. The week will definitely be a magical one. 

   My blog will have Logical Progression added prior to Level 2, do it keeps everything in order.

Good Looking Records

Makoto – Believe In My Soul

2007

Plate 3: Side E / F

We carry on today with the last plate on Makoto’s LP, ‘Believe In My Soul’ and ignite a couple of very strong pieces of music.

   ‘Free Your Mind’ on Side E, carries on the style of full on liquid D&B from this year. The beats on this track do have an elevated, frantic layering which picks up the energy really well. We slip into the cooler slacks in the breakdown and then when the main drop kicks it does a great job of hitting the sweet spot of sound. This is by far, the best one on this six-disc album. It’s full of movement, style and puts a gleaming wax seal on the delivery of the tune. The bassline is such a soft, yet heavy sound that broods and murmurs under the tapestry of the track, it really accentuates the sound. Hats off for this piece of full-on, drum and bass niceness! 

   Last up on this album is a track written and produced by Fumitake Tamura, also known as Bun. ‘Let Me Love You’. This was also the final track on LTJ Bukem’s Progresssion Sessions 10, from 2004 which tells you how early he had hold of that one. Oh, Bukem and his secret box of dubs. This has one of those hooks that absorbs through your mind and basks inside for a long long time. It also seals the ratings as the best 12” plate on this album. A full on composition of barreling beats, a beautiful bassline and oozing with a battery of flavors. Click the controls for this superb track and get that hook in. It’s a serenade that sells this album, 100%. Big up Makoto and to Bun for this velveteen joy! 

   That concludes the last of the Good Looking artist albums. Tomorrow we’ll feature a CD album only, like last Friday, which has Bukem mixing some of the tunes which you’ll find on the White Label series, many of which we covered during the 12” single reviews. We’ll not be diving into the album fully, more a scan across it and one that sits ideally on a Friday. 

    Big ups to all that read, comment and contribute to the reviews. The drive to keep doing this comes from so many of you, and my own insane quest to publish the words that arrive during my listening of the music. I was thinking this week and realizing that my DJ’ing works in similar ways, the zone I fall in when playing. During DJ sets I sink into a mindset that probably gives the impression I’m not having fun. Rest assured that my mind is usually thinking about future tracks and sitting with the music playing, loving every second, and working on the journey. Like this writing, I take it seriously and hope this comes through on both forms of expression. Hopefully I get out playing again with my vinyl, soon. 

   My blog is rolling. Come strolling through its pages. 

Good Looking Records

Makoto – Believe In My Soul

2007

Our next album in the Mini Album series on vinyl for Good Looking is the follow up to Makoto’s 2003 release, ‘Human Elements’. The music had materialized into a quicker BPM and a more liquid sound by this era, and as we venture through the six tracks on here, you’ll clearly hear this. 

  Of the Eleven tracks that you’ll find on the full compact disc version, it was surprising that they cut five of them off the vinyl release. Saying that, we do have the full side for each of the six tracks on here and a couple were out on 12” and therefore already reviewed. 

   We miss out on ‘Spangle’, ‘Blackbird’, ‘Flying High’, ‘Eastern Dub’ (which had Pt. 2 out on 12” single release, reviewed during the Black & White series), and then a couple of remixes, one by Marky (already reviewed) and then ‘Inside Your Love, remixed by XRS. 

    Artwork duties on here went to Levi Philips who is the DJ and Producer, Blade. He kept a similar style to Gareth’s in the way the design holds an animated ‘Anime’ print work of Makoto and the Japanese temple gateway logo on the back of the sleeve. All the labels on the records are a straight Black & White cut from the tunes from GLR that were released from 2007 to 2009. Levi, please feel free to add any info you have on this one? I’ll add it in, on your recollection, and with thanks!

   Side A on the first disc, sends out the vibes for this album with ‘Feels Like Heaven’. While the sprinkling of Makoto’s early work is interwoven, you do hear how the pace had risen and, for me at least, lost a little of the life that was in the music. Those live elements (Human Elements you could say) had gone and the solo project of Makoko was based purely on the flavors of liquid drum and bass. Now, I’m not dissing this album, when you place it in the category of liquid drum and bass. It works really well and pushes out a well rounded collection of tunes. 

  Side B is ‘Freedom Suite’ which adds a few more musical moments than the A Side, has a really cool first breakdown that primes the tune with that catchy, riff bass line, which we all know was a massive strength of Makoto’s work. There’s a real summer jazz lens on ‘Freedom Suite’, which collects the clouds and discharges them out the sky for a beaming heat ray on your soul. 

   On the second disc on Side C, we have Makoto joined by an MC who featured on Progression Sessions 9. Shelley Debenham is Deeizm. She put herself on the map with the ninth Prog Session CD and since then, collaborated with the likes of Nookie, A Sides, dRamatic, Electrosoul System and Marky. ‘Waiting’ rattles along until the breakdown with Deeizm which sets a relaxing tone with the harmonies of pads and choral “woo-hoos”. The tracks bass is pretty decent, mixing a deep hum with a little electronic static in the frequencies there. 

  Last up on plate two is ‘Open Your Eyes’ on Side D, which has a great sax breakdown that compliments the bass and vocal really well. This is the fourth track on the album and the beats so far have sounded almost identical to the other three. You can understand why when DJs played liquid at this time, it was the music behind the beats that many were listening out, for variance and creativity with. Makoto was able to provide a strong sense of musical ideas and keep that IV of freshness attached. The music was moving into those interesting realms between the drum and bass of old and the new wave of what was to be. 

   This release was cut at Heathmans Mastering Studio in London. The CD though was pressed up in Blackburn. The label seemed to be assembling a patchwork of people and companies in some different and unsuspecting ways.

  I’m reviewing the last plate on this album tomorrow. Just two tracks, so until then! 

   My blog has a fair few Good Looking reviews on it if you want to revisit the write-ups. Go and dive in, why not?

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!