LTJ Bukem Presents Earth Vol.1 - Various Artists

Advantages: Groundbreaking intelligent drum & bass
Disadvantages: Difficult to get your hands on

...LOGICAL PROGRESSION VOL. 1 (MIXED BY LTJ BUKEM) - Double CD - £18.99 This is actually now a very difficult CD to get hold of, and there appear to be very limited copies available in the high street. You may have more success on Amazon or with auction sites, such as, Ebay. LTJ Bukem, is the alter-ego for the intelligent DJ and entrepreneur Danny Williamson (No, no the heavy weight boxer). LTJ started in the scene during the late 80's / early 90's and was one of the co-founders of London club "Speed". He later (circa '92 / '93) set up his own record label "Good Looking Records" allowing him to produce his own material, pioneering a new style of drum & bass, and also publishing tracks by other artists similar to the style best suited to him. Bukem is quite simply an innovator within his field, leading drum & bass in different... Read review

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Advantages: Superb album, original yet consistently good.
Disadvantages: None.

...LTJ Bukem, Drum 'n' Bass maestro, and father of the Good Looking Records label, has been happily 'presenting' albums for a good while now - i.e. compiling tracks from various up and coming Drum 'n' Bass artists and including the odd number by himself. But recently he released 'Journey Inwards' - an album of exclusively his own work, and it is - in my opinion - one of the albums of 2000. He blends heavy breakbeats with subtle chords and wah wah guitar, with walking double bass and jazz saxophone. And he does it without the horrible gaps that sometimes appear when lesser artists attempt to encompass such a wide range of music; the whole album flows smoothly. Wether it's the bluesy trip-hop-esque title number, 'Journey Inwards', which I think is perfect rainy day music, to the Funky, melodic 'Sunrain', which sounds like it's a joint... Read review

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Advantages: Contains classic artists such as Odyssey, Brothers Johnson and Diana Ross
Disadvantages: Is a populist take on the disco era.

...This album is a broad yet typical retrospective of the commercial side of the disco era. Staples of the disco scene such as Chic and Earth, Wind & Fire feature here, yet in their most famous incarnations as opposed to the music that changed the face of the dance underground forever. There are rare stand out moments such as the highlighted Brothers Johnson classic 'Stomp' and Diana Ross's Chic penned athem 'Upside Down' however, overall this album is a good album for those that think of disco as a Car Wash style flares and afro 'Good Times' party. It's not for the connoisseurs of disco for whom any one of the Larry Levan or Joey Negro compilations would be better suited.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful