A-J Review: Earth 4 (Good Looking)
http://www.thegoodlookingorganisation.co.uk/
You could have knocked me over with a feather.
That's how surprised I was to hear the new Earth compilation (EARTHLP004)
on Good Looking Records. Great jazzy house music? On Good Looking?!?! NO
WAY!!!
The Earth Compilation series has long been heralded as one of the most
innovative Drum'n'Bass compilation series. Earth 1, 2 and 3 were
best-sellers in the genre, showcasing the best talent of LTJ Bukem and the
incredible roster of artists, MCs, and producers he has assembled under the
umbrella of Good Looking Records LTD. Earth, to me, has always been about
the best atmospheric, jazzy drum and bass music- the standard bearer for
LTJ Bukem and his crew.
Earth 4 opens with Artemis' "Brazilian Sunrise," a study in how an great
D'n'B producer can make a great Brazilian-tinged house track, albeit with
some of the clinical style that comes from such a background. K-Scope's
"The Setup" could have been on a Steve McQueen movie soundtrack. John
Beltran's "Seven Miles High" and "Aztec Girl" are jazzy house tracks that
feature intricate piano solos and female vocals. Big Bud's "Blueberry
Muffins" is a study in layered Latin House. Makoto's "Peace of Mind" is
reminiscent of 70's electric jazz, but with a nod to the percussion that
made his drum and bass tracks ("butterfly") unforgettable.
And that's just half of the comp.
On their own, each track is solid, sometimes simple, jazzy, beat-friendly
and modern- not revolutionary by any standard definition of House
music. However, in sum as a compilation, especially coming out of the Good
Looking crew, Earth 4 is a powerful statement of the breadth of the Good
Looking artists. In some ways, it may seem to some that Earth 4 is a
natural progression in the direction of the Earth series. To me, however,
it seems a drastic _and welcome_ change.
With the rumored demise of Drum'n'Bass as a genre, (as evidenced in the
rise in popularity of UK Garage or 2-Step) it is interesting to see Good
Looking release an Earth compilation that has more House tracks than
Drum'n'Bass.
My only complaint is that they got rid of the nice liner note book that we
received in Earth 3.
Gen
p.s. Mark Turner- this HAS to be your album of the week if nothing else
than for the innovation coming out of LTJ Bukem's crew!
p.p.s. If anyone knows of a place where I can get Earth 1 or 2 on vinyl
_new_, please let me know!
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