FRIDAY SEPT 22ND FACTORY @ OPM PRESENTS: Just who is LTJ Bukem? Ground breaking DJ? Inspirational musician? Record label entrepreneur? Club visionary, perhaps? When the man behind those wire rimmed glasses and that disarming smile writes his job description just what does he put? The man who took the drum and bass concept from a small venue off London’s Charing Cross Road to the nation’s superclubs and then onto the international stage? The geezer whose records launched breakbeat into a brand new galaxy of sound? Or maybe he just writes ‘Renaissance man for a digital age’. In truth LTJ Bukem is all of the above.
Although he wouldn’t like to admit it, LTJ Bukem is the living embodiment of the post-acid house entrepreneurial creative spirit. He is a mild mannered energy flash whose panoramic musical vision has found success in every area he has explored. From running soundsystems to cutting up breaks at raves, from relocating the heart of breakbeat culture to redefining the spirit of drum and bass, the man known to his friends as Danny Williamson has sat at the forefront of breakbeat evolution, lighting the way with little more than a zest for life and a love of music. In other words, LTJ Bukem is a man on a mission!
Bukem’s first introduction to music was, like so many others, through piano lessons as a child. Unlike so many others however, the young pianist turned out to possess a natural talent and he quickly moved through the piano grades.
Classical music represented the soundtrack to his home life. Both parents having a passion for Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky that rubbed off on their son. However it was when the family moved to Watford and Bukem changed music teachers that he developed his first true musical love. Thanks to a progressively minded teacher called Nigel Crouch – with whom he lost touch but, after a long search, has recently found again – he was introduced to the world of jazz fusion, a style which has informed his work ever since.
In the mid eighties, at the age of seventeen, Bukem discovered the joys of clubbing. The teenager regularly checked out the local soul clubs and legendary rare groove all dayers. As a keen record buyer he soon became interested in the idea of putting over his own version of the club soundtrack and before long he got involved with a sound system.
Throughout this time he also had a jazz funk band, although this had never presented itself as a serious past-time? just fun. The DJing was his main thing and by 1987 he gained something of a reputation for his sets. However it was 1988 that Bukem first realised that DJing could offer a full-on career.
In 1990, LTJ Bukem got his first big break at Raindance. Booked to play between 1 & 2 AM in front of 10,000 people, it was the first true test of the fledgling DJ skills. It may have taken all his mates to push him onto the stage but it proved to be a set that he’ll never forget. From the first track he ripped it up and LTJ Bukem, the world class DJ was truly born.
Around this time Bukem had also ventured into the studio to record a track which was to become one of the most influential records of the era. Called ‘Logical Progression’ it surfaced on the newly formed Vinyl Mania imprint. At once anthemic and relaxing it offered the first true blueprint to Bukem’s sonic vision.
By the time of his follow up to ‘Logical Progression’ Bukem had set up his own imprint. Run from a small office in Harlesden, London, the label was christened Good Looking and its debut offering came in the shape of ‘Demon’s Theme’. Finished in mid 1990 and pressed up onto dub-plate, Bukem dropped it into his sets for a full year just to test the reaction before he finally released the track officially in July 91. ‘Demon’s Theme’ caught people’s imaginations immediately, its soulful combination of rushing breaks, lush ambience and mellow vibes opening up fresh vistas within the increasingly dark ambience of the rave.
Bukem’s next release was ‘Apollo’ in 92, however his biggest breakthrough came with his next release ‘Music’ in 1993. In 1994 Bukem unleashed ‘19.5’ while the release of the similarly epic ‘Horizons’ coincided with the opening of the legendary “Speed” at the Mars Bar off the Charing Cross Road in London. It was an important time for Bukem. The label was gaining ground with its growing catalogue of must-have tunes and his own in-demand DJing. The launch of Speed was intended to run hand in hand with the growth of Good Looking while also offering a focal point for the growing drum and bass scene.
After a shaky start, which almost forced the night into closure, “Speed” quite literally took off one night in the summer of ’94.
Typically for Bukem he made the most of the situation to forward his vision. He used the sudden media limelight to highlight Good looking Records and its label roster. In 1995 the label licensed a compilation to London Records. Called “Logical Progression” it featured exclusive cuts from the roster alongside old tracks and is still one of the highest selling drum ‘n’ bass compilations to have been released.
“I wanted to see the label grow, I wanted to invest in the people who were signed to the label, so the move had to happen. It was never simply about LTJ Bukem, it was about Good Looking Records, Logical Progression and the sound.”
Bukem’s own music never took a back seat. There were remixes (including astounding reworks of Jodeci’s “Feenin” and Michelle Gayle’s “Sweetness”), his own addition to the label compilations and a collaboration with David Arnold on the infamous James Bond theme to “Thunderball”
In the middle of all of this rampant activity Bukem also managed to release the “Mystical Realms EP” in March 98. The EP featured “Twilight Voyage” with some somber flute refrains, chopping keys and outer world ambience. The vocal and instrumental versions of “Orchestral Jam”, with its urgent break, echo dropped sonar and dissonant violins, and final track; the reflective, Herbie Hancock-esque “Journey Inwards”. Three new tracks, each representing a deeper development of the Bukem sound, further underlining Bukem’s position as a sonic leader of post rave breakbeat culture.
Bukem went further and continued to produce and mix some of the World’s best Drum ‘n’ Bass and cross-over compilations that have ever been put out. Titles such as Progression Sessions, Earth and further instalments of Logical Progression series have become notorious for their and exciting directions that Bukem has always strived to take, but without losing sight of his original musical roots and all the things that inspired him in the beginning.
The begining of the 21st century saw LTJ Bukem continuing his extraordinary musical odyssey with his long awaited solo album Journey Inwards. A diverse and multi directional album of Drum ‘n’ Bass, Soul, Downbeat and house tracks that opened the eyes of those that had no faith and warmed the soul’s and inner belief’s of those that did. He has also added to his impressive remixing portfolio with his interpretation of “The Essence” by jazz legend Herbie Hancock. On top of this he has continued the Progression Sessions series, with a storming live performance from the USA captured on CD, compiled the highly acclaimed Soulfood and Soul Addiction compilations, released not one but two Producer CDs, and continued to set the venues of the world alight with his stunning DJ sets.
It’s all a matter of opinion!
Few people can lay claim to being the definitive voice of their profession. It just so happens that MC Conrad is one of those few. From the early rave days and his partnership with LTJ Bukem, through Speed and on to the present day, Conrad has come to be a defining element in the drum ‘n bass scene – a seal of approval and mark of quality, but there is more to Conrad than his voice.
Music has always been an influence. A young Conrad grew up listening to the family record collection, absorbing a variety of vocal styles and musical genres. When developing his own tastes, the 2-tone and early electro scenes were well favoured. This involvement with urban street music moved Conrad toward the hip hop scene and the first inkling of his desire to make music himself. Picking up a microphone, Conrad began to rap for a local hip hop band and started to develop an individual style. Unfortunately, British hip hop was not developing its own individuality and Conrad took his vocal talents elsewhere. The early rave scene was the ideal opportunity for MC’s to develop and Conrad wasted no time in hooking up with LTJ Bukem. Theirs was the definitive DJ / MC partnership – one which aspired to and achieved even greater heights in following years. Conrad’s voice became the trademark of the Good Looking sound and vibe.
With his voice now established, Conrad is applying his skill and knowledge to the production of music. His collaboration with PHD has provided an extra dimension to his abilities, but is just one small piece of the bigger picture that Conrad has envisioned.
His Words 2 B Heard project aims to put the live voice in its traditional place – at the front of a band. Bringing together a pool of vocalists, musicians and producers, Words 2 B Heard is a collective on a mission to take music out of the sampler and onto the stage. “Music doesn’t stop at a certain point, it carries on developing. You can put it onto vinyl or CD at a point in time but if you listen to it live, you can watch it grow. If that’s how you decide to listen to your music it opens up so many doors.”
With this belief in mind, Conrad hopes to remove the technological stigma of dance music and gain access to all the atmosphere and experimentation that live music provides. In the spirit of his own raps, nothing remains static. Every performance is different.
Words 2 B Heard sums up the creative process that Conrad thrives on. Never content with his own standards, Conrad continues to develop his style and content. His raps bring together thoughts and feelings culled from all aspects of life, personally organised to complement the music and connect with the people who are listening. “I don’t want to be political. I rap what I’m thinking at that time. It might be what you’re thinking, it might not be what you’re thinking, it might be what you think you’re thinking. It’s personal to me but I like to express it in a way that you can relate to your own thoughts.”
BIRTHDAY JAM HOLLA
REPIN THE T-DOT AND OPM
THE ONE THE ONLY
MR BROWN
2THEBEAT//OPM//HESASEXYPIMP.COM
&
THE VALIANT EMCEE
OPM
This man has been djing now for a total of 16 years and is a well respected member of the Toronto Drum n Bass community. Mr. Brown first got into djing by playing ska, dub, reggae, and house and did so for about 8 years until he made the transition to drum n bass; but this early music preference is still transmitted through his sets as his selection are tunes that are heavily influenced by these genres. He has also put in time at two predominant Toronto record shops; first, managing the infamous Eastern Bloc Records and now as the Manager/dnb buyer for 2theBeat. He crafted a local production company known as Soul In Motion. He and his crew regularly throw events to promote the local talent their hometown has to offer.
Mr. Brown isn’t just local to Toronto as he has played in Montreal, the Prairies, British Columbia as well as many visits stateside. Also not to mention, he has been on bills alongside some serious worldwide recognized talent such as: Grooverider, Adam F, Loxy, C4C, Aquasky, Mickey Finn, Shimon, and TC just to name a few. His uptempo style and high energy behind the decks are pure crowd pleasers and he has no sign of stopping anytime soon. Alongside will be the foremost mc in the area, Valiant, who has been holding it down for Buffalo since 1999. No stranger to sharing bills with some of the world’s best, he’s played all over the east coast, from Toronto to Miami, DC to NYC, and personally handled mic duties for some of the biggest dj’s in the world. Lately, these two have been quite a pair, and their interplay gets stronger with each gig. Don’t miss it.
PERCEPTOR
Under Fiya Sessions, 91.3 WBNY//OPM
BIG BAD BASS WITH A TOUCH OF SMOOTH SEXY GROOVES
“UNLUCKY FOR SOME” 13 years of Goodlooking Recordings – LTJ BUKEM and MC CONRAD: GOODLOOKING RECORDINGS//UK
2-4-1 DRINKS HUGE PATIO GREAT PEOPLE AND BIG TUNES EVERY FRIDAY
OPM LOUNGE
680 MAIN ST
BUFFALO NY