LTJ Bukem

Who is LTJ Bukem? A founder of DJ culture? An inspired musician? Owner of a prestigious record label? Perhaps just a club visionary? How can a man with all these credentials smile so disarmingly while describing his work and passion? The man who took drum'n'bass from a small club in London on Charing Cross Road to national English superclubs and then to the international arena? Whose recordings created an entirely new dimension for break-beat in the galaxy of sound? Or maybe he's a man of the renaissance, of the new computer generation? Truthfully, LTJ Bukem transcends all of this. Though he wouldn't want to admit it, he is a living embodiment of the post-acid-house creative and entrepreneurial spirit. He's like a burst of scattering energy. His panoramic musical vision found success in every field he touched. From founding his sound system to organizing major raves, from early break-beat culture to innovations in drum'n'bass music. Known to friends as Danny Williamson, he has always been at the center of break-beat evolution, lighting his path with little more than a passion for life and love of music. In other words, LTJ Bukem is a man on a mission! Thirteen years have passed since the first record with "the smiling guy" on the cover saw light. "LTJ Bukem – Demons Theme / A Couple of Beats [GLR001]" is undoubtedly now a coveted piece in any breakbeat fan's collection. In the early 90s, this music was perceived as something entirely new. Only enthusiastic praise can describe what happened with the label afterwards. By the end of 95, "Good Looking Records" already had 15 releases in less than three years of existence. Danny Williams (LTJ Bukem), in turn, was already one of the most famous and respected people in the world of intelligent drum'n'bass, both for his creativity and for his work as head of "Good Looking Records." This is easy to believe, as many tracks released on the label even then, over a decade ago, remain hits to this day. There are countless examples. Take the eleventh and twelfth releases: "The Piano Tune" by Peshay and the intelligent drum'n'bass anthem "The Western" by PFM – an excellent choice, Mr. Williams! 1995 saw the first release of another Bukem brainchild simply called "Looking Good Records." This event inevitably affected the volume of music released on the two brother labels, while the music itself became increasingly diverse. Danny continued discovering new names, many of which later approached legendary status. Credit must be given to LTJ Bukem's ability to gather exclusively talented people around him. Moreover, not just in music – the packaging design, discs, promotional materials, and website always caught attention. Simply put, the designers worked excellently. 1998 proved very fortunate for Bukem, largely due to the release of the first in a magnificent series of mixes "Progression Sessions." "Progression Sessions Vol.1 [GLRPS001]" was a blend of beautifully curated music by Bukem and the magical voice of his longtime friend and stage colleague, MC Conrad, whose inimitable delivery and singing style were unmatched. The disc sold in enormous quantities, and offers poured in from all over the world for the already touring artists. Everywhere they went, they found success. Shortly after, in 2001, Russians, who had not yet been spoiled by attention from such-level electronic music stars from abroad, got their chance to experience the magic of their joint performances. On the night of July 14-15 at the "Respublika Bifiter" club, as part of the oldest Moscow drum'n'bass party series "Steppin'Session" organized by the promo group SMC PR headed by Roman Paramonov, the "Progression Sessions" showcase took place. The not-so-large "Bifiter" was packed with people, it was crowded, but by morning no one remembered this, as what they heard left an incomparable impression. The music was magnificent, and Conrad's measured verses electrified the crowd on the dance floor. Later, thanks to SMC PR, Moscow and beyond got to see and hear other representatives of the "Good Looking Organization," including Nookie & MC Five Alive, Blame & DRS, Makoto & MC Deeizm, Future Engineers, Cedar, and Vincent. In recent years, things have been quiet at GLO. The label website was closed, new music was practically not being released. There was even talk that all was not well between Bukem and many label musicians. But in any case, Danny Williams himself dispelled all speculation about collapse: "We simply did what ordinary people do several times a year, but we hadn't done in 13 years! Namely, we took a small vacation." And recently this very vacation was completed, as confirmed by the new website www.goodlooking.org. We can expect a substantial number of releases soon, among which special attention should be paid to Bukem's studio mix "Unlucky for Some." The title is telling – there will undoubtedly be detractors for whom the return to the world stage of such a giant as Good Looking will be "unlucky."