“One day, I found myself in a studio with Paul Waller. That was when I saw a sampler for the first time, and over a series of months I worked out how a sampler works and how to sequence: I had found my calling. I could be a DJ, I could do my soundsystem, but I could also buy a sampler and carry on making music where I had left off with the piano. So I got my first sampler, and the first track I made was ‘Logical Progression’ in 1990. It was a whole transitional period musically, but ‘Logical Progression’ was at a time when drum & bass wasn’t really there – only a few producers were losing the kick drum and making the breakbeat the main part of the tune – and my track had a big breakbeat in it; so it was kind of the start of drum & bass.” – LTJ Bukem

Whilst the likes of the Ragga Twins were fusing breakbeats with ragga samples and creating proto-jungle, Bukem’s masterpiece, firmly rooted in his jazz piano background, was melodically and musically of another planet. His early productions that followed – including ‘Demon’s Theme’, ‘Atlantis’ and ‘Music’ – which built the foundations of the nascent Good Looking empire – carved out a defined niche in the developing scene. It wasn’t long before other young beat makers rushed to get their music into Bukem’s hands, from PFM to one Rupert Parkes aka Photek (“no one had heard of Photek until I was playing out all these sets of his productions”). As the 90s moved on and drum & bass began to develop as a distinct genre, Bukem and long time friend and supporter Fabio set up Speed at the Mars Bar in London’s West End, a night that became integral to D&B’s development.

“We first started Speed on a Tuesday night and about twenty people turned up – a few producers came to hear their tracks and that was kind of all it was. I remember to a certain extent Fabs wanted to give up, and I was like, ‘It’s a perfect place for us to play our music, just give it a few more months.’ He agreed, and then I remember about three weeks later, I walked up to the Mars Bar and there was an almighty queue round the block. And from that moment on, for the next few years every week was packed, and I still don’t know to this day why or what happened to turn it around. The night had a massive effect on me and Fabio personally, because it was around that time that I started getting loads of enquiries from abroad, and it was becoming an international thing – people were flying over to come to Speed.” – LTJ Bukem

In 1996, Bukem released ‘Logical Progression’ – a compilation whose impact on the scene is considered by many to be the equal of Goldie’s ‘Timeless’ and Roni Size & Reprazent’s seminal ‘Newforms’ – bringing together some of the finest moments of the Good Looking catalogue. This has become a hallmark of Bukem’s career: the constant development of the Good Looking empire, a collection of labels that transcended the drum & bass scene for the best part of a decade, sometimes at the expense of his own artistry. For running the Good Looking stable and developing their ever-talented roster was time consuming, and it substantially reduced his beloved studio time: “I had no time to sit and write music…I am at heart a music maker, and I’ve had to sacrifice my art to do some other things, things that benefitted other artists or the label.”

After clearing his release schedule and releasing his artists to pursue label plans of their own, Bukem took a well-earned sabbatical from the Good Looking operation in 2004, and over the subsequent few years experienced a personal and musical rebirth. “I met my original mother two years ago, I was adopted at a very early age. As you grow up, as a person, you need to know who you are, and I never did actually know who I was until a couple of years ago when I met my mother for the first time, and now I feel a totally different person because of it.” – LTJ Bukem

And as he was being given a new lease of life on a personal level, he was also being reinvigorated musically by a glut of new producers: “I just suddenly became engulfed in a world of new music. This is the music that I represent, and I’ve got to support it, so about three years ago I decided to go for it and get the label going again. Now every day I get up feeling inspired, the music that comes through my computer, the new artists, their way of thinking, their work ethic, everything.” – LTJ Bukem

And it’s these artists that Bukem is representing on FABRICLIVE 46. A bold mix of new and burgeoning talent, this is a seventy minute sneak peek at the future of drum & bass. It’s a simple formula – one genius, two decks and 18 great records. This is the mix which will re-establish LTJ Bukem as one of electronic music’s maverick selectors – not afraid to shun the big tunes and, instead, stick to his principles, support the fam and remind the record buying world that Good Looking is still the relentless musical force it always was.

“With the mix I really wanted to highlight what I’m doing as a DJ. I could’ve sat there with a computer and done what a lot of people do: a computer mix, which is great fun as you can do what you can’t do live. But for me personally, I wanted it to be exactly what I do on a Friday night, strictly dubplates and records. I also wanted to represent people on the mix that I am working with on Good Looking, who I have a strong belief will have some longevity in what they are doing, and are going to be prolific artists in their own right. For me, it doesn’t matter who the artist is, it’s just about good music. That’s been my ethos since day one.” – LTJ Bukem

Released
UK/R.O.W. on 15th June 2009
USA on 14th July 2009

Kicking off we get treated to their recent dancefloor success ‘Don’t Be So Drumattic’ which certainly hit the spot with an eclectic barrage of DJs and resulted in some impressive chart positions, (Beatport Number 1, Buzz and Cool Cuts). Urgent strings set the pace for the kick/snare, squelch-athon, whilst the old school D-Shake strings play tribute to the boys’ rave roots. ‘Hyperspeed’ originally released in 2007 has become some what of a classic, a signature tune for the DT’s decks N’ FX shows. Pumping bass and concrete beats are the order of the day, laying the classic funk foundation for a delicious slice of early electro. Originally taken from ‘The Return Of Captain Rock’, Hyperspeed’s vocal sample has been smashing up dance floors in one guise or another over the past 20 years. The Drumattic Twins have added their own inimitable flavours to the mix, punishing bass and fizzing acidic leads prove that the ‘old school’ can also be ‘new school’ for another generation.

Next up is ‘Broken Planet’, laced with eastern charms it soon signals the alarm before descending into a sub frequency workout, heavy, heavy breaks. Next into position comes ‘Sound of The Drum’ which grabs the reigns like a jockey riding a winning stallion to the finishing line; a relentless one note bassline, gated synth and tongue in cheek, chopped up hip house vocal drives this tune all the way. As the energy drops down a gear, we are treated to ‘HeartBreaker’ with its N-Joi inspired keys that drift alongside the percussive beats and synth breakdown, resulting in nostalgia that induces misty eyed memories of the good old days.

What better timing than to be slapped in the face with ‘Back to the Old School’, a piano driven, hands in the air, explosive tribute to where it all began. A modern day twist with Bamboata influenced strings, vocoder vocals that take us to outer space and of course that throbbing galactic b.line, all executed to perfection.

Rather amusingly named ‘Deep Throat’ is a disco-esque departure from the more typical DT sound, keeping the funk firmly on the peddle ‘Deep Throat’ tickles and teases with its 70’s strings, P Funk bassline and beat rhythms. ‘Twister’ is another of the boys earlier success stories, featured on Playstation’s Pure Wipeout it has been a firm favourite with DT fans worldwide. Classic in it’s recipe, electro, breakbeats, acid and rave connotations throughout – compelling underground dancefloor material.

‘Under The Lights’ oozing with funk, confident like a classic and peaking on the vibeometer at plus 10, the uplifting string breakdown sooths the soul and makes us yearn for just one more E! ‘Pick me up Baby’ has ‘balearic’ smacked all over it. The laidback soothing vocals are soon engulfed by a mother of all basses as the strings fly high and Lanx is let loose with his masterful jazz keys. Leading neatly into ‘Soul Flower’, a piano/beat ensemble that grooves with confidence sets another mood for the album.

Now on the final straight we get the menacing ‘Fly Young Canaboids’. Sirens, live drums and a weaving synth take the listener on a trip into the depths of the mind of a drug user, hard, compelling and addictive! ‘Drum Thunder’ has orchestral stabs, a signature bassline that dances with the lead vocal ‘another jam’ before the ‘drum thunder catcher’ bursts into the proceedings with irresistible charm. An almighty breakdown twists the glitch to the max before propelling us back to the lead ‘drum thunder’ vocal. A potent slab of dramatic magic is unleashed. Until finally we arrive at the slower tempo of ‘Antique Vinyl’. A conceptual track that morphs from vibe to vibe, embracing a spectrum of sounds and influences and enlisting the vocal charms of Claire Gillgrass. So here it is, the latest in Finger Lickin’s award winning success, we give you theDrumattic Twins — ‘Hammer & Tongs’.

Nick Annand & Greg Fleming AKA Deekline & Wizard have spent the last five years building a reputation as one of the foremost production outfits in electronic music. With a dizzying array of club smashing hits already under their belts, the release of their 2nd album, “Back Up, Coming Through!”, on the world renowned Against The Grain records on 13th April 2009, will cement their position as the premier dance-floor duo that they most definitely are.

Dj Deekline came to prominence with his era defining top-ten anthem, ‘Don’t Smoke The Reefer’, which sold by the truckload and effortlessly placed him at the vanguard of the Two-step, Garage and Breakbeat movements. Greg meanwhile was carving out a career as an in demand studio wizard, working with the likes of Xpress 2 and The Chemical Brothers, and gaining notoriety for his unswerving drive and deft production abilities. After a quick aside – ‘Get Dirty Baby’ as The Booty Bouncers, – Nick & Greg unleashed an astonishing long player, ‘Breaks, Beats & Blondes’. Weighing in at a fulsome thirteen tracks the album was notable not only for its stylistic breadth, taking in Electro, Reggae, Two-step, House and Breaks but also for its heavy use of vocals from the likes of scene players Yolanda and Spoonface, giving a more human depth to the set. Championed by the Dance music fraternity it opened up a new chapter in Breakbeat, as the scene’s emphasis changed from tracks for a sweaty backroom boys club to music with real soul and sex appeal.

Further singles followed for both Botchit & Scarper and Nick’s own Rat Records imprint plus acclaimed remixes including Armand Van Helden’s ‘My My My’ which was a Zane Lowe Tune Of The Week and the Prodigy’s ‘Out Of Space’ which scored a number one on the German charts.

Whilst constantly delivering club smashing action and in between spates of Nick going out on the road and Greg topping up his studio tan, the pair have been working non-stop on their sophomore set ‘Back Off Coming Through’, described by themselves as the album that lets everyone know that they’ve been around and they really know what they’re doing, it certainly takes no prisoners. Driven to make uniquely thrilling music that shakes you to the core, the duo have covered all bases from Eastern sounds of first single ‘Dancehall Thrilla’ to out and out floor quaking joints. Refining their production style and adding even more musical layers to the melting pot, the album features vocal turns delivered by Top Cat, DJ Assault, Wonder Kid, Yolanda and a gospel singer called Vic, making it all the more obvious that Deekline & Wizard’s love of vocals shows no sign of abating.

Nick’s take is as candid as ever “Nowadays a lot of dance music has got a very short shelf-life and for me vocals give it that extra little element to keep your attention and it keeps me interested in a tune, if I hear a whole set of tunes without melodies or vocals I get bored. I think the vocals enable you to take your sets on a bigger journey, but it’s a thin line to be able to really use vocals in a dance track so that people will still play it.”

Greg is similarly forthright about the importance of a good vocalist “It’s personal preference, some people don’t like vocals, club types, but for me and Nick they’re essential, you have to give a tune an identity and a story. The main thing for me in working with vocalists in the studio is that they have different ideas of melody and the whole process of working together is when the magic happens, bringing a vocalist in adds musicianship, it helps gel the track together so it sounds classy like old tracks used to do and you don’t get lost in that whole digital thing.”

Due for release early on 13th April 2009 and crossing vast stylistic planes with the unflinching swagger of a bare knuckle boxer, ‘Back Off Coming Through’ is stunning evidence of a production duo at the height of their mercurial powers.

“Unparalleled speaker-smashing, arse-wiggling perfection, that sets them apart from almost any other underground act”. DJ Magazine – Album Of The Month *****

Meat Katie, AKA Mark Pember has an enviable CV as both DJ and producer; from his early days recording for legendary labels such as Wall of Sound, R&S and Kingsize to the running of his own impeccable Lot49 imprint through to his incessant touring of the world playing festivals, tours and clubs on every continent – quality is the theme. Everything he does, he does with conviction and passion and it’s that sense of passion that flows out of this mix.

Meat Katie’s ‘Sessions’ comes as a two CD package with CD1 taking a journey into the deep and dirty underbelly of techno and tech-inspired house. Such luminaries as Locodice, Martin Buttrich & Dubfire rub shoulders with contemporaries like Andomat 3000, Worthy & Martin Eyerer to provide a mix with depth and quality that shines from beginning to end. This is an insight into the afterhours mind of Meat Katie, a selection that says as much about his wide ranging love of electronic music as his Dj’ing style. To those who may have misguidedly thought of Meat Katie as a straight up tech breaks Dj, this is a wake up call as the man shows that dance music doesn’t need to live in the pigeon holes it is often saddled with. The effortless flow and movement in this mix conjures up classic Laurent Garnier, Sven Vath or other such genre-defying DJs and demonstrates Meat Katie’s confidence and technical ability alongside his grass roots understanding of what works in the mix.

In Mark’s own words “this compilation is about my influences as a dj and producer. I think it really comes to light on disc one with the likes of jazz and techno mashed together in places! At certain moments it even becomes quite soulful!”

Whilst still retaining the musical diversity that has almost become his trademark CD2 takes things into the more familiar territory of Meat Katie’s live sets. Dirty, rolling breaks get spliced with tough 4/4 rhythms to create a rollercoaster ride with a very clear intent of creating dancefloor devastation. Tracks from Lutzenkirchen, Lee Coombs, Felix Da Housecat and Meat Katie himself twist together into a roof raising affair that flows perfectly and gives a real insight into Mark’s energetic performances. Mark himself even says, “well, disc two is me ‘heads down’ and focused on nothing but the floor”

The Meat Katie Sessions album will be supported with a worldwide tour encompassing Australia, the Far East, Canada, USA & Russia as well as select dates on home turf. With a history of compiling outstanding DJ mixes for some of the biggest names in dance music such as Fabric Live and Bedrock it seems that Meat Katie may have reach a new high with what is almost certainly his most impressive and adventurous album to date.

CD01:

CD02:

“Coming off the back of an absolutely mental worldwide tour schedule we thought it was the right time to drop another Stanton Sessions comp. It’s going to be the 3rd instalment of the series and contain all the unique tracks, edits and remixes that define our sound today. We have been playing and running our Sessions nights successfully at fabric for 8 years now, so it seems only natural to continue this partnership with the release of Stanton Sessions Volume 3.” – Stanton Warriors.

Stanton Sessions Volume 3 is due for release on October 27, 2008 with a USA release following in November (11/11/08).

The Stanton Warriors will be supporting the release with a world tour, kicking off with the album launch at FABRICLIVE on Friday October 24, followed by a date at the Amsterdam Dance Event, before travelling through the UK, Europe, USA, Japan, Australia, and South America.

This mash-up, now released on Against The Grain, first featured on Krafty’s FabricLive 34 mix album and has become a staple in the Brighton boys record box, recently creating a real buzz during his appearances on the Big Day Out tour in Australia.

To round off the release we have another exclusive track from Krafty’s Fabric mix. This time he squares up against studio partner Deepcut to create a prime time slice of squelchy bass goodness for the dancefloor!

He’s already hard at work on his second artist album for Against The Grain and we can expect more of the award winning, funked up madness that we have previously seen on his ‘Freakshow’ debut.

“We’re at an age where we really just wanted to make music we thought was really good and moving our sound forward, not worrying about what anyone else would think.”

Dipping their toes into other styles of electronic music has certainly paid off for the guys. ‘Pleasure Machine’ has a velvety sheen, touching on modern sexy D. Ramirez-type electro-house, juddery Justice riddims, old skool electro, bleepy Trickyesque bizness, speak ‘n’ spell robotica and a hell of a lot more. There’s a consistency to their sound that glazes the whole album – sexy electronic dance music that’ll be rocking floor from Brighton to Beijing.

Accumulating all the tools to soundtrack a fantastic night out, the Splitloop guys have set the dials for pleasure. The touring that’s going to be accompanying this album is going to bring them into contact with a whole new set of pleasure-seeking individuals set for a collective experience of orgasmic electronic dance music. But where did the ‘Pleasure Machine’ idea come from? Is it a sex toy? A Wilhelm Reich invention to rival his Orgone Energy Accumulator? What?

“The basic premise came from a tune we were writing,” outlines Bren. “We wanted a robotic vocal bouncing off a female vocal. The first word that came to mind for the robot was ‘machine’, and the first thing that came to mind when thinking of a relationship between women and machines was ‘pleasure’ – if you know what I mean! That became the vocal of the tune, and it seemed like a good concept so we doubled it up as the album title as well.”

Breakbeat has all too often been weighed in favour of blokes. As many women as men are going to be into ‘Pleasure Machine’, though: you just know by its kick-ass yet funky electro-breaks feel. The album is sure to elevate them above the traditional breakbeat acts and into a whole new realm, and the guys are excited about what the future has in store.

Splitloop are the group who, infamously, met on the bus in Ireland going to a Prodigy gig back in the day. Finding they had more in common than just a love of Liam Howlett’s beats, Phil and Bren formed an enduring partnership that’s rocketed them high into the breakbeat premier league.

Naming themselves after one of their first productions together, the guys started making a name for themselves with early releases on the acclaimed Sinister label. It was the ‘KFC’ release on Against The Grain, Krafty Kuts’ label, that really made their name on the breaks scene, though, and led to them signing to the leading breakbeat label that also boasts The Freestylers, Deekline & Wizard, Ed Solo & Skool Of Thought and more. Phil is philosophical about their early career. “Our first studio had a broken toilet, so everything smelled like wee,” he remembers. “We could never afford monitors ‘cos all our money went on pills and beer. As soon as we gave up pills, we bought monitors and got signed. Lesson learned, kiddies.”

Their ‘Here On Business’ album, released in late 2005, garnered acclaim in DJ, Mixmag and i-DJ and pretty much rounded up where they were at. A snapshot of their top-notch productions, it was nominated in the Best Album category at the annual Breakspoll awards. The guys also received a Best Producer nomination as well for good measure.