Good Looking Records is a

jungle A jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past recent century. Etymology The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅ ...

and

drum & bass Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-ba ...

record label, formed in 1991 by producer

LTJ Bukem Daniel Williamson (born 20 September 1967), better known as LTJ Bukem (), is a British drum and bass musician, producer and DJ. He and his record label Good Looking are most associated with the jazzy, atmospheric side of drum and bass music. ...

. The label specializes in jazz-influenced and atmospheric, so-called Intelligent

Drum & Bass Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-ba ...

Overview

The label releases music which includes 'spacey' synthesizers driven with elements of

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

and

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

, although some releases have a darker

amen break The Amen break is a drum break that has been widely sampled in popular music. It comes from the 1969 track "Amen, Brother" by the soul group the Winstons, released as the B-side of the 1969 single "Color Him Father". The drum break lasts about se ...

style to them. The label became synonymous for its musical style and

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

-influenced record covers, which were a trademark of the label. Following the label's mid 2000s hiatus, all 12" singles issued were housed in a plain grey card sleeve with the label's logo on the front cover. Some of the label's Drum & Bass releases went under the banner of ''Looking Good Records''. These featured nearly identical sleeves, the only difference being the yellow spine of the Good Looking releases and the royal blue design of the Looking Good records. Artists who have released on this label include

Blame Blame is the act of censuring, holding responsible, or making negative statements about an individual or group that their actions or inaction are socially or morally irresponsible, the opposite of praise. When someone is morally responsible for ...

Photek Rupert Parkes (born 6 September 1971), known as Photek, is a Los Angeles-based British electronic music DJ/record producer, and TV and film score composer. Photek was born and raised in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. Photek has contributed music ...

Blu Mar Ten Blu Mar Ten is a music production outfit based in London, and is made up of Chris Marigold and Michael Tognarelli. History Blu Mar Ten's first track to be released was "The Fountain" / "Lunar" in 1996 on Way Out Records. The track appeared on ...

Seba Seba or SEBA may refer to: Places * Seba, Indonesia, on the Savu Islands *Seven Brothers Islands, also known as the Seba Islands, part of the Republic of Djibouti Institutions *Secondary Education Board of Assam, India * Systematic and Evolutionar ...

Source Direct Source may refer to: Research * Historical document * Historical source * Source (intelligence) or sub source, typically a confidential provider of non open-source intelligence * Source (journalism), a person, publication, publishing institute o ...

Makoto is a unisex Japanese name although it is more commonly used by males. As a noun, Makoto means "sincerity" (誠) or "truth" (真, 眞). People Given name * Makoto (musician) (born 1977), drum and bass artist *Makoto (Sharan Q) ( まこと), ...

, Q Project, and

Peshay Paul Pesce, better known as Peshay, is a British drum and bass and electronic music producer and DJ. Early life Peshay is of British and Italian heritage. His first introduction to music was at an early age through his mother who was a wel ...

History

By 1990 the

dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded danc ...

genres of

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

and

acid house Acid house (also simply known as just "acid") is a subgenre of house music developed around the mid-1980s by DJs from Chicago. The style is defined primarily by the squelching sounds and basslines of the Roland TB-303 electronic bass synthesiz ...

had evolved into

hardcore Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to: Arts and media Film * ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film * ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott * ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...

and

breakbeat Breakbeat is a broad type of electronic music that tends to use drum breaks sampled from early recordings of funk, jazz, and R&B. Breakbeats have been used in styles such as hip hop, jungle, drum and bass, big beat, breakbeat hardcore, and UK ...

in the UK, with what was later referred to as "drum & bass" and "jungle" developing as offshoots. Initially mixing at raves, LTJ Bukem turned his hand to production, producing his first track "Demons Theme" in 1990. Bukem soon grew frustrated with the lack of control over his own recordings, so in 1991 he formed his own label Good Looking Records. Early Good Looking tracks like "Atlantis" and "Music" provided a soulful, melodic alternative to the prevailing hardcore tracks then in vogue. By 1994, LTJ Bukem had formed his second label Looking Good Records and begun the formation of an artist collective including

, Aquarius (aka

, Nookie & Tayla, — similarly inclined towards melodicism and epic expanses of sound. Bukem also launched the club night ''Speed'' at the Mars Bar in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, in order to promote Good Looking's approach to sound. With Bukem & Fabio playing breakbeat records and MC Conrad providing vocals, it soon became one of the most popular clubs in London. In 1996 the release of Logical Progression signalled Good Looking's commitment to the drum & bass and jungle community providing shelter for a unique band of producers. The same year, Good Looking introduced the Earth series of compilations. The Earth series showcases a range of mid-tempo musical styles from hip-hop, lounge, cosmic funk, and future soul, jazz and house music. The most recent volume – Earth 7 featured a DVD with 5.1 DTS surround sound. 1998 saw the release of the first Progression Sessions mix CD. These live recordings capture the vibe of the Progression Sessions tours & residencies from around the world. Now in its 10th edition the Progression Sessions series documents the musical direction of Good Looking Records through the years and illustrates the live element brought to each event through the complementary pairing of LTJ Bukem's music and the vocals of MC Conrad. Into the 2000s, Good Looking Records continued to release further Progression Sessions mix CDs, compilation CDs and vinyl. The latest wave of records were released in 2014.

References

External links

Good Looking Records Discography
{{Authority control British record labels Record labels disestablished in 2005 Drum and bass record labels

Overview

History

See also

References

External links