Daniel Williamson (born 20 September 1967), better known as LTJ Bukem (), is a British

drum and 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- ...

musician, producer and DJ. He and his record label Good Looking are most associated with the jazzy, atmospheric side of drum and bass music.

Life and career

Bukem was trained as a classical pianist and discovered

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, amplifiers, and ke ...

in his teenage years, having a jazz funk band at one stage. By the late 1980s, he decided to become a DJ and gained fame in the

rave A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mu ...

scene of the early 1990s. His stage name came from his nickname "Book 'em" which derived from the TV show

Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to: * ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series * ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productio ...

where the character

Steve McGarrett Steve McGarrett is a fictional character who is the protagonist of CBS' '' Hawaii Five-O''. McGarrett is a former United States Navy officer and the leader of a special state police task force, which is called Five-O. McGarrett was portrayed by ...

would say "Book 'em Danno" when someone was arrested. As a producer, he released a series of

tracks such as "Logical Progression" (1991), "Demon's Theme" (1992), "Atlantis" and "Music" (1993). His most notable release was the track "Horizons" (1995) which attained considerable popularity, using the main melody from

Lemon Sol The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for ...

's song "Sunflash". He then dipped in visibility as a producer, with his work running the London club night

Speed In everyday use and in kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a scalar quant ...

and his record label

Good Looking Records Good Looking Records is a jungle and drum & bass record label, formed in 1991 by producer LTJ Bukem. The label specializes in jazz-influenced and atmospheric, so-called Intelligent Drum & Bass. Overview The label releases music which includ ...

, coming to the fore. A series of compilations entitled '' Logical Progression'' highlighted a

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 m ...

and ambient influenced side of drum and bass; the style became widely known as

intelligent drum and 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-bas ...

. Bukem also explored the downtempo end of electronic

lounge music Lounge music is a type of easy listening music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It may be meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place, usually with a tranquil theme, such as a jungle, an island paradise or outer space. The rang ...

, with sister label Cookin' and the ''Earth'' series of compilations. Some of the artists who rose to fame under Good Looking in this period 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 ...

, Seba, Big Bud,

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 ...

, DJ Dream (Aslan Davis), Future Engineers, Tayla, Aquarius (an alias of

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

and Artemis. On 16 July 1995, he did an

Essential Mix The ''Essential Mix'' is a weekly radio show on BBC Radio 1 currently broadcast between 0:00 and 2:00 a.m. UK time on Saturday morning. Originally broadcast on 30 October 1993, the ''Essential Mix'' features contemporary DJs and music producer ...

alongside MC Conrad. In 1997, he remixed the

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

theme for

David Arnold David Arnold (born 23 January 1962) is a British film composer whose credits include scoring five James Bond films, as well as ''Stargate'' (1994), '' Independence Day'' (1996), ''Godzilla'' (1998) and the television series '' Little Britain'' ...

's concept album of

James Bond music The James Bond film series from Eon Productions has featured numerous musical compositions since its inception 1962, many of which are now considered classic pieces of British film music. The best known of these pieces is the "James Bond Theme" ...

'' Shaken and Stirred: The David Arnold James Bond Project''. In 2000, he finally released a debut solo album, the double-CD '' Journey Inwards''. The album heavily emphasised his jazz fusion influences. 2001 saw a remix of

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he help ...

. He ran the Speed clubnight in London with fellow drum and bass DJ

Fabio Fabio is a given name descended from Latin '' Fabius'' and very popular in Italy and Latin America (due to Italian migration). Its English equivalent is Fabian. The name is written without an accent in Italian and Spanish, but is usually accented ...

. He DJs extensively around the world, often under the 'Progression Sessions' or 'Bukem in Session' banners. However, his former companion and vocalist, MC Conrad left the label and ultimately their musical partnership in 2012. Daniel Williamson was adopted from birth. In 2007, he revealed that he had found his biological birth mother, a Ugandan woman living in Paris. She told him that his father was Egyptian.

Style and influences

Viewed as an innovator in the drum and bass style, Bukem is known for developing an accessible alternative to that

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 ...

genre's speedy, assaultive energies. His style pays homage to the Detroit-based sound of early

techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...

, but Bukem also incorporates still earlier influences, particularly the mellow, melodic sonorities of 1970s era jazz fusion as exemplified by

Lonnie Liston Smith Lonnie Liston Smith Jr. (born December 28, 1940) is an American jazz, soul, and funk musician who played with such jazz artists as Pharoah Sanders and Miles Davis before forming Lonnie Liston Smith and the Cosmic Echoes, recording a number of ...

and

Roy Ayers Roy Ayers (born September 10, 1940) is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer, vibraphone player, and music producer. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Pol ...

.Harrington, Richard. ''LTJ Bukem''. ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' 27 April 2001: T.07. ProQuest Platinum. Online (31 October 2007). Early in his career, Bukem was identified for his response to the "almost paranoid hyperkinesis" of

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 ...

-based

house music House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by Disc jockey, DJs and music producers from Chicago metropolitan area, Chicago' ...

, and specifically for his reservations regarding the overbearing force of the

mentality.Chris Sharp, "Jungle." In ''Modulations: A History of Electronic Music,'' Peter Shapiro, Ed (New York: Caipirnha Productions Inc., 2000), p. 141. Bukem's music from the early 1990s onward represents his efforts to map out an alternative future for drum and bass by incorporating softer-edged influences culled from London's 1980s

rare groove Rare groove is music that is very hard to source or relatively obscure. Rare groove is primarily associated with funk, R&B and jazz funk, but is also connected to subgenres including jazz rock, reggae, Latin jazz, soul, rock music, northern soul ...

and acid jazz scenes. Music on ''Logical Progression'' reveals these influences, as does his approach on 1993's ''Music / Enchanted'', which features string arrangements and sounds from nature. His use of keyboards, live vocals and slow-motion

breaks Break or Breaks or The Break may refer to: Time off from duties * Recess (break), time in which a group of people is temporarily dismissed from its duties * Break (work), time off during a shift/recess ** Coffee break, a short mid-morning rest ...

on these and future releases earned Bukem's music the tag

. While this designation caused controversy within the drum and bass community, it also influenced the popularisation of

music in the UK during the mid-1990s.

Discography

Albums

* '' Journey Inwards'' (2000)

Compilations/mixes

* ''Mixmag Live! Volume 21'' (

MixMag ''Mixmag'' is a British electronic dance and clubbing magazine published in London. Launched in 1983 as a print magazine, it has branched into dance events, including festivals and club nights. History The first issue of ''Mixmag'' was prin ...

, 1996) * ''Logical Progression Vols 1–4'' (1996–2001) * ''Progression Sessions Vols 1–10'' (1998–2003) * ''Earth Vols 1–7'' (1996–2004) * ''Producer 01'' (2001) * ''Producer 05: Rarities'' (2002) * ''Some Blue Notes of Drum 'N Bass'' (2004) * '' FabricLive.46'' (2009) * ''Bukem in Session'' (2013)

Singles/EPs

* "Delitefol" (1991) * "Logical Progression" (1991) * "Teach Me to Fly" (with DJ Trace) (1992) * "Demon's Theme / A Couple of Beats" (1992) * ''Who Knows Vol 1'' (as the Bookworm) (1993) * "Bang the Drums / Remnants" (with Tayla) (1993) * "Return to Atlantis" (with Apollo Two) (1993) * "Music / Enchanted" (1993) * "Atmospherical Jubilancy" (1993) * "19.5" (with

) (1994) * "Horizons" (1995) * "The Journey" (with Mystic Moods) (1996) * ''Mystical Realms EP'' (1998) * ''Suspended Space EP'' (2000) * “Flip the narrative” (2021)

Remixes

* "

Sweetness Sweetness is a Taste#Basic tastes, basic taste most commonly Perception, perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasure, pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds ...

(Mellow Drum n Bass Mix)" –

Michelle Gayle Michelle Patricia Gayle (born 2 February 1971) is a British singer, songwriter, actress and writer. Gayle had success as a soul and R&B singer in the 1990s, having achieved seven top 40 singles in the UK Singles Chart. These include "Sweetness" ...

(1994) * "

Feenin' "Feenin'" is a song by American R&B group Jodeci, recorded for their second album, '' Diary of a Mad Band'' (1993). It was released as the second single from the album in March 1994. Music video The music video for "Feenin'", filmed in a menta ...

(LTJ Bukem Remix)" –

Jodeci Jodeci ( ) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B quartet consisting of members DeVanté Swing, Dalvin DeGrate, Mr. Dalvin, K-Ci (singer), K-Ci, and K-Ci and JoJo, JoJo. Formed in 1989 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jodeci's members began their mu ...

(1995) * "Transamazonia (LTJ Bukem Remix)" –

The Shamen The Shamen ( ) were a Scottish psychedelic band, formed in 1985 in Aberdeen, who became a chart-topping British electronic dance music act by the early 1990s. The founding members were Colin Angus, Derek McKenzie and Keith McKenzie. Peter St ...

(1995) * "If I Could Fly (LTJ Bukem Remix)" –

Grace Grace may refer to: Places United States * Grace, Idaho, a city * Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois * Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office * Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uninco ...

(1996) * " The James Bond Theme (LTJ Bukem Remix)" –

(1997) * "The Essence (LTJ Bukem Remix)" –

(with

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...

) (2001)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bukem, Ltj 1967 births Living people English drum and bass musicians English DJs English record producers Breakbeat hardcore musicians Black British musicians People from Watford Musicians from Hertfordshire British trip hop musicians English funk musicians Breakbeat musicians Electronic dance music DJs