the edge catch up with LTJ Bukem and Nookie on their recent Progression Session tour

How happy were you with the recent Progression Session tour? How did the turnout and crowd reaction compare to previous tours?

Nookie: The recent UK tour was a great success, we had some really good turn outs, the events seem to get better and better.
LTJ Bukem: Each gig you do is different, even if you play the same place twice there are always different things that contribute to making a gig good or bad. The sound, for example, is so important, yet it’s surprising how little effort some clubs make to improve sound. The people obviously make
the gig so it’s always good to have some. This last tour was excellent, I love playing in the UK, because it’s the birth place of this music. I’ve played in most places in the UK and thanks to a lot of great support from people I always seem to extract such good vibes from wherever I go...Thanks to the masses...

LTJ Bukem, jazz funk fusion has been extremely influential in your musical career. Have you ever considered forming a band to play that sort of thing live?

LTJ: Over 20 years ago I played in several bands, as I play the trumpet, drums and piano. I totally enjoyed the experience and it’s something I definitely want to repeat. There’s nothing like going somewhere where you can let off with a few mates and just jam for a day.

Adam F cites the music as important in his evolution too, have you guys ever jammed together?

LTJ: No but it’s something I would do. Adam has so much talent, and I love his 70’s interpretations of tunes on whatever style he chooses, wicked.

Speaking of Adam F, he recently had a lot of success with his Kaos hip hop project. Are there any artists you would be particularly excited to work
with?

N: Too many! Not enough time! Mainly some of the artists that have influenced me in my production, like Lalo Schifrin [legendary jazz/classical composer], Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson [Godfathers of techno].

LTJ: There are plenty, but there are also plenty of factors like time and
availability to name two that I have to consider, as I spend most of my time out of the UK DJing, something I’m working on...

It would seem that the music industry is on the verge of a drum and bass explosion, with many of the more mainstream producers adopting aspects of the medium for use in a variety of musical outlets.

LTJ: Not sure about that but I hope you’re right...I think D&B has been used a lot for commercials for film and TV, but no one big company has stuck with
the sound for that long...

Many elitist drum n bass fans will claim that their genre has grown and evolved so effectively over the years directly because it remained
underground. How do you think that a mainstream recognition of drum and bass would affect the scene?

N: Mainstream attention, we’ve had it all before, I just hope all the new
artists who are being linked to the majors are wise and have learnt from other people’s mistakes. Of course the media attention is always good; like they say, any publicity is good publicity. I just hope people don’t jump on the bandwagon and start producing cheesy commercial shit like they have in
the past.

LTJ: There are no negatives to getting our music heard, so as long as some A&R prick who knows nothing of the music doesn’t try and change what is handed to him to fit a commercial market which is ALL about changing people
and their music so companies make money, then cool. But it’s that same old thing, who’s going to be brave enough to really support a D&B artist from a major field and let that artist make his own music? I mean that’s why he or
she was signed in the first place, wasn’t it??????????????????? Funny old
game. Also, we still have to find the best ways of marketing the music that suit the D&B fraternity, simply because the format it’s already in doesn’t fit into a typical commercial release system most of the time. We are trying though, everyone in the scene.

Gareth Jones and Nick Purser’s artwork and design for the Good Looking
Organisation output is integral to the product as a whole. Has the label ever considered publishing a collection of the best artwork and photography
from over the years, or even running an exhibition?

Gareth Jones (Good looking Records artwork department): We’d love to publish
something that showcases the artwork because there seems to be a fair amount  of demand for something like that. However, at the moment, there’s not much room in the label’s budget for something like that. Having some kind of
exhibition inside a club or something would be a great idea and something for the future, but there never seems to be the time to concentrate on anything outside the release schedule.

The advent of corporate involvement within the dance music scene,  improvements in home computer technology and the price of production equipment seemingly falling by the week has made it easier than ever for people to become ‘bedroom producers’. Do you feel that this has benefited the industry as a whole, or simply led to an increase in the amount of sub-standard music around?

N: I think it’s a great time to be getting into making music, with the
technology being what it is at the moment, and I welcome anybody to have a go at making music, it’s not as easy as you might think! The standard should not drop just because more people are making music.

LTJ:  With all sub standard music you will always find someone in amongst those that can do something very special. Would that kid be able to present that special tune to us if the equipment was out of his reach price wise? I
remember when I first wrote music in the late eighties and I couldn’t afford anything. It was such a survival course all the time which can get so frustrating, like mixing down your first 5/6 tracks through my DJ mixer, nice, so the easier the better in my eyes...

Dance culture has now become part of the social consciousness. How do you feel about the way it’s represented within the media? Do you think the press place too much emphasis on the negative aspects?

N: Like any successful business, there are always people around ready to criticise you and to knock you down. To be honest, I don’t really take much notice of the attitude of the media, I’m more interested in the attitude of the people that actually go out at the weekends, week in week out, for the love of the music, not because they have to.
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LTJ: The press always want the juicy story, so to speak, no matter what
they’re writing about, so you get a lot of negativity in a lot of articles,
not just music. I don’t read half the amount of press that I used to because at the end of the day it’s one person’s perception of any given matter.

Outside of the Good Looking artist roster, which contemporary musicians do you respect the most at the moment? What releases are you most looking forward to in 2002?

N:I respect any producer who has the balls to try something different, who’s not afraid to be a little left field.

LTJ: I never really name people as we all do such different things with
different qualities at different times. I enjoy every style of music, as there’s always something for each person in each style, you just have to have the time to find it. I get sent so much music (big up the labels) so
like the last twenty odd years where I’ve been into so many forms, I’m sure the next twenty will be equally as exciting.

What were the first records the Good Looking crew ever bought?

N: A lot of the early Tommy Boy stuff, ‘Renegades of Funk’, ‘Planet Patrol’,  I was also a big Madness fan, Baggy Troosers!!

LTJ:  The Jam “In The City”, Chick Corea, Bert Weedon/guitar man,
Scott Joplin, Ska etc.

Good Looking will be playing at the Homelands festival this year. How does the festival atmosphere compare to the club environment?

N: It’s much harder to create an atmosphere in such a huge environment. Lots of things help to build up the atmosphere, but mainly the sound, and the sound systems at festivals are usually shit!

LTJ: The first thing is the amount of people. Those of us that have been
around a while can relate the festival thing now to what it started out as, illegal raves etc. It’s always good to play to a lot of people, the energy, vibe and whole buzz of it is different from that of a club

Good Looking also have another leg of the American tour coming up. What’s the reaction been to the music in the United States?

N: Very open-minded, the D&B over there is appreciated by a wide range of people. The States is one of my favourite places. Every time we come here the crowds get bigger and bigger.

LTJ:  I’ve been touring the US for about 6/7 years now and it’s always got better by the year. The first tour was only a couple of cities where as now we are going to 20 or more and the US people know exactly what’s going on
with the music etc.

What is the state of drum n bass generally within America? How does it fit into the fledgling dance scene as a whole?

N: It’s definitely growing at a healthy rate, lots of UK DJs and producers make the trip across the Atlantic.

LTJ: There’s a great passion for the music in the States and it’s showing with the number of producers making such excellent tracks right now. There needs to be more though to make an impact the music requires. It’s so
non-commercial and needs a lot of people supporting it, slowly but surely I think between us we are making the world listen.

Technics SL 1210s or Vestax PDX-2000?

N: Technics 1210s. Don’t fuck!

LTJ:  Haven’t used the Vestax as yet...

How did you all come up with your names?

Nookie: I can only speak for myself but I think my mum gave it to me when I was born...just kidding! I don’t get enough of it!

LTJ Bukem: LTJ actually stands for nothing, it was just something that got attached to my name around 89/90 just because I didn’t want to be called DJ Bukem anymore, so it became LTJ... Five Alive you’ll have to ask yourself as
I’m not sure, but the carton drink sounds familiar...

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