- Recent visitors to our shores, LTJ Bukem and MC Conrad, release their latest offering in their Live Progression Sessions, this one being recorded in the Liquid Room, Tokyo, Japan in early Feburary 2002. LTJ picks a stunning mix of tunes while MC Conrad delivers fast paced rhymes and lyrics utilising his microphone effects machine, keeping the crowd hyped at the same time.
Starting off the mix, MC Conrad invites the crowd to make some noise and also introduces his selectah to fire up the wheels of steel - it's time to get busy. Greenfly's G-Funk is the perfect start to the mix. A soulful, jazzy drum'n'bass effort with a trumpet and keyboard solos. Herbie Hancock, jazz-supremo, gets his Essence remixed by Bukem himself and continues on from where G-Funk left off - still riding on that jazz-funk fusion tip. Conrad sings along with the female vocals on this track in a "call and response" routine.
Kymera's Secrets picks up the pace and mood a little bit and the drumbeats have a nice syncopated feel to them. What is a drum'n'bass mix without a rewind? This is the first track in the mix to get a rewind and rightfully deserves it - that beat just sounds really nice! Nookie's Innerspace has a very rapid beat that sounds like someone banging away at a typewriter to make drum'n'bass beats (well not really). But it's that lush, soulful drum'n'bass sound that is so prominent in this mix and MC Conrad compliments it very well with his singing and MC-ing style.
The Western by PFM gets mixed in next and is a really atmospheric drum'n'bass effort. This track also called for a rewind and rightfully deserved it. The old western gun sounds near the end give it that Western feel.
Local Perth producer Greg Packer contributes a Summer Breeze to this mix. It's good to see the locals getting attention from big names in the scene and with this track's conga rhythms, female vocals and horn stabs, it's sure to cause mayhem on the dancefloors.
Makoto contributes three tracks for this mix, namely Music Has Never Let Me Down, My Soul, and Bukem finishes the mix off with You Make Me Feel. With his passion for that atmospheric, chilled out drum'n'bass, it's not hard to see why LTJ picked three of his tracks for the live set. Nice!
11 tracks and around 60 minutes later, I'm pretty sure the listener would be left hungry for more. It's a different feeling seeing things done live. If the tracks didn't grab you then it would be:
a) LTJ's mixing style as he cuts, drops and rewinds his way through each of the 11 tracks or;
b) MC Conrad's MC style which does not get too intrusive during the mix or;
c) Both Bukem's and Conrad's style complimenting each other perfectly or;
d) all of the above.
As a bonus, the 2nd CD is a live studio instrumental mix of the 11 tracks minus Conrad. This makes for perfect background music and should make a nice accompaniment to any activity.
Tracklisting:
1. Greenfly - G-Funk
2. Herbie Hancock - Essence (Bukem's DJ Mix)
3. Kymera - Secrets
4. Nookie - Innerspace
5. PFM - The Western (MIke's Ricohet Remix)
6. Makoto - Musica Has Never Let Me Down
7. Greg Packer - Summer Breeze
8. Soul Purpose - Falling
9. Makoto - My Soul
10. Org Lounge - Une Femme Da La Mystique
11. Makoto - You Make Me Feel