What a killer release from Danny Bukem's Good Looking imprint... As many of you may or may not know, Aquarius is Rupert Parks' other alias to his more common psuedonum Photek. And Tayla is man that has been there from the very beginning (check his Bang the Drums track out) and so needs no introduction. No wonder then that both these tracks still send rushes up my spine...
First up is Bringing Me Down... A track that starts off with a nice little break beat edit (that just paves the way for what's to come) and has a whale/dolphin sample overlaid to it (something heard also on Aquarius' Drift To The Center). This then drops into one of the most lush D&B synth lines that has the title vocal Bringing Me Down repeated. Then it drops... And this is where the breaks that only Photek and Talya can program really get flowing. Typical Aquarius and Tayla attention to detail, attention that really makes this track gleam with feeling, as it jitters into break downs and build ups. What an anthem... Still remember hearing this being played all over the city from summer 1994 onwards, while vainly searching for it down at Black Market, in Soho OR Total Music, in Bethnal Green.
On the flip is Soul Searching, another Classic that rocked me out there at Speed and Tempo, and just shows what can be done with the Amen break. Lovely intro with a lush drone, overlaid with a little catchy melody and a woman's deep breath. Then pure Amen heaven... What killer edits! Done in a fashion that only Talya and Photek know how to do: pure grooved out, dicey chops that keep it interesting and rolling out to the end...
All in all, these two tracks complete a timeless release that beautifully sums up Good Looking's vibe at the time... Lush, heady with spinning break beats, and totally danceable. If there was just one release on Danny Bukem's label that you had to listen to, it would be this...
Review by dj_stressOct 07, 2005(edited over 4 years ago)
Bringing Me Down is one of my all time favorite DnB tunes. IMHO, the tune sounds like it could have been made today with the exception that it's slower than 170 BPM. The song is so deep and I absolutely love the drums and the atmosphere. Definitely a 5/5!
First up is Bringing Me Down... A track that starts off with a nice little break beat edit (that just paves the way for what's to come) and has a whale/dolphin sample overlaid to it (something heard also on Aquarius' Drift To The Center). This then drops into one of the most lush D&B synth lines that has the title vocal Bringing Me Down repeated. Then it drops... And this is where the breaks that only Photek and Talya can program really get flowing. Typical Aquarius and Tayla attention to detail, attention that really makes this track gleam with feeling, as it jitters into break downs and build ups. What an anthem... Still remember hearing this being played all over the city from summer 1994 onwards, while vainly searching for it down at Black Market, in Soho OR Total Music, in Bethnal Green.
On the flip is Soul Searching, another Classic that rocked me out there at Speed and Tempo, and just shows what can be done with the Amen break. Lovely intro with a lush drone, overlaid with a little catchy melody and a woman's deep breath. Then pure Amen heaven... What killer edits! Done in a fashion that only Talya and Photek know how to do: pure grooved out, dicey chops that keep it interesting and rolling out to the end...
All in all, these two tracks complete a timeless release that beautifully sums up Good Looking's vibe at the time... Lush, heady with spinning break beats, and totally danceable. If there was just one release on Danny Bukem's label that you had to listen to, it would be this...
What more can I say other than Bukem Dan-O...