Ah yes, the first, the groundbreaker, the original Earth. Back in 1996, this was a daring release from LTJ Bukem. But unlike most labels that kept to one genre and style, Good Looking Records held a strong value that the Drum and Bass artists we loved and heard were musicians first. And so with that in mind, the Earth series was launched.

The best way I can describe the sound of the first Earth series is "raw," as in, "new" yet keeping the sampling, programming, to give it a very analog feel. Starting from The Rhyme Goes On, one can hear that this is uncharted waters for GLR, and yet the splash is huge. A hip-hop flavored downtempo tune carried by its funky bassline with scratches and vocal samples. A brilliant opener and one that is memorable.

But lets not fret. GLR was primarily a D&B label, so we're treated with 6 D&B tunes exploring all sub-genres. Appaloosa's traveling - a lifting atmospheric track that has an interesting breakdown; keys reminiscent of dancehall reggae. Subject 13 - brings a jazz slice D&B track, and of course, PHD and The Funky Technicians declare their mastery of the amen sound.

Samba with JC is a great track with lots of latin sounds, percussion, and horns. A staple of what the Earth series is all about.

Jazz elements with futuristic synths clearly shows the self indulgence of Drum and Bass with Jazz in Blamde's Revival. The rhodes are infectious, the bassline is amazingly done, and the track would stand out as a prelude of whats to come from Blame. A solid D&B tune.

Bukem's own Moodswings, a minimal, jazzy downtempo tune gorgeously produced. The closing track is the now-classic Tokyo Dawn from Doc Scott; a piercing amen track with a deep atmospheric feel that fits just right. The breakdown at 5:18 is an amazing outer-space feel with the synth dipping low in the frequency range. Brilliant.

They say the first is always the best. Perhaps it is true here, but this marked the experimentation that GLR still brings forth till this day. Other volumes may have brought different themes, but this is still the most raw sounding of the Earth series. Definitely a worthy pick up.