LTJ Bukem - Earth Volume Two

This compilation is so staggeringly beautiful; every track is utterly breathtaking. Released in the midst of the dark ‘No U-Turn’ dominated winter of ’97, it really cut against the grain. The majority of tracks are down tempo and coupled with the fact that this LP was released to a drum and bass audience who, particularly at the time, were extremely wary of the perceived watering down of their sound, was a bold move on the part of Good Looking Records. The compilation, albeit not in the same malevolent vein as much of the music at the time, was no less experimental or indeed diluted. Feel the sense of foreboding on Intense’s ‘Flashback’ or the serene solitude in the forlorn ‘Adrift on Deep Water’ by Blu Mar Ten. Hear the drop-out midway on Bukem’s ‘Cosmic Interlude’ for a taste of sheer tranquillity; whilst the sublime ‘J-Walkin’ by Blame makes for a lesson in pure exploration of the drum & bass / breakbeat sound. So far for me, Volume 2 is by far and away the cream of the Earth series.