Earth 6
LTJ Bukem’sEarth 6isn’t really a new Bukem record, since the series exists to showcase up-and-coming acts on his Good Looking Records label. But the man and the label are essentially synonymous after a career spent putting ego and fame aside in favor of an overall sound. His name may fail to ring bells like aDigweedor anOakenfold, but Bukem long ago claimed his spot in dance music’s hall of fame by inventing and expanding the ambient alchemy of breakbeats and jungle. Stellar examples of that sound heard onEarth 6include the swanky breaks on Marcel’s "Solitudo 3" and "Jealous," as well as hypnotic MC work on ESP and Substance’s "Run The Gauntlet." Calmer rhythms rule here, as opposed to the hyper-speed jungle beats found on other Good Looking releases, but fans of airy ambience and downtempo will be happily anesthetized by Bukem’s melodious prescriptions. –Matthew Cooke