LTJ BUKEM
The Vaults, Cardiff Bay
Fri 5 Feb
The Vaults’ reputation for formidable jungle and drum’n’bass continues to swell, hosting their biggest booking yet. With big, rumbling, twinkling tracks like Logical Progression, Demon’s Theme and Atlantis, LTJ Bukem was a huge presence in the golden era of jungle. Records like Coolin’ Out and Twilight Voyage, not to mention his Earth and Logical Progression mix series, also played a massive role in creating the blueprint for the melody-fronted sound that would become liquid d’n’b, jungle’s blazed, blissed out younger brother. He was even more diverse than some realise though, with a slew of brilliant hip-hop beats under his belt too.
As a classically-trained pianist who had an early initiation into the world of jazz fusion, LTJ Bukem’s influence on what emerged as the UK’s newest, most original sound in years goes deeper than even his two decades of producing era-defining dancefloor classics and banging beats together at the super-raves of the 90s would suggest. With Fabio, he ran the London clubnight, Speed, and his record label, Good Looking, went on to define the sound that came to be called ‘intelligent drum’n’bass’ – a term he hated. His ethos was really about putting the emphasis on emotion, rather than the brutal darkness that was becoming dominant. Truly an audience with a legend.
Tickets: £13. Info: www.vaultspresents.com
words GWYN THOMAS DE CHROUSTCHOFF