LTJ Bukem

• Genre: Liquid Funk
• Hometown: London

About

A true pioneer in the world of Drum 'n' Bass, LTJ Bukem cut his teeth as a DJ for rare groove sound systems before being energized by the rave scene and Acid House. Taking up the challenge of production, Bukem saw the revolutionary possibilities of combining his background in Soul and jazz Fusion with Techno, House and breakbeats. Eschewing the manic excess of the majority of early Jungle, Bukem's smooth and futuristic style owes as much to Lonnie Liston Smith and Weather Report as it does to E and Vicks Vapo-Rub. Creating a template based on sleek, rolling breaks and lush melodic synths, Bukem's groundbreaking tracks like "Music" and "Horizons" threw down the gauntlet of sophistication and musicality to the raving masses. While concentrating his efforts mostly on his Good Looking and Looking Good labels, Bukem has nonetheless kept up a steady stream of classy junglist releases, with the occasional foray into soulful down-tempo territory.

- Mike Schulman