90s Music Monday

nobody@vox.com(Simon Wistow) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 03:39:13 -0800

It's funny how often I have a 90mm choice all lined up and then, come the morning, I change it based on the weather or, probably about as frequently, what time I went to bed the night before.

Ok, so when I say 'funny' I'm somewhat stretching the definition of the term. 'Not funny' is probably a better phrase to use to be brutally honest.

Anyway, so originally this was going to be some bouncy 90s indie pop punk of the type that a younger me, replete with bad haircut and tastefully layered t-shirt type clothing, would dutifully bop up and down to - my top row of teeth clenching my bottom lip in a way that I hoped portrayed both masculinity and yet also sensitivity. Sometimes I would actually hit the beat. Trust me, in practice it could almost be endearing.

However, at 2am, as the soothing glow of a laptop screen bathed my bestubbled face whilst I meticulously constructed voodoo dolls to punish those who mock me, my mood changed.

LTJ Bukem's "Logical Progression" seemed to be ubiquitous on student shelves in the early 90s. It kick started the Intelligent Drum'n'Bass movement, adding in Jazz and Ambient influences to the more usual amphetamine-kissed, aggressive D'n'B genre (although it should be noted that Bukem disliked the term "Intelligent" since it implied that other D'n'B styles weren't).

I listened to Disc 1, Track 9 on continuous loop a lot, because, well, I'm an obsessive.

LTJ Bukem - Western

and it was only later that someone gave me the original track by PFM sans MC Conrad vocals.

PFM - The Western Tune

which lends itself even more to being an ambient background loop for musing, hacking and drinking.

Incidentally, the stage name LTJ Bukem (real name Danny Williamson, from Watford) is actually a reference to Hawaii 5-0 being a linguistic contraction of "El DJ, Book 'em!" which is itself a corruption of "Book 'em, Danno!". Apparently.

So now you know (and knowing is half the battle!)

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90s Music Monday