Journey Inwards

Journey Inwards

ASIN: B00004SGS5

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Though he was once on top of the drum & bass heap, in recent years LTJ Bukem, king of ambient drum & bass, has been pushed aside in favor of hard and dark tech-step. Fame came easily to Bukem, who with his labels Looking Good and Good Looking spearheaded the movement of intelligent drum & bass with the release of the Logical Progression series, quickly cementing his place in the short history of urban breakbeat. Journey Inwards marks his long-awaited return and attempt to reclaim his throne in the fickle drum & bass community. True to form, Bukem turns in a two-disc set of songs heavy on the reverb, caressed by light lyrics and sweet singing throughout. Horns and synths are as integral--if not more important than--bass lines, and often the bass takes a backseat to the music's melodic enterprises. Jazz peeks its head in a few places, particularly when Bukem slows the tempo, as in "Sunrain," cuing up the old suspicions that Bukem creates adult contemporary jungle. Not concerned with rocking the joint, Bukem instead lulls slowly to sleep or seduces his admirers. Whether he's playing with scattershot drums or mellow-yellow downtempo, Bukem manipulates the mood as deftly as he chops a beat. --Tricia Romano

Tracks:

Journey Inwards
Watercolours
Rhodes To Freedom
Our World
Undress Your Mind
Point Of View
Viewpoint

Tracks:

Sunrain
Deserted Vaults
Inner Guidance
Close To The Source
Suspended Space
Unconditional Love
Feel What You Feel

Amazon.com

Though he was once on top of the drum & bass heap, in recent years LTJ Bukem, king of ambient drum & bass, has been pushed aside in favor of hard and dark tech-step. Fame came easily to Bukem, who with his labels Looking Good and Good Looking spearheaded the movement of intelligent drum & bass with the release of the Logical Progression series, quickly cementing his place in the short history of urban breakbeat. Journey Inwards marks his long-awaited return and attempt to reclaim his throne in the fickle drum & bass community. True to form, Bukem turns in a two-disc set of songs heavy on the reverb, caressed by light lyrics and sweet singing throughout. Horns and synths are as integral--if not more important than--bass lines, and often the bass takes a backseat to the music's melodic enterprises. Jazz peeks its head in a few places, particularly when Bukem slows the tempo, as in "Sunrain," cuing up the old suspicions that Bukem creates adult contemporary jungle. Not concerned with rocking the joint, Bukem instead lulls slowly to sleep or seduces his admirers. Whether he's playing with scattershot drums or mellow-yellow downtempo, Bukem manipulates the mood as deftly as he chops a beat. --Tricia Romano

Customer Reviews:

A true masterpiece, and anything but boring... .......2006-07-03

...unless you are a hard-core dnb head, and have not matured at least a little.

This is desert island/living/bedroom bliss.

Disc 1 is worth the total price alone, and Disc 2 is almost.

This is not "Drum and Bass" or "Jungle" per se. It is, as the title so clearly states, a 'journey inwards' by one of the founding fathers of the aforementioned genre/s.

A solid effort.......2006-06-29

LTJ Bukem moves away a bit from pure drum and bass but presents a well composed album. While disk #2 had me feeling a bit empty, disk #1 is true electronic combined with elemental jazz, upbeat bass as well as downtempo lounge.
I hesitated giving this album 5 stars dues to the lackluster of disk 2, but disk 1 on its own is quite the listening experinece.(4.5 stars)

BOOOOOOOOOORING.......2006-04-07

LTJ Bukem is certainly one of the most important DnB-DJ's. He opened the genre to ambient, Funk, Jazz etc and there are few DJ's which have influenced DnB more than him. Without Bukem, and without Good Looking Records, DnB would not be what it is today.

Let me remind you, this is the man who created Logical Progression (certainly one of the most influential DnB albums), Progression Sessions with the wonderful MC Conrad, and Earth (which anyone in electronical music knows and loves).

Unfortunetaly, I must say that Journey Inwards just shows what I was afraid of: with the beginning of the new century, the time of the LTJ is over.

Some claim "Journey Inwards" is a logical continuation of 70's Funk, Jazz and Fusion, and that it really is "intelligent". My opinion is that it is neither funky nor jazzy nor is it DnB. Do you know these Yoga or meditation CD's you sometimes here when you are shopping? That's how this album sounds. It is totally uninspired, it is really really boring, and it never comes to a point. Its just like this man is out of ideas.

Most songs are over 7 minutes long, and you only hear some mystical sounds (again - meditation) for 2 or 3 minutes. Nothing else, no drums, no bass. And almost every song starts like that. So close your eyes, and imagine you are a tree...

I would say, Bukem has made his contributions, but his style is exhausted - there is nowhere to go with it anymore. What can you do as a music fan? Here are some tips:

Either buy all the old stuff by Bukem, or go back to 60's and 70's real Jazz, Funk or Fusion. And if you want to listen to some new very good (say 2003 and later) - and indeed quite intelligent DnB-albums, which are more "up-to-date" - then go to DJ Marky, Zinc, London Electricity or High Contrast. Thats the "intelligent" DnB of the new century.

The more Cerebal side of Bukems Productions.......2005-06-24

Few could argue, that there aren't many people, that have done more than LTJ Bukem, to push the genre of Drum 'n' Bass, into a more widely accepted audience. An active pivotal figure from the scene's early days, he has been on a increasingly successful quest to push traditional atmospheric drum'n'bass tracks, with a strong undercurrent of 70's Rhodes Jazz-funk fusion, into the concessions of the general public for a while now. Although actively disliking the term 'Intelligent Drum N Bass', (which is odd....seeing as 'Intelligent Drum N Bass', largely sidesteps, tough hardhitting bass & Hyper-speed beats, for a more melodic & rhythmically midtempo fusion of stylish, smooth & sublimely textured breakbeats. Which is largely what Bukem's music is favourably likened to???).

His influences musically, have always been referenced in his music, so the elegant ambience of 70's Jazz-fusion, were detectable in early hits such as "Horizons". And although his "Logical Progression" & "Progression Sessions" albums, veer more towards hypnotic Jungle/Breakbeat. This particular album largely forgoes club-friendly breaks, in favour of a Jazz inflicted sound, that is in partial reference to heroes & Jazz pioneers, 'Roy Ayers' to 'Pharoah Sanders'. Those looking for anything along the lines of the phenomenal "Logical Progression" series, would be we advised to take note of the fact that, this is cerebral, organic 'mood' music, that is resolutely of a strictly downtempo nature, and the intimate mood for vast majority of the music here, would struggle to find a place inside a traditional Drum N Bass club, as there are no Vocal/MC gymnastics to latch onto, with all tracks being instrumental (apart from 1 vocal track, and a couple of snippets of dialogue, on 1-2 other tracks), here the focus is pushed squarely towards the sort of music that Bukem most likely listens to, outside his profession...tracks that in some way or form are retrospective collections of natural ambience, similarly inclined towards melodicism or epic expanses of sound.

So what can you expect from this 2-Disk CD??

The music created over the 2-Cd's is one that'll disappoint those looking for an album of traditional Drum N Bass material, instead, Bukem has created an exceptionally crafted collection of tracks that incorporate: Jazz-Fusion, 70's Funk, Intelligent Breakbeat, organic breaks, Soul-Jazz, Ambient atmospheres, Mellow, Jungle, Jazz-Funk, Downtempo, funky jazz.....in fact anything of a decidedly midtempo, cerebral nature has been included here. The tracks themselves are stunning in their composition, all moody soundtracks (which is an idea that features prominently throughout the album), soothing melodies, Elegant bass sounds, Cerebral arrangements, beautiful Fender Rhodes playing, sensual tones, and an ambitious approach to song creation that continues to explore the possibilities of integrating jazz improvisation with drum'n'bass production. More impressively, it manages to meld structural elements more in common with downtempo R&B, with an ideas that are quite indebted to the organic jazz sounds that Bukem is so clearly in love with. It's an astonishing varied bunch of tracks, not so far as there is massive diversions in tempo and genre.....more to do with the fact that it takes manages to move confidently from smooth Jazz-Funk ("Journey Inwards"), through to the shimmeringly atmospheric sounds and waves of Rhodes keyboards ("Rhodes to Freedom"), to tracks that are more in tone with the proficiently superb liquid ambience, of the sort of Nocturnal intelligent Drum N Bass that, Bukem made his name by ("Watercolours"), or having the sole vocal track on the 2 disks, that manages to reference that sort of elaborate and dramatic 70's spy thriller sound, that marked out the tremendous instrumental side of somebody like 'Curtis Mayfields' work ("Sunrain"), or indeed exhibiting the frequent synthesized bass and pulsating hi-hat flourishes of smoky jazz-noir, that are sleek and expansive in their arrangement ("Deserted Vaults). So although everything here isn't of a high BPM, Bukem is skillfully able to take relatively simple ideas, and make highly polished instrumental tracks that with the use of restrained beats and an orchestral tug, are arguably some of the most organically refined work he's done.

Those that like the sound of this album and are considering making the purchase, of what I consider to be up there with his seminal "Logical Progression" & "Progression Sessions" series, must be warned that, there really is very little in the way of the sort of Drum N Bass, that features on those albums, and instead is preoccupied with smooth grooves, Jazzy arrangements and complex mannered, intricate drum programming that features on the majority of Bukem's more relaxed productions. The mood here is very laid-back and unrushed, and if your waiting for some energetic, quick-tempo dancefloor rhythms in the realm of breakbeat headspace, and driving bass and deft pacing, then I'm afraid that it never truly arrives. As there is far too much considered and sophisticated grooves here, that work far better as late night Chill-out music, or reflective mood music (this works especially well, on late night car drives), then they do as dance-orientated music. Anyone familiar with Bukems "Earth" series. (A compilation of tracks from Various artists that cover everything from: Soul-Jazz, Jazz-fusion, ambient breakbeat, funk-fusion, Latin soul-jazz, instrumental Hip-Hop), will absolutely adore this, is it's very much in the same vein. Anyone just looking for some exceptionally produced, impressively eloquent music, will find this could well rank as some of Bukem's finest work.....Exceptional!!!

Road Music.......2005-03-17

Belt yourself in...turn the key....head out on the highway...Pop this in and tune to "Undress Your Mind" or "Feel What You Feel"...and you'll find the fit is downright...perfect. This is about motion and it moves at a rate of rightgeous....Buy it and listen...and you will move.

Average customer rating:

Where the bass may lay
Ltj Bukem - a man you where you have....
A must have

Journey Inwards
LTJ Bukem
Manufacturer: Good Looking Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Drum & Bass | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00004S29V
Release Date: 2002-08-28

Tracks:

Journey Inwards
Watercolours
Rhodes to Freedom
Our World - LTJ Bukem, , M. Holmes, S. Holmes, , L. E. King
Undress Your Mind
Point of View
Viewpoint

Tracks:

Sunrain - LTJ Bukem,
Deserted Vaults [Instrumental]
Inner Guidance
Close to the Source
Suspended Space
Unconditional Love
Feel What You Feel

Album Details

Drum and Bass. One of Electronic Music's Greatest Talents Presents his Debut Album. 14 Superbly Crafted Tracks Spread Across Two CDs - Drum and Bass and Downtempo Grooves.

Customer Reviews:

Where the bass may lay.......2002-12-29

Make no mistake on this album, it is nothing short of a master peice. Heavy on the Jazz elements, this CD is pure jazz fusion and organic drum and bass, and theres nothing better. Disc one features more of an electronic basis, while disc two hits hard on the jazz, which ultimately creates the perfect two disc balance of two killer genres. Deffinately worth picking up.

Ltj Bukem - a man you where you have...........2001-08-20

I am perfectly aware that the title of my rewiev is somewhat misleading since Ltj Bukem has created quite different material. But the reason for my title is simply that this particular cd is what Ltj Bukem originally or traditionally is about. It is a compilation of two cd's. And I really think it is a good one. There is not much of a Triphop inspiration to it. But the material consist mainly of nice long jungle and dub tracks. Very nice and perfect listening to laying on your back either thinking about different things or just relaxing.

A must have.......2000-10-04

A difinite must have, brilliant piece of work!

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