Customer Reviews

Progression Sessions 1

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I grew up listening to Alternative and Hip Hop. I thought techno was for losers, and that electronic instruments couldn't be "real." I was wrong. The first Bukem song I heard was "Demon's Theme Part II" from the soundtrack to The Jackal. I loved it and began searching for LTJ Bukem, anywhere I could. Then I found Progression Sessions. To say that this music has shaped my life is an understatement. Ever since discovering P.S. 1 and P.S. 4, my rides in the car and hours spent doing homework have never been the same! One caveat: if you've never listened to a set of DJs from the U.K., you may not be used to the British-accented rap. It'll grow on ya, I didn't prefer it at first, but now I can't imagine it any other way!

P.S. 1 is an incredible album. It starts with an ethereal soft keyboard that sounds organ-like and chime-like at the same time. Then high-strings follow with an easy drum line. When the bass hits the first time at 2:15 and Conrad says "...let the Progression Session begin...", things take shape and the mellow track puts you in a groove (Make sure you have a decent system or some nice cans <- headphones). The first couple tracks on the album have a pretty upbeat feel to them. Track 4 gets heavy hitting, with lots of snare/tambourine and jungle sounds. It can seem monotonous at first, but by the end, it settles out. Track 5, by PHD, has a unique "wah-wah" kind of guitar sound, and a driving drum line which continues the essence of jungle. That sets the stage for the second half of the album...

Track 6, 7, and 8 are what I call "the most intelligent 20 minutes of Drum & Bass ever created." Big Bud's "Emotionography" mix on this album is simply sublime. There is a slight pause with a sampled voice track of the character Jay 'Chef' Hicks in Apocalypse Now. Soon as he finishes, Emotionography takes off. It's a really memorable song that will have you bouncing and/or tapping your feet or your desk or anything in sight. Track 7, "Planetary Funk Alert" is probably my favorite D&B song to date. Seba created a masterpiece, and MC Conrad really flexes his lyrical might on this one. Conrad starts with "Let's fly with the rhythm!" The first 2 minutes use a couple unique elements. A snappy snare line with steady strings, a warbling keyboard line, and then at 1:10 the bass line. All of this builds to the apex of the song: at 2:59 Conrad says "so baby open up your mind, and let your soul get undressed" and the bass line ceases. Just the strings, light keyboard, and what sounds like electronic xylophone strokes. Only a slight record scratch betrays the silence and then at 3:43 Conrad lays into it. I love his lyrics and rhyme, and the ever-so-slight way that he goes "flat" with the key of his voice. I can listen to this section over and over again... Last, but not least, comes a slightly different-style track with #8, from Bio-Wire (I had never heard of this DJ before?!). The key changes and it's not minor, but definitely not major. It's kind of in-between. Nice bass riffs with some deep booms at the end of each cycle. I really like the organ here too. It's a slightly discordant harmony that sounds refreshing, and I love it. The saxophone adds a different twist too. At 3:22, the bass-line drops and the harmonic elements of the organ take center-stage. A cool off-beat, off-tempo section comes back in at 3:43, and then the track unfolds at 4:07 and drives forward with Conrad's intense rhyming. Track 10 brings back another Seba special and Track 11 is an LTJ original to rounds things out.

I only wish that all the Progression Sessions were as good as this one! PS 1, 2, and 4 are by far my favorites. PS 3 is decent, with a really unique mix of Emotionography: I had been listening to PS 1 for so many years that when I heard this remix, it really gave me a sensation of going back in time! PS 5 is forgettable, I liked track 3, but the rest of it is terrible. Repetitive and annoying. It's a shame because, PS 4, the one right before it is arguably my favorite of the whole series. I recommend listening to PS 1, PS 4, and then PS 2 in that order. Add PS 3 and then others as you see fit. PS 1, 4, and 2 are simply incredible, and demonstrate why LTJ Bukem is the undisputed king of D&B. Love this album, love the DJ, welcome to Drum and Bass!!!

Progression Sessions, Vol. 1

This first Progression Sessions is an incredible album. Both LTJ Bukem and MC Conrad are definitely at their best and it is well worth buying. After all, this album launched a phenomenon that has produced many more fantastic Progressions Sessions that seem to keep getting better and better.