During 1996,
L.T.J Bukem began to show up on lists of the most-favored names in electronica, due in part to his serene vision for atmospheric drum'n'bass; one year later, his right-hand man and label-mate
Blame began to be name-checked as well. Influenced by the
Bukem track "Music,"
Blame and his early partner Justice began producing hardcore breakbeat tracks by 1990. By far the most popular early
Blame single was "2 Bad Mice Take You," a spot-on fusion of decaying rave chords and stacks of breakbeats. The single, co-produced with Moving Shadow label-boss
Rob Playford, became one of the best-known hardcore tunes of the early '90s. (Perhaps belying the extent of Playford's involvement, it was appropriated for release on the Kaotic Chemistry LP by his own 2 Bad Mice project.)
By that time,
Blame's own productions had shifted to the more reflective timbres of jazzy jungle. He recorded several singles for
Bukem's Good Looking label, and formed (with Justice) Modern Urban Jazz Records. After
Bukem hosted and mixed the first volume in his label-retrospective series Logical Progression, he passed the baton to
Blame for Logical Progression, Level 2 in 1997.
Blame also collaborated on one of the best jungle LPs of the year: the pristine, slightly jazzy Emotions with Intellect, recorded as Icons with Justice. In 1998,
Blame hosted the first volume in a new Good Looking series, Progression Sessions, with tracks by
Intense,
Seba, Artemis and
Bukem himself. [See Also: Icons] ~ John Bush