It’s been a long time coming, but the local drum’n’bass scene is in for a special treat. Legendary d’n’b figurehead LTJ Bukem – aka Danny Williamson – hits the decks at Blue Frog with support from MC Conrad for what promises to be an incendiary night for loyal junglists across the land.

Bukem, who has a background in classical piano, first rose to fame in the 1990s; he made a name for himself at London club night Speed and founded his own label, Good Looking Records (aka the Good Looking Organisation). His early forays into the music industry were on pirate radio stations that operated out of his friends’ bedrooms – humble beginnings for someone now considered one of the forefathers of atmospheric drum’n’bass. And although this bespectacled beat-master hasn’t put out much new material recently – his last release was Switch/Drum Tools with MC Conrad and DJ Furney in 2008 – mention his name to any savvy d’n’b fan and their eyes will light up with recognition and respect. He is, after all, the genius behind Logical Progression – widely recognised as one of the genre’s most influential records.

Jazz lovers will particularly dig Bukem’s progressive-fusion style of drum’n’bass, often incorporating a smidgen of early techno, a smattering of strings and a touch of breakbeat flavour to avoid monotony. Considering how long he’s been in the business, LTJ Bukem juggles producing, touring and remixing with surprising zeal. In an interview with Resident Advisor, he quotes jazz icon Herbie Hancock’s dictum that “music comes from life, not the other way around,” and admits that he needs to relax and live a little: “I think diving into your work, not allowing any kind of life to exist apart from work, is not healthy.” Wise words from a seasoned professional – let’s just hope he doesn’t chill out too much when he hits Macau.

Alexis Ong

Tickets: www.macau.com.