FmGT Retrospectives : Hybrid

Silent K with the mighty Mike Truman & Chris Healings [circa 2003]
[They are really tall. I am 5'8".]

If I Survive
Hybrid
Wide Angle
Kinetic Records / Distinctive Breaks : 2000
[Listen] [Buy]

Finished Symphony
Hybrid
Wide Angle
Kinetic Records / Distinctive Breaks : 2000
[Listen] [Buy]

Sinequanon
Hybrid
Wide Angle
Kinetic Records / Distinctive Breaks : 2000
[Listen] [Buy]

Theme from the Wide Angle
Hybrid
Wide Angle
Kinetic Records / Distinctive Breaks : 2000
[Listen] [Buy]

Higher than a Skyscraper
Hybrid
Morning Sci-Fi
Distinctive Breaks : 2003
[Listen] [Buy]

I'm Still Awake
Hybrid
Morning Sci-Fi
Distinctive Breaks : 2003
[Listen] [Buy]

True to Form
Hybrid
Morning Sci-Fi
Distinctive Breaks : 2003
[Listen] [Buy]

Bad Girl [Hybrid Remix]
DJ Rap
Remix & Additional Production By...
Distinctive Breaks : 2001
[Listen] [Buy]

Bodyrock [Hybrid Remix]
Moby
Remix & Additional Production By...
Distinctive Breaks : 2001
[Listen] [Buy]

Running Down the Way Up
Bt & Hybrid
Movement in Still Live [UK edition]
Net Fx : 1999
[Listen] [Buy]

Prologue [Hybrid Remix]
Ayumi Hamasaki
Ayu-Mi-X V.2
Avex Trax : 2000
[Listen] [Buy]

Summertime [Hybrid Remix]
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
Old School vs. New School
Jive Electro : 1998
[Listen] [Buy]

Heart's Desire
Hybrid
Scores
Unreleased
Listen track removed at artist's request

Just for Today
Hybrid [Featuring Kirsty Hawkshaw & Harry Gregson Williams]
I Choose Noise
Distinctive Breaks : 2006
[Listen] [Buy it this September]

[We] "want to make music that will last... something that isn't disposable, something that people will want to listen to over and over again." -- Lee Mullin

"It doesn't matter if you're hardcore or even the mildest fan of electronic music, Hybrid is a group that should not be missed" -- Silent K

Midway through mainstream trance revival of 1998 - 2000, I began to grow a little tired of the "UN-ce UN-ce UN-ce" beat. And so I made sure to do a good deal of random CD purchases, which I've found to be a great way to discover new tunes [that's how I discovered Jamiroquai]. And so one day as I was wandering around in Sound Garden in Armory Square, I picked up a compilation entitled Trance Global Nation 2. And I was exposed for the first time to one of my favorite musical acts, Hybrid. There was something of a boom taking place in the dance music scene at that point in time. Hybrid was lucky enough to initially ride that wave to reach intial recognition, but like all good artists, they evolved with the times and the technology, and in doing so have remained in my top five.

Pulling back the curtain on the Hybrid machine reveals Mike Truman & Chris Healings, a duo from Swansea, Wales. As producers [blenders, remixers and composers], they have an unparalelled finesse with orchestrated melodies and fresh breakbeat goodness. Theirs is a sound that's deeply rooted in dark sexy basslines, live string instrumentation, and beats manufactured on a microscopic level. They transcend the novelty-sound of the typical dancefloor to a level of Intelligent Dance Music that's danceable, cinematic and, at moments, spiritual.

Hybrid released their debut album, Wide Angle, in 1999 [UK]/2000 [US] featuring collaborations with the 90+ piece Russian Federal Orchestra and the 20+ piece Russian Hermitage Orchestra. Interestingly, vocals on some tracks [hosted: If I Survive] belong to a David Lynch talent scout turned singer, Julee Cruise. Exclusive to Wide Angle is Hybrid's third member, programmer and mixer, Lee Mullin, who left to persue other projects following the album's release. Praise for Wide Angle was so widespread that Moby immediately offered them the opener spot on his worldwide tour promoting his album Play. In my honest opinion, Moby should have been opening for them - and he probably will if the breaks scene continues to grow as it has within the past five years. Wide Angle was soon re-released as Wider Angle with a bonus CD of remix material, well worth the price.

The duo followed up their debut with Remix & Additional Production By... in 2001. This release is but a small sampling from their vast catalogue of remixes. This release is mixed as a progressive session [and that's why some of the tracks hosted today from this album appear to start mid-song]. Artists that have requested the Hybrid-remix treatment range from Andreas Johnson to Future Sound of London to Filter. This is a testament to how widespread and broad their fanbase has become as well as to the high level of their production quality.

At the time of Hybrid's next release, there were a lot of decent artists in the world of electronic music, many of whom would release great material and then drop off the ear of the earth. Refusing to leave the sub-spotlight, 2003 saw the release of Hybrid's Morning Sci-Fi, another seamless fusion of electronic experimentation and cinematic live instrumentation- with just the right amount of rock. The album's title, Morning Sci-Fi, is a name that Chris associated with that twilight point in the morning before sunrise, where the light can still be seen breaking over the horizon, it was his time of Morning Sci-Fi, and they were often hard at work until at least this time in the morning working on the album - and so the name stuck. With the same high level of quality featured in Wide Angle, they pull it off again, blasting a soundscape that's just as unique, but this time around it's a bit darker. The most noteworthy collaboration featured on this album is New Order's Pete Hook, adding his signature [and completely bitchin'] bass to the track True to Form.

Continuing the tradition of giving other artists' work the "Hybrid-remix treatment," 2004 saw the release of Hybrid's first ever mix compilation disc, officially sanctioned by Distinctive's Y4K series. The release features cuts from the likes of Forme [a.k.a. Richard File, 1/2 of the current UNKLE configuration] and the almighty [and all broken up] Orbital. The duo was also in the studio producing tracks for films such as Denzel Washington's Man on Fire as well as creating tracks specifically for commercial use [not selling out, just spreading the goodies around]. Many of these tracks can be found on the [underground/bootleg/fan made/white label] album simply titled Scores.

Hybrid has easily become one of my favorite acts in the world of electronic music. This title was further secured in 2003 when I had the pleasure of meeting Mike & Chris after sitting in on interview that they had done on Sirius Satellite Radio. It was an amazing experience to be able to chill in the same room with these guys that I had idolized [as fans do] and watch the interview, while being fully aware of their carreers and understanding everything that they were talking about. It was the convergence of everything in my world, surely a once in a lifetime experience. Excited as I was however, I didn't want to overstep my boundaries as a fan - I figured, these guys are probably tired and wouldn't really be interested in chatting it up with some guy from the marketing department [me]. But, after the interview was done they both popped up from their chairs and looked like they were in desperate need of something new to focus their attention on. So I engaged them, you know, just small talk "how's NYC treating you?" and the like. After shooting the shit with two gods for a few minutes, it was them that asked me if I wanted to take a picture with them[!] and hence the image above. I couldn't have fathomed these guys being nicer to a fan - but they topped it off by tossing me on the VIP list for their performance that evening. Meeting them was an incredible pleasure- and what better forum to communicate my appreciation? Thanks Mike, thanks Chris, you seriously made this fan's day. I'm still giddy just thinking about it 2.5 years later.

Calming down from my recollection of rubbing elbows with the duo- I couldn't be more excited for their forthcoming third album, entitled I Choose Noise - due out in September. This album promises to deliver more of what everyone can only call "that Hybrid sound." One track from the album, Just For Today, has been released for free download on Hybrid's official website. It features a collaboration with world famous film score producer Harry Gregson Williams [notably credited for the soundscapes behind The Rock - and more importantly, Metal Gear Solid 2 & Metal Gear Solid 3][!!!] and vocals by Kirsty Hawkshaw, whose beautiful voice has accompanied Hybrid's work in the past [see today's hosted track, Running Down the Way Up]. If this is any indication of the quality of the next album, then we are in for quite a treat [as oposed to that J5/Dave Mathews crap, which actually didn't turn out too bad as long as you skip over that one track].

If you've never heard of Hybrid before today, then I hope that I've turned you on to something new. If you already knew about them before, then I trust that I've rekindled your interest. Please support the artists by purchasing their albums and, if you can, by going to their shows.

FeedmeGoodTunes Retrospectives month continues in the next day [or so] with some more sweet beats to quicken your step or to smoothe your chill session. And now a word from our spons...wait, we're Ad-Free! (]^_^[).

Stay tuned. -- Silent K