Thursday, August 30, 2007
Two Pages Reinterpretations
Two Pages Reinterpretations album takes the mellower, lounge-y side of the 4 Hero album and pushes that. I greatly enjoyed the remixes of Planetaria and Star Chasers, they put a new spin on the jazzy, soulful side of the group. The Escape That remixes are interesting, but they may or may not hold up to repeated listening because the original was so good. The rest of the album doesn't stick out in my mind either way, but it's definitely solid listening. If you are looking for something Rainer Truby might pick as opposed to something Goldie would pick, you could work with this one. Relax and put it on next time you want to have a soiree or just some scotch.
Les Fleur
This song is absolutely amazing ! When I first heard it, I was immediatly hooked because I thought it was Kate Bush who was singing it ( BIG mistake :) ). Anyway, I'm not really familiar with the rest of 4 Hero their material, but I totally dig this one ! A big choir, a beautiful voice, really bombastic instrumentation, a nice cover... This could've been the next big thing, like a wicked summer anthem or something. Don't know why no more people are into it - I heard some people say it's too hippy or jazzy. Well, I don't mind !
Monday, July 30, 2007
Parallel Universe
With its Kenny G-ish saxophone and straightforward diva vocals, the first track, Universal Love, sounds like a bid for Top 40 airplay (I have to admit it's pretty catchy, though). After that, it's pure breakbeat science: imaginative, layered, time-stretched pulses that go in and out, backwards and forwards in elaborate, relentless sonic landscapes. The latter tracks, as a unit, could be a kind of sci-fi concept album, with titles, spoken word samples, and sounds devoted to Martian colonization, solar radiation, "wrinkles in time," and other extraterrestrial concepts. More on the listening than the dancing end of the drum-and-bass spectrum, this mp3 is amazing technically, but has enough melody and feeling to make the science seem wildly romantic, rather than geeky.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Two Pages
When anyone thinks of a pioneer within the `Intelligent Drum&Bass genre, you be forgive for naming "Ltj Bukem" as your obvious choice. Yet 4 Hero deserves nearly as much Kudos as Bukem as they produced their first album way back in 1991 ("In Rough Territory") creating funky breaks, with smooth Drum `n' Bass which included downtempo Electronica to marvellous effect. At it was this album "Two Pages" (along with their best album "Parallel Universe") that they really find their stride as this effort oozes confidence & style....and finding their own market of fans, without having to appeal to fans of Ltj bukem (in fact its entirely possible that you can appreciate their work or become a fan, without being a fan of Ltj Bukem). And at 19 tracks long, there's going to have to be some seriously good content to keep (at hold) the listeners attention.....luckily such worries needn't be a worry as they have all the bases covered from Dancefloor grooves, Melodic Electronica, funky Breakbeat, Intelligent Drum `n' Bass, and with several guest vocalist providing more than ample support and track 11 "Star Chasers" more than emphasises how Vocal Breakbeat tracks in the hands of a capable producer can produce music as beautiful as one would expect from a Soul / Ballard Track...(admittedly this is backed up by a sterling arrangement of Trombones, Cello's, Trumpets, Piano & Volin. So far in fact, that although not recognised as widely, as the bone as fide classics of mr Bukem's best works, It undoubtedly a richer and (whisper it) more melodic / Beautiful sounding album???
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Mr. Kirk's Nightmare
When, I first started listening to the song at first i just thought it was going to be another Techno song with the same old Star Trek lines, but i was pleasently surprised to find a move'n Rave tune that used new, and some old Star Trek effects in a new fashion. Overall i think the song was well tracked and would deffinataly one that would be great to dance to at a Rave. Mr. Kirk's Nightmare is cool disk!:)
Monday, April 30, 2007
Creating Patterns
Following up the universally impressive & ambitious Breakbeat / Electronica "Two Pages" that was released in 1998 and became something of a underground classic, was never going to be easy proposition. And for the 2001 follow-up, rather than retread the breakbeat patterns of the last album, in a climate where musical genres has shifted focus, they have instead (in theory) built an album of Nu-Jazz / Broken Beat experiments, with a impressive collection of vocalists to bring these tracks to life.
For those worried that this emphasis on vocalists meant, that there wasn't going to be the sublime instrumentals that 4-Hero do so well, need not worry. because tracks such as the skittering and gracefully freewheeling efforts such as "Conceptions", "Something Nothing" & " "Eight" retain that reliably earthy & elaborate organic sound that 4-Hero are applauded for. But it must be said that as excellent as these tracks are, the vocal collaborations are the highlights here....
"Time", featuring "Ursula Rucker" plays to the strengths of what she does best, and that's to put spoken word & socially aware wordplay to the backing of minimal jazz arrangements. Uncompromising, intense and Cerebral. It's heady music for sure, and is as intense as hell. But props to 4-hero, for not being tempted into making track resembling aural wallpaper, with inane diagloue planted over the top.
"Another Day" sees the music move subtly from the more moodily constructed beats of "Time" into something more elegant & smooth Nu-Soul referencing. The on-board vocalist for this remarkable effort is "Jill Scott", and only her truly remarkable vocal (and it is remarkable) could make a song with the mundane subject matter of being 'too tired to get up and go to work' sound as soaring and passionate as a classic old-skool soul....in a word Marvellous.
The Broken beat sound get's an introduction here, in the form of "Hold it Down", and it's one of the most upbeat tracks on offer here, and with some excellent drum programming and percussive breakbeat experiments with a clear nod to Jazz-fusion with its sampled soul chorus, which makes up the backbone of the vocal here. Its similar in style, to some of the more recognised artists in the broken Beat genre ("New Sector Movements (NSM)", "Two Banks of Four"), and actually remains one of my favourite tracks on this album, due to its groove and immediacy.
Taking a cue from the beat Poetry of 'Gil Scott-heron', with one eye on the uncomprimising, engaging songwriting skills that depict the gradually declining social environment, self-Conscious, incisive, confrontational lyrics, mixed with stirring, rousing contemporary production heavily influenced by Jazz. This (like 'Ursula Rucker's' effort), brings some heavyweight substance to the tracklisting, in amongst all the beautifully string arrangements & instrumentals that comprise this album. It manages to just pip Ursula's effort, due to being slightly more direct and articulate, and the more immediately thought-provoking of the two (although musically, Ursula has the edge), irrespective of that, this is stirring stuff.
For the last half of the album, where usually, in these sorts of albums, it tends to lag. 4-Hero have wisely tightened their belts and put some strong tracks for the last half. Apart from a couple of gorgeous lengthy instrumentals in the form of "Eight" & "2-BS-74638", but the reworking of "Minnie Riperton's - Les Fleur" is easily one of the best singles that 4-Hero have ever created, all heavy sensual string arrangements, thrilling instruments performances, welded together with euphoric soaring vocal choruses with a nod to classic Rythm & Soul, it's a heart-jerking moment for sure, and is definitely one the undisputed hightlights of the album.
But, The tricky question is.....'Should you buy it??'
Well....if you're a 4-hero fan, and have at least 2 of their albums, then this is a must, as it's the band shifting direction yet again (bear in mind, they started as a 'Jungle/Drum n Bass' act in the early 90's, then moved into the more melodic/ jazz-fusion end of breakbeat in the late 90's), now find themselves, positioned to embrace the more lucrative 'Nu-Jazz' / 'Broken Beat' / Jazz-House genre that an artist like "Jazzanova" inhibit. So those hoping for some of the more Drum/beat orientated tracks from the "Two Pages" album may well be disappointed (or even worse, dismiss this album). And whilst I'm using "Two Pages" as a reference, This album may lack the diversity of "Two Pages", with fewer immediately obvious standout tracks, such as "Star Chasers", "Spirits in Transit" & "We Who Are Not as Others" & "In the Shadows", to match the sprawling masterpiece that is "Two Pages". But "Creating patterns" is more tightly focused and less indulgent than the previous album, with each track featured here, standing admirably in its own right, and with some tracks natural progressions from the last album, and less Dense & concentrated a listening experience. Is it better than "Two Pages"........well, its a very close call. And I'd have to say that "Two pages" nudges ahead of "Creating Patterns" for being a (ever so slightly) more memorable album. And so I suggest if your new to 4-Hero, start with that first, and then make this tremendous album your next purchase.
For those worried that this emphasis on vocalists meant, that there wasn't going to be the sublime instrumentals that 4-Hero do so well, need not worry. because tracks such as the skittering and gracefully freewheeling efforts such as "Conceptions", "Something Nothing" & " "Eight" retain that reliably earthy & elaborate organic sound that 4-Hero are applauded for. But it must be said that as excellent as these tracks are, the vocal collaborations are the highlights here....
"Time", featuring "Ursula Rucker" plays to the strengths of what she does best, and that's to put spoken word & socially aware wordplay to the backing of minimal jazz arrangements. Uncompromising, intense and Cerebral. It's heady music for sure, and is as intense as hell. But props to 4-hero, for not being tempted into making track resembling aural wallpaper, with inane diagloue planted over the top.
"Another Day" sees the music move subtly from the more moodily constructed beats of "Time" into something more elegant & smooth Nu-Soul referencing. The on-board vocalist for this remarkable effort is "Jill Scott", and only her truly remarkable vocal (and it is remarkable) could make a song with the mundane subject matter of being 'too tired to get up and go to work' sound as soaring and passionate as a classic old-skool soul....in a word Marvellous.
The Broken beat sound get's an introduction here, in the form of "Hold it Down", and it's one of the most upbeat tracks on offer here, and with some excellent drum programming and percussive breakbeat experiments with a clear nod to Jazz-fusion with its sampled soul chorus, which makes up the backbone of the vocal here. Its similar in style, to some of the more recognised artists in the broken Beat genre ("New Sector Movements (NSM)", "Two Banks of Four"), and actually remains one of my favourite tracks on this album, due to its groove and immediacy.
Taking a cue from the beat Poetry of 'Gil Scott-heron', with one eye on the uncomprimising, engaging songwriting skills that depict the gradually declining social environment, self-Conscious, incisive, confrontational lyrics, mixed with stirring, rousing contemporary production heavily influenced by Jazz. This (like 'Ursula Rucker's' effort), brings some heavyweight substance to the tracklisting, in amongst all the beautifully string arrangements & instrumentals that comprise this album. It manages to just pip Ursula's effort, due to being slightly more direct and articulate, and the more immediately thought-provoking of the two (although musically, Ursula has the edge), irrespective of that, this is stirring stuff.
For the last half of the album, where usually, in these sorts of albums, it tends to lag. 4-Hero have wisely tightened their belts and put some strong tracks for the last half. Apart from a couple of gorgeous lengthy instrumentals in the form of "Eight" & "2-BS-74638", but the reworking of "Minnie Riperton's - Les Fleur" is easily one of the best singles that 4-Hero have ever created, all heavy sensual string arrangements, thrilling instruments performances, welded together with euphoric soaring vocal choruses with a nod to classic Rythm & Soul, it's a heart-jerking moment for sure, and is definitely one the undisputed hightlights of the album.
But, The tricky question is.....'Should you buy it??'
Well....if you're a 4-hero fan, and have at least 2 of their albums, then this is a must, as it's the band shifting direction yet again (bear in mind, they started as a 'Jungle/Drum n Bass' act in the early 90's, then moved into the more melodic/ jazz-fusion end of breakbeat in the late 90's), now find themselves, positioned to embrace the more lucrative 'Nu-Jazz' / 'Broken Beat' / Jazz-House genre that an artist like "Jazzanova" inhibit. So those hoping for some of the more Drum/beat orientated tracks from the "Two Pages" album may well be disappointed (or even worse, dismiss this album). And whilst I'm using "Two Pages" as a reference, This album may lack the diversity of "Two Pages", with fewer immediately obvious standout tracks, such as "Star Chasers", "Spirits in Transit" & "We Who Are Not as Others" & "In the Shadows", to match the sprawling masterpiece that is "Two Pages". But "Creating patterns" is more tightly focused and less indulgent than the previous album, with each track featured here, standing admirably in its own right, and with some tracks natural progressions from the last album, and less Dense & concentrated a listening experience. Is it better than "Two Pages"........well, its a very close call. And I'd have to say that "Two pages" nudges ahead of "Creating Patterns" for being a (ever so slightly) more memorable album. And so I suggest if your new to 4-Hero, start with that first, and then make this tremendous album your next purchase.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
