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(Distinctive/DMC)
Firstly apologies to Hybrid fans for not having this CD reviewed earlier. The review copy is a budget-not-so-review-friendly version all mixed into one 68-minute track and quite frankly I probably could have downloaded a better version off the Internet and this one ended up forgotten at the bottom of a pile. No excuse though and I am sincerely sorry for not having this up earlier as it was released September 20th.
Apologies are due because when listening to the album it is a mix of some of the deepest and toughest breaks likely to be presented to you in such a commercially available mix. It’s neither hard nor fast, simply driven by a darker underlying vibe, which is beautifully paced to make a thoroughly enjoyable listen from start to end.
Hybrid are perhaps best known for their production work, namely their albums Wide Angle and Morning Sci-Fi, which are characterised by a deep and epic feel about them. With the albums come the associated live tours that have earned legendary status on their own accord. But when they’re not pushing an album of their own work, Welsh lads Mike Truman and Chris Healings, aka Hybrid, love to go back where it all began for them, rocking a party with a pair of turntables (and whatever else). As fans who saw them at Two Tribes early this year, and those lucky enough to see them on their EAST coast tour in November 04 (Perth and Adelaide loves you too you bastards!!), would testify, they know how to manipulate the atmosphere of a club and turn everyone to their darker side of the force.
Hybrid’s take on the popular Y4K series has strong Australian representation from the likes of Hi Fi Bugs (Phil K & Andy Page) with The Knife Drawer, a Luke Chable remix of the Gus Gus track David , and an Andy Page collaboration with UK DJ Lee Burridge and their track Why Are The Pretty Ones Always Insane?. Perhaps that initial statement should be rephrased that the Melbourne progressive breaks scene is well represented. And so it should be, with the progressive feel fitting right in with the mood of this album and the aforementioned producers being held in worldwide acclaim for their work.
Of course the Hybrid lads have to stamp their own authority on the mix, doing so with three of their own tracks; opener The Drop (Man on Fire Edit – Mike & Chris helped score the Denzel Washington film of the same name), In Good We Trust, and Blackout (Hybrid mix). The only surprising thing is they haven’t included one of the their many classic remixes of other artists tracks. Instead many of the big guns of the UK breaks scene make an appearance, though it must be repeated that this is not stock standard breaks compilation. There are tracks from Forme Let it All Out (Tigerstyle), Dylan Rhymes’ The Way (Evil 9 mix) and The Future Sound of London’s My Kingdom (part 4). There’s even the classic Chemical Brothers track Chemical Beats, which works well in setting up the Orbital/Hybrid finale.
It must be pointed that this is not the type of album to put on midway through a party expecting it to light up the room. It’s the album you put on towards the end of the night, in the wee hours of the morning. Alternatively it takes on a nice atmospheric feel to listen to around the house. For those who love their breaks deep, dark and paced then this should be on your list to listen to, if you haven’t already bought it by now.
