Hybrid (producers)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hybrid

Background information
Origin Swansea, Wales
Genre(s) Electronica
Nu Breaks
Progressive trance
Label(s) Distinct'ive
Kinetic (former US label)
Hope Recordings
Website http://www.hybridsoundsystem.com/
Members
Mike Truman
Chris Healings
Former members
Lee Mullin

Hybrid is a British electronic music group based in Swansea, formed around the duo of Mike Truman and Chris Healings. They are primarily known as a progressive breaks act, although they overlap considerably with progressive house and trance.

Contents

[edit] History

 This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please improve this article if you can. (February 2008)

Hybrid released their first album, Wide Angle, in 1999 - a combination of progressive house and nu skool breaks with vocals and symphonic textures. They hired the Russian Federal Orchestra for the string sections. Julee Cruise supplied many of the vocals for Wide Angle. The album was produced and written by the duo along with the third original band member, Lee Mullin. The music's cinematic feel and scope have led to comparisons with Massive Attack and Underworld. Hybrid also supported Moby during a live tour in 2000.

Hybrid released their second album, Morning Sci-Fi, in 2003. They added semi-permanent vocalists and guitarists, Adam Taylor and Tim Hutton (both on the album and when performing live) with a guest appearance from New Order alumnus Peter Hook. This album had a generally darker feel to it than Wide Angle, though still retaining the cinematic undertones for which Hybrid are known. In addition to this, Morning Sci-Fi features a more diverse range of influences than its predecessor — Chris Healings stating in an interview that, "We've been listening to absolutely anything other than dance music. I suppose that is because dance music is so ingrained into what we do naturally. We've been listening to stuff like The Doves, Radiohead, Soulwax, New Order and lots of jangly indie guitar bands and classical music, particularly the work of Arvo Part and Alexander Gretchaninov."[1]

In 2006, Hybrid released their third studio album, I Choose Noise, with 3 tracks featuring vocalists Kirsty Hawkshaw and Perry Farrell. The epic symphonic sound of these pieces seemed to confirm a return to the grand orchestral scope of Wide Angle.

Hybrid played at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 29, 2006.

In July 2006, Hybrid collaborated with Perry Farrell's Satellite Party. Satellite Party made 3 tracks with Hybrid. "Wish Upon a Dogstar", a remix of "Dogstar" from I Choose Noise, "Kinky", a cover of "Dreamstalker" and "Awesome", a cover of Hybrid's unreleased track "Orbit". All of the tracks are featured on Satellite Party's debut album Ultra Payloaded.

On March 8, 2007, Hybrid kicked off their US Spring 2007 Live Tour in support of their third album I Choose Noise. Hybrid was joined by John Graham, Peter DiStefano and Charlotte James among others.

On October 22, 2007 Hybrid Remixed was released by Distinctive Records. It consisted of remixes of several compositions by Hybrid, however Hybrid themselves had nothing to do with the release of the album. This was Hybrid's last album with Distinctive, and they are now managed by Hope Recordings.

Hybrid's next album Soundsystem 01 is schedules to be released 14 July 2008 by Hope Recordings.[2] The album is a double-disc mix collection with the first CD being based around actual film scores fused with ambient electronica, and the second containing more upfront, club-oriented music represented by remixes of music by the likes of Sasha, Quivver and Elite Force.[3]

[edit] Usage of Hybrid's music

Hybrid have composed the soundtrack for the 2007 movie Catacombs, and have also helped Harry Gregson-Williams score Kingdom of Heaven, Man on Fire, Domino, Déjà Vu, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and it's sequel Prince Caspian.[4]

Other notable uses includes:

  • Hybrid's "Finished Symphony" was featured in the motoring TV show Top Gear when Jeremy Clarkson raced a Bugatti Veyron across Europe against James May and Richard Hammond in a light aircraft.
  • Higher Than A Skyscraper is featured in the Xbox 360 game Crackdown. [7]
  • Cascade, from Scores was used as the bed for a Sky HD advertisement
  • Finished Symphony was used by the BBC for their Boxing coverage.
  • We Are In Control was used in Poland by Gellwe for their "Fitella" muesli advertisement, and has also been used in Top Gear a couple of times.
  • 5 songs by Hybrids were used in the film Man on Fire.
  • Hybrid produced a track called "Komoru" for BBC's "Tribe" LP. It's set for release in september. [9]

[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio Albums

[edit] Remix Albums

[edit] Promo Releases

[edit] Singles

[edit] Compilations

[edit] Bootlegs

[edit] Various Remixes

See also: Songs remixed by Hybrid

Hybrid have produced over 100 remixes of more than 40 artists, including Radiohead, Alanis Morissette, BT, DJ Rap, The Orb, Jean Michel Jarre, Gouryella, The Future Sound of London, UNKLE, Moby and The Crystal Method.[10]

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ JIVEMagazine.com - Hybrid: "Music that isn't disposable"
  2. ^ http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=36510135
  3. ^ http://www.hoperecordings.com/article.aspx?nArticleID=246
  4. ^ [1]
  5. ^ http://www.ddrfreak.com/versions/songlist.php?mix=178
  6. ^ SSX Fan Site - SSX Tricky - Jukebox
  7. ^ http://weeklygeekshow.com/2007/02/review_crackdown_xbox_360.php
  8. ^ http://ps2.ign.com/articles/098/098389p1.html
  9. ^ http://www.hybridsoundsystem.com/news.php?i=31
  10. ^ http://remixmag.com/artists/remix_sweeping_beauty/

[edit] External links

Languages