Hybrid (British band)

Hybrid

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.

History

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."

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. A short symphonic track "In Good We Trust (Soundtrack Edit)", featured on Hybrid Present: Y4K, is one such track.

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 & Charlotte James, and other special guests.

On October 22, 2007, Hybrid Remixed was released by Distinctive; however, Hybrid had nothing to do with the release of the album. The album consisted of remixes of Finished Symphony and If I Survive along with several other compositions formed by Hybrid. It also included "Sleepwalking" which was originally only featured on DJ sets. Hybrid Remixed is to be Hybrid's last album with Distinctive as they as of October 2007 are being managed by Hope Recordings.

Hybrid's next album Soundsystem 01 is schedules to be released in July 2008 by Hope Recordings. 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.

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. An album of these remixes was released as a CD in 2001. A complete list can be found here: Songs remixed by Hybrid

Hybrid also helped Harry Gregson-Williams with scoring Kingdom of Heaven , Man on Fire, Domino and Déjà Vu. They also composed the soundtrack for the 2007 movie Catacombs, which was produced in 2005, but delayed multiple times. It was finally released on DVD in January 2008, though a soundtrack album has yet to be announced.

Usage of Hybrid's music

• Know Your Enemy, Out of the Dark, and Visible Noise were featured in the game In The Groove 2, released on June 18, 2005.

• In November 2006, All I Want was featured in an advertisement for the Channel 4 show Unanimous.

• Hybrid's music has featured in the motoring TV show Top Gear.

• Finished Symphony was featured in the games SSX and SSX Tricky.

• Higher Than A Skyscraper is featured in the Xbox 360 game Crackdown.

• I Know was used as sample in the song Desnudame, from Achillea's second album "Amadas Estrellas."

• I Choose Noise was featured in an advertisement for the BBC's Dr Who spin-off series Torchwood.

• 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.

• If I Survive was used as the opening music in the game Kinetica.

• 5 songs by Hybrids were used in the film Man on Fire.

• I Know was used in Armin Van Buuren's six hour long set, Armin Only.

Discography

Studio Albums

• Wide Angle (1999) - later re-released as Wider Angle (2000)
• Morning Sci-Fi (2003)
• I Choose Noise (2006)

Remix Albums

• Remix and Additional Production by... (2001)
• Hybrid Re_Mixed (2007)
• Soundsystem 01 (2008)

Promo Releases

• The Remix Collection (1996)
• Symphony (1996)
• Music from the Forthcoming Album Wide Angle (1998)
• Views from Wide Angle (1999)
• Scores (2005)
• Hybrid Re_mixed (2007)

Singles

• Fall Out Of Love (1996)
• Finished Symphony (1999)
• If I Survive (1999)
• Kid 2000 (2002)
• Visible Noise / Know Your Enemy (2002)
• Gravastar / Celebrity Science (2002)
• True To Form (2003)
• Higher Than A Skyscraper (2004)
• I'm Still Awake (2004)
• I Choose Noise EP (2006)
• Dogstar / I Choose Noise (2006)
• Falling Down / Last Man Standing (2006)
• Dreamstalker / Just For Today (2006)
• Last Man Standing / Until Tomorrow Remixes (2007)
• I Choose Noise / Sleepwalking Remixes (2007)
• Hybrid Re_mixed EP 1 (2007)
• Finished Symphony (Remixed) (2008)

Compilations

• Hybrid Present: Y4K (2004)

Bootlegs

• Remix And Additional Production Unmixed Version 01 (2002)
• Hybrid Club Collection Mixed (2004)
• Hybrid 1000 Original Hits Unmixed Best Remixes (2004)
• Bootlegs (2005)
• Original Score Vol. 1 (Unknown)
• Original Score Vol. 2 (Unknown)

External links

• Band's official website
• Major fan site (acknowledged by the band in the Morning Sci-Fi inlay)
• Template:Discogs
• Audio files of Hybrid DJ sets and other progressive artists
• Template:MySpace-music
• Up to date Discography of Hybrid productions with track times