Search - Hybrid :: Morning Sci-Fi (Bonus Dvd)

A Serrated-Edged Symphony for the 21st Century

Ian Vance | pagosa springs CO. | 04/11/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When, in the early spring of last year, a virtual-whisper reached my ears about Hybrid's second album, I instantly set about the task of acquiring a copy for my immediate gratification and aesthetic examination. I've been a fan of the Welsh-based breakbeat group from the moment I heard their storming debut `Symphony' in 1998, and in the years following, I scoured the windswept heights of elitist import-only shops and plumbed the depths of cyberverse filebanks for special releases, lost tracks, secret remixes; when Hybrid's symphonic zeitgeist *Wide Angle* was released overseas, I bought the Japanese import regardless of the cost. Thus: after contacting certain `sources,' I acquired a promotional copy of *Morning Sci-Fi,* Hybrid's long-delayed sequel/follow-up. Could it meet expectation? Would it shatter the mold and usher in a whole new era for this unbelievably talented group?Alas! Expectations are ever destined to bring disappointment. To my pleasure, I found that Hybrid had retained many of their core elements: synthesized soundscapes of the highest quality; organic instrumentation including guitars, strings, horns and woodwinds; all underpinned by some of the sickest breakbeat percussion ever committed in the genre. Moreover, there was a newfound darkness to the material - the album sounded like a natural extension of and artistic shift from *Wide Angle*. And yet, to my chagrin, I also heard elements that were initially disruptive to the Hybrid experience, most notably the group's new vocalist, Adam Taylor. "What were they thinking?" I muttered to myself, displeased with how Taylor's tone clashed with the music. The delivery came embarrassingly close to histrionic, and those lyrics. . .! The angst-y, juvenile subject matter induced many a cringe in my first dozen-or-so listening-sessions. Eventually I adjusted to Taylor's voice and came to enjoy *Morning Sci-Fi* for what it was, consoling myself with the opinion that *Wide Angle* had had its share of horrid guest vocals as well: the bland `Fatal Beating,' the hilarious-in-a-bad-way "frog-hop" of `Sinequanon' - truth be told, none of Taylor's tracks could match that French-rap-wannabe atrocity (...I'm an American and culturally biased in this regard). Upon my twentieth listen I decided that this was a great album, vocals notwithstanding; and when *Morning Sci-Fi* finally received a stateside release, I plunked down the cold cash for it, happy to never again have to hear that English voice announce, over the peaks and breakdowns, "HYBRID: PROMO COPY." So imagine my surprise to find that the boys behind the racks had decided to further tinker with their second outing, adding electronic dimension to Taylor's limitations (explicit use of echo and reverb), editing several of the tracks that had overstayed their welcome (Know Your Enemy, Gravastar). Also included was a bonus track of almost pure symphonic form, the exquisite `Lights Go Down, Knives Come Out,' though its placement in the mix - or rather, lack thereof - is one of the factors that made me lessen my rating by a star.The music: Morning Sci-Fi begins with an amalgam of reverse-engineered strings and drunken rant courtesy of the notorious DJ John Creamer. After its short duration, a high-hat emerges, chattering insistently; bass-synths churn and growl; and Taylor's electro-tweaked Taoist blather slowly insinuates itself into the mix - a much-improved alteration on the stark vocals of the promo-copy. Hard 4/4 drums and the recognizable bass of New Order's Peter Hook dominate the mix soon after. The song ends on a slow, melancholic note, and flows nicely into the futuristic breakbeat of `Know Your Enemy.' The Arabic-influenced `Merrikech,' drenched in reverse-sampling, is another standout, while `Visible Noise' and `We Are In Control' serve to kick the album into high gear, the former with its pounding riffs and rippling breakdown, the latter with a funky bass/break combo and vocoder announcements of the Orwellian vein. `Higher than a Skyscraper/Steal You Away' peaks the album - a smashing combo - and `Gravastar' levels it with industrial clang and lockstep 4/4 kick-hammer. `Out of the Dark', Taylor's fourth vocal cut (!) maintains the tension. Finally the mix exhales with `Blackout', featuring the lovely-piped Kristy Hawkshaw and some truly epic string-work via The Hermitage Orchestra of St. Petersburg.*Morning Sci-Fi* also comes packaged with a supplement DVD, featuring two documentaries and two live performances. The first documentary concerns Hybrid's 2001 tour with Moby (who comes off as a bit, well, `egocentric'), while the second chronicles the process of making the album, though for some strange reason one of the key factors - the studio break-in that changed the entire course of *Sci-Fi*'s artistic synthesis - is totally omitted in favor of band members patting each other on the back. The less said about the live performances, the better . . . though it is rather amusing to see Taylor try to occupy himself with rock-star poses while the band slowly saws toward the vocal sections.My biggest gripe with Morning Sci-Fi (the reduction of a star) is the fact that one of the best tracks on the entire album, `Lights Go Down, Knives Come Out,' is "cleverly" hidden: one has to spin the album back from the first track to access it. This doesn't work on many CD players, however, including the Gemini CD-2000x I DJ with for my professional occupation. Also, I'm somewhat disturbed by the implied notion that Hybrid plans on continuing to work with Taylor - after hearing him mangle `If I Survive' during a live performance for One World, I am utterly aghast at this notion. In conclusion: Hybrid has shown their technical/experimental chops with this album, and for the most part I'm pleased with their artistic decisions, having a healthy respect for ambition, even if it isn't fully realized. Change and experimentation are necessary for continued growth and better craft. I only hope they hire new (and better) vocalists for their future sci-fi symphonies. _Then_ we might hear the masterpiece these boys are more than capable of."

Not copy protected, and very good to boot.

Michael Henderson | Cincinnati, OH | 10/27/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a slight defense/correction of another review below: This disc is not copy protected. The problem lies in a "hidden" track included on the disc. If you put the disc in a standard audio CD player and do a reverse scan from the start of track 1, you'll find a hidden track. This hidden track does cause grief for some CD-ROM drives.As for the album itself -- At first listen I was really not enthusiastic about it. It was not the same gritty, dancy breakbeat I'd come to associate with Hybrid. However, after a half-dozen listens, every track has grown on me to the point that I now prefer it greatly to Wide Angle. "True To Form", despite somewhat out-of-place bass work by New Order's Peter Hook, is top-notch composition, nice lyrical work, and overall a fantastically orchestrated and understated piece. And, happily, the album improves from there.Rather that sit back and formulatically churn out the next dance floor stomper, Hybrid has absolutely _composed_ a complete album, using carefully designed melodies, rich environmental context in each song, and an overall sense of a well-tuned musical machine hitting its peak. Now, after that run-on sentence, let me say that while it's not a dance-floor oriented album, it's also not some repetitive, droning ambient collection, nor rambling abstract IDM work -- it's the best of what I've grown to love about Hybrid: Fantastic writing, and terrific orchestration, no set formula, and no pretentious overtones."

Less memorable, but still quite good...

Daniel Connor | Minneapolis, MN United States | 10/23/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I'm going to come down hard on this album. Hybrid's standards have been riding extremely high and they deserve a review to reflect that... I must admit that I am a little disappointed by this release. After spending hours jamming to both the live Hybrid mix sets available online and Wide Angle/Additional Productions, I've found their latest offering, Morning Sci-Fi, to be a little too bland for my tastes. The sound of Morning Sci-Fi heralds many new influences. The contributions of several guest musicians (ie. New Order) give a couple of the tracks a bit of an 80s nostalgia. The beats are straighter and have fewer breakdowns. As a change, synth pads seem to carry the melodies, giving the orchestral additions more supportive roles than they enjoyed in Wide Angle.Indeed, I'm going to agree with the consensus of the earlier reviews: the melodic composition has suffered. The songs are less cohesive and, while more mature technologically, show a step back in artistic class. The vocalist, Adam Taylor, sings lyrics which are decidedly sophomoric and uninspiring. Sitting too far ahead in the mix, Adam's voice and style reminds me of James LaBrie's, the singer for the progressive metal band Dream Theater. And, as in Dream Theater, the vocals seem like too much of an afterthought... melodramatic and superfluous. The isntrumentals are definitely the highlights. The strings, now a Hybrid staple, carry too little of the melody and seem like more of a production trick than they did in Wide Angle.On the positive side, the album sounds fantastic. The basic production is outstanding. The DVD is killer. And, compared to recent releases in the funky nubreakbeat genre, this is a welcome experiment in variety. I applaud Hybrid's desire to expand their sound and I'm confident that, in time, their formulae will find some great compromises. Morning Sci-Fi is, despite these faults, a really good album that will get plenty of spins in my player. I grin ear to ear when it's good and cringe when it's bad. I vote for three and a half stars..."