mugwump Posted January 27 Report Share Posted January 27 Interview by Marty WirthHybrid have established themselves at the forefront of dance music both in terms of production and as a live act. The three lads - Mike Truman, Chris Healings and Lee Mullins - have been responsible for countless floor-filling tracks that quite uniquely sit as comfortably in the club as they do in the loungeroom. Perhaps more importantly, they have brought respect to a genre of music often doubted for its genuine musical talent, while simultaneously bringing a realism to dance music that in their absence could have remained absent. We caught up with them before their DJ dates as part of the Gatecrasher Summer Sound System tour of Australia in late November / early December.The lads explain that they formed over common tastes and a catchy illegal mix. These were the factors that were largely responsible for bringing together two already established DJs to produce under the tag of Hybrid."We met over a bootleg of Pink Floyd and, after talking, we realised that we had a lot of common records in our boxes, or at least stuff we both liked. That was, like, 10 years ago…It was just two DJs meeting who had got a bit bored with the records." Questioned on what type of music it is that Hybrid play, they are quick to dodge the labels that tend to smother or pigeonhole dance music in general."I never use a tag, that's you guys' jobs… not that it needs to be done. If pressed I would definitely call it progressive, but by progressive I mean forward-thinking, that's what progressive means to me. We certainly have breaks and house elements but that's what we try to do, make forward-thinking music."Progressive nowadays can be taken to mean anything a little different, a label that seems to be over and unjustly used. Hybrid's genre-crossing mixture however appears to do justice to the tag, indiscriminately mixing genres in the search for a superior sound. They refute that the name Hybrid was born of the direction and style they were intending to take, though it is highly applicable nonetheless."When we picked the name we kind of just liked it, it's more that our music has ended up been a blend of genres than something we intended to do, kind of grew into the name…but hen again if music is going to be forward thinking it probably is going to be a hybrid or combination of musical tastes."Hybrid are known as much as live act as they are producers, managing to play live with a depth akin to drum 'n' bass contemporaries Reprazent. It is a duplicity that sits comfortably with Hybrid, though it is clear where they see the main value of their music lying. "We do both, I reckon. The first seven years we produced and basically didn't release one record, all we did was make tracks for ourselves to play... We are still more producers than live act, but that being said, the live act is definitely growing. We are adding more components. Also, the fact that we have been producing for so much longer than playing live makes us think of ourselves more as producers than perhaps the crowd would appreciate."Although success was evident prior to building their reputation of a live act, Hybrid laugh at the suggestion that they started producing music with the intent of performing it live."God no! Not at the start… I look back at a show at the Bedrock and cringe at how we were to start with, but then music has come a long way since then anyway."They explain that the advent of the live act has been a success based on trial and error rather than just taking the studio to the stage."Its really hard to come up with the right combination, people aside, it's hard even finding the right bits of kit. A live show is about been a band, building it constantly, you know, finding people that fit. So I guess we've been building for around three years now."We have a live drummer and next year we are looking to add more live musicians, I mean we could do it 70% live and maybe 50 % of the audience wouldn't notice, but it's all about what you want to do with your music, not just about how you want to be perceived... it's a good show now. It wasn't, but now it is".Witnessing a Hybrid show is like one of those situations where even if you don't like the style or type of music you still enjoy it, getting taken away with the quality of their producing in general and testament to the precision-driven energy with which it is delivered. It is a formidable live act but, unlike many others, one that is borne of months in the studio rather than relying on their presence alone."We just like to make tracks were the result is that you actually think you been taken somewhere by the sound."Perhaps surprisingly, Hybrid's album "Wide Angle" includes many tracks that work as well on the dancefloor as they do in your living room."We don't really set out to make a track solely for either, though clearly our focus is on the clubs. It's more just what Hybrid is doing, fitting with listeners on different levels, than being a direction we're pursuing."The album seems to work everywhere, but that that's not necessarily intentional in the writing of it. If we have a track then we will work it to get absolutely out of it live."Their latest full-length, "Wide Angle", is as complete a dance album as any that exists, fitting like a soundtrack to whatever happens to be going on. A result they would be happy with in future recordings."'Wide Angle' was definitely developed as an album. We're right picky bastards, from the name of it to the artwork, down to ensuring that all the tracks link together… we spent like a month and a half sorting out the track selection. In the end we only cut three tracks.""On the next album we will work with a lot of the people who we did on 'Wide Angle', we'll probably go back to Moscow to record [with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra] but there will be new people featured as well ... It won't be a break from what we have being about up to this point more just an extension of it." It appears that Hybrid will go to extraordinary lengths to find the sounds and beats they are after."One of our favorite things is to go into a second-hand store, buy 10 CDs that are completely ridiculous, and go through them to find interesting sounds and hopefully be able to make them into or work into a beat… we spend a hell of a lot of time making usable samples." "Producing as a duo or as three makes for loads of arguments [laugh], no, the steady influence of three pairs of ears, even though we were all DJs in the same genre, we all bring something different to the sound, but mainly it's having the three sets of ears to fall back on. With three times the amount of exposure, you just get three times as many ideas coming through."Hybrid's Australian tour as part of the Gatecrasher Summer Sound System is awaited with anticipation surpassed only by that of the group themselves."I just can't wait, none of us can. We played in Gatecrasher in the UK but to be able to do it in the sun, or at least with the possibility of the sun, rather than knowing you have to wear Wellington boots is great, Can't wait…..can't wait".Neither can we.Taken from:http://www.breaksworld.com/Webring/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xpander Posted January 27 Report Share Posted January 27 And to think that I'm listening to their MoS sessions as we speak...Such a coincidence... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadowchaser Posted January 27 Report Share Posted January 27 find this Hybrid set from live @ ID&T 9•4•01. . .awf da hizzy. . .1) Accadia - Into The Dawn (Ahstrax Remix) 2) Plump DJ's - Scram 3) Orbital - Nothing Left (Tsunami One Mix) 4) Orbital - Funny Break (Plump DJ's Mix) 5) Mark Shimmon - Unknown 6) Brancaccio & Aisher - Lovely Day 7) Unknown 8) Lexos - The Key (Adam Dived Remix) 9) Way Out West - Activity 10) Jimmy Van M - At Sanctuary (Qube Remix) 11) Raiven Maize - The Real Life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mugwump Posted January 27 Author Report Share Posted January 27 Originally posted by shadowchaser find this Hybrid set from live @ ID&T 9•4•01. . . Very cool..i'm on it..They are gonna be in Chicago the 7th.I might just happen to be there that week..(Visiting a friend)I'll report .http://www.hybrid-group.co.uk/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beatz Posted January 27 Report Share Posted January 27 I've never really seen these guys live but the DISTINCTIVE BREAKS "All mixed up" Cd is TIGHT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tilly Posted January 27 Report Share Posted January 27 yummy Hybrid I wanna go to a show damn it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mugwump Posted January 27 Author Report Share Posted January 27 Seen them four times..And the LIVE P.A sets are always sooo much betterthan the DJ sets..The best experience was at Six Elementwatching them destroy their equiptmentas the sun set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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