Artist: Hybrid
Title: Gravastar / Celebrity Science
Label: Distinctive Records
By: Simon Jones | 8 November 2002
Tracklist:

• A: Gravastar
• B: Celebrity Science

Hybrid "Gravastar / Celebrity Science"

Mike Truman and Chris Healings have been pushing the Hybrid DJ experience all over the world in the past few months, in addition to working away in the studio on their long anticipated follow up longplayer to 'Wide Angle'. With a monthly residency at Fabric now secured, leading up to their first live gig in the UK since starting work in the second album. Already we have been treated with a sampler that featured the tracks 'Visible Noise' and 'Know Your Enemy'. Since then the duo have worked on remixes for Conjure One and Chris Coco, and have also found time to put together this sampler, featuring 'Gravastar' and 'Celebrity Science', which showcases the direction in which this duo have progressed even further.

'Gravastar' was featured on James Lavelle's much vaunted Global Underground opus exclusively and now becomes available to the general public. The track shies away from the pounding filthiness that many associate with Hybrid's DJ sets and opts for a slightly more laid back approach, a subtle atmospheric melody weaving it's way along the centre of the track, as the synth loops and beat layers work together to create a void in which the melody echoes. The intensity fluctuates as the underpinned arrangement controls the flow, fading to a nice spacial break before groove becomes slightly more twisted on the outro as Hybrid dish up another experimental cut that hints at a more diverse seond album.

'Celebrity Science' sticks closer to the Hybrid sound many long term fans are accustomed to, unleashing a fast paced rocking breaks groove from the start, with soft snare drums drifting in over the top, a subtle hint at what's to come. As the mood slows down amidst some subtle fx, big bouncing bass kicks in, and guitar-esque riffs rattle off the beats, progressiing and building, before.fading to a one string melody. Swirling sounds line the backdrop, building into a series of dreamy synths that wash over the beats, before one final section of filthy snarling breaks drops in to keep the Fabric crowd and others further afield grinning and bouncing around the dancefloor, after all, that's why the track was initially called the 'Fabric Track'.

Another sampler done and dusted and by now if you've been keeping score you've got a pretty good idea of how Hybrid have evolved since 'Wide Angle', and have a good indication of what to expect not only from their forthcoming album, but also of the scratchiest dirty breaks, spacial house and filthy treats they like to drop into their dj sets.