Search - 4hero :: Creating Patterns

It's 4-Hero.....(but possibly not as you know them!!!)

fetish_2000 | U.K. | 11/03/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Following up the universally impressive & ambitious Breakbeat / Electronica "Two Pages" that was released in 1998 and became something of a underground classic, was never going to be easy proposition. And for the 2001 follow-up, rather than retread the breakbeat patterns of the last album, in a climate where musical genres has shifted focus, they have instead (in theory) built an album of Nu-Jazz / Broken Beat experiments, with a impressive collection of vocalists to bring these tracks to life.



For those worried that this emphasis on vocalists meant, that there wasn't going to be the sublime instrumentals that 4-Hero do so well, need not worry. because tracks such as the skittering and gracefully freewheeling efforts such as "Conceptions", "Something Nothing" & " "Eight" retain that reliably earthy & elaborate organic sound that 4-Hero are applauded for. But it must be said that as excellent as these tracks are, the vocal collaborations are the highlights here....



"Time", featuring "Ursula Rucker" plays to the strengths of what she does best, and that's to put spoken word & socially aware wordplay to the backing of minimal jazz arrangements. Uncompromising, intense and Cerebral. It's heady music for sure, and is as intense as hell. But props to 4-hero, for not being tempted into making track resembling aural wallpaper, with inane diagloue planted over the top.



"Another Day" sees the music move subtly from the more moodily constructed beats of "Time" into something more elegant & smooth Nu-Soul referencing. The on-board vocalist for this remarkable effort is "Jill Scott", and only her truly remarkable vocal (and it is remarkable) could make a song with the mundane subject matter of being 'too tired to get up and go to work' sound as soaring and passionate as a classic old-skool soul....in a word Marvellous.



The Broken beat sound get's an introduction here, in the form of "Hold it Down", and it's one of the most upbeat tracks on offer here, and with some excellent drum programming and percussive breakbeat experiments with a clear nod to Jazz-fusion with its sampled soul chorus, which makes up the backbone of the vocal here. Its similar in style, to some of the more recognised artists in the broken Beat genre ("New Sector Movements (NSM)", "Two Banks of Four"), and actually remains one of my favourite tracks on this album, due to its groove and immediacy.



Taking a cue from the beat Poetry of 'Gil Scott-heron', with one eye on the uncomprimising, engaging songwriting skills that depict the gradually declining social environment, self-Conscious, incisive, confrontational lyrics, mixed with stirring, rousing contemporary production heavily influenced by Jazz. This (like 'Ursula Rucker's' effort), brings some heavyweight substance to the tracklisting, in amongst all the beautifully string arrangements & instrumentals that comprise this album. It manages to just pip Ursula's effort, due to being slightly more direct and articulate, and the more immediately thought-provoking of the two (although musically, Ursula has the edge), irrespective of that, this is stirring stuff.



For the last half of the album, where usually, in these sorts of albums, it tends to lag. 4-Hero have wisely tightened their belts and put some strong tracks for the last half. Apart from a couple of gorgeous lengthy instrumentals in the form of "Eight" & "2-BS-74638", but the reworking of "Minnie Riperton's - Les Fleur" is easily one of the best singles that 4-Hero have ever created, all heavy sensual string arrangements, thrilling instruments performances, welded together with euphoric soaring vocal choruses with a nod to classic Rythm & Soul, it's a heart-jerking moment for sure, and is definitely one the undisputed hightlights of the album.



But, The tricky question is.....'Should you buy it??'



Well....if you're a 4-hero fan, and have at least 2 of their albums, then this is a must, as it's the band shifting direction yet again (bear in mind, they started as a 'Jungle/Drum n Bass' act in the early 90's, then moved into the more melodic/ jazz-fusion end of breakbeat in the late 90's), now find themselves, positioned to embrace the more lucrative 'Nu-Jazz' / 'Broken Beat' / Jazz-House genre that an artist like "Jazzanova" inhibit. So those hoping for some of the more Drum/beat orientated tracks from the "Two Pages" album may well be disappointed (or even worse, dismiss this album). And whilst I'm using "Two Pages" as a reference, This album may lack the diversity of "Two Pages", with fewer immediately obvious standout tracks, such as "Star Chasers", "Spirits in Transit" & "We Who Are Not as Others" & "In the Shadows", to match the sprawling masterpiece that is "Two Pages". But "Creating patterns" is more tightly focused and less indulgent than the previous album, with each track featured here, standing admirably in its own right, and with some tracks natural progressions from the last album, and less Dense & concentrated a listening experience. Is it better than "Two Pages"........well, its a very close call. And I'd have to say that "Two pages" nudges ahead of "Creating Patterns" for being a (ever so slightly) more memorable album. And so I suggest if your new to 4-Hero, start with that first, and then make this tremendous album your next purchase."