Search - Kirsty Hawkshaw :: Meta Message

Songs with heart and soul. An album not to be missed.

Sakis | San Diego, originally Greece | 10/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"British singer Kirsty Hawkshaw has an amazing voice. I've loved her songs since her early 90s work with Opus III, after the band split, Kirsty has done some amazing solo work. I loved her previous solo album OUT (which is currently re-released as a white label release through her own web site). OUT (On Ultimate Things) was more introspective & fragile and had sparser instrumentations. Kirsty is a very versatile performer, and she showed that with that release which was not very similar to her electronic work with Opus III yet had maintained the great character and feel of her other work.



After her first solo CD , Kirsty went to work with some of Dance/Electronic music's most renowned DJs and artists (Tiesto,BT, Way Out West, Pole Folder, Slovo, Hybrid etc etc), and from that effort she gathered a plethora of excellent collaborations and some amazing tracks with many varied styles to boot. Some of those very varied songs are featured in this stunning new release by Nettwerk records.



The album starts off with the song "Just be me". Just Be was included in DJ Tiesto's album with the same name last year, albeit Tiesto remixed the track to burn the dance floors to a frenzy (and i quite liked the very trancey album version). This version on Kirsty's CD is the original track, mellower, more melodic, more laid back in it's lovely electronic/pop sound letting the lyrics sink in better than the remixed versions out there. It is actually a song that made me cry first time i heard it. It's all about being yourself. Lyrics sample:

"I was lost and I'm still lost ,But I feel so much better

You could travel a world ,But you can't runaway

From the person you are in your heart

You could be who you want to be ,make us believe in you

keep all your light in the dark ,if you're searching for the truth you must look in the mirror & make sense of what you can see , just be ,Just be"



The second song in the album is a wonderful remix of "Fine Day" remixed by James Holden. Fine day is a song that catapulted Kirsty into stardom with Opus III, it is a cover song that was loved by many back in the early 90s and it was a great dance song with a very good message about loving nature and the environment and enjoying it with an optimistic view in life. This version here was featured on the "Fine Day 2002" single, and it's a 7 minute magic opus with hypnotic mellow beats reminiscent of Bjork's more adventurous sound explorations. It's truly a mesmerizing song with very warm feel to it.

Lyrics sample :

"It's a fine day , people open windows, they leave their houses just for a short while, they walk by the grass, they look at the sky. It's going to be a fine night tonight, it's going to be a fine day tomorow" ( a classic Kirsty track for sure).



The third song is Kirsty's current top 40 hit in Europe, it's a more "radio friendly" pop song called "Reach for me", reminiscent a bit of Sarah McLachlan or Dido in style. It's a nice song (and i would urge you all to check out the remixes of it from the CD single), which includes some guitars and an uplifting chorus. It should make her more approachable i think to more fans as it's catered more to a radio friendly crowd.



Fourth song is a Delerium collaboration for the song "Nature's Kingdom" , it's definitely a dreamy/chill out song and Kirsty puts her high pitched vocal work to work here. One element i've always liked about Kirsty Hawkshaw's songs is how nature's dreamy sensations are a descriptive element & they evoke an emotional reaction to the listener.

Sample lyrics:

"Moon beauty to live and to love,in delirious bitter gardens

the vision floods under the mind sky, night breaths, whispering symphony after a blood sun storm, love light relieves with a goddess and a dream, in sleep's misty shade

i lie beneath worlds imaginary"



Fifth song is another Tiesto collaboration, this time for the lovely trance song "Walking on clouds". This song showcases how well Kirsty's vocals work with Dance and Trance styled songs. This song is an ode to love, how high and all uplifted one feels when in love. Trully an excellent Trance song. Sample Lyrics:

"Chase faded days with eyes that cannot see,i wanna feel it again washing over me, discover all of you one moment at a time

taste smell secret cell your soul it touches mine

i wanna feel UP, hope knows i need it this way

like i'm walking on clouds".



Sixth song is another Tiesto collaboration for a more downtempo song for "Battleship Grey", this song i can't say is really one of my favorite collaborations by Kirsty, but it's a nice downtempo and a much darker song , mostly about uncertainty i think.



Seventh song picks up the pace much better for the lovely original Dance version of "Sincere for you", a nice collaboration with Lange that should make everyone want to get up and dance and lose themselves in the uplifting beats. It's one of those love confessions of trust and devotion, backed by purely fun dance music. Sample lyrics for this one read:

"Some will play a game with love steal your heart away , some will say those words you want to hear but if you look closer

is it really what it seems? I can give you everything you need,

I'll be sincere for you, whatever's gonna happen now

sincere for you, I will, always here for you

whatever you decide right now sincere for you"



The eighth track is a track that should let us cool off a bit from the previous song and get again in a more pensive mode. "Blackout" is a Hybrid collaboration and a nice downtempo electronic track. Kirty's singing technique is quite interesting in this one.



The ninth song is another collaboration this time with DJ Sam, for the lovely "Split". I love the vocoder effects on this Enya-esque song, and Kirsty never sounded better. It's one of those songs where you just want to close your eyes and let it transport you away in it's melodies while the outside world can just wait.



The tenth track again picks up the pace in what is a much anticipated collaboration with Hybrid, for the song "All i want". Fans of her BT work from the "movement in Still Life" album and of course fans of Hybrid will be delighted to hear this track. I love this song. It's got an explosive beat and trully strong and haunting vocal work, and i would hope it will be released as a future single from this album. It is excellent and i think has alot of potential to be remixed and succeed as a single. It's also close to 7 minutes long, yet i am left longing to hear more from it...



"Beautiful danger" is the eleventh song of the album and a nice collaboration with The Future Funk Squad, a collective that Kirsty has worked with, it's a song about kinda being in denial about someone you think is a real friend, yet you know they might have something to hide from you and you sort of refuse to accept that.



Closing the album is a wonderful song from Kirsty's collaborations with Dave Randal of Faithless and Slovo fame, called "Whisper". This song is excellent to finish off a trully varied -in sounds and tempos- album. I love the lyrics and i would urge everyone to check out the Slovo album called "Nommo" from Rough Life records. Whisper is a sensual, soft, accoustic guitar driven song that will steal your heart from the first listen i'm sure. Excellent lyrics and excellent performance on this one as well.

Sample lyrics:

"I think I should go now,I must leave before my red eyes match the sunrise. No more coffee will put off today

I've stood too long,in the shadow of a doubt

I need some sun,it seems that time returns to me once more

But I have less now than before & when I feel my world falling downI think of you I think of you

And when I feel I can breath no more,you speak to me,you speak to me."



This album i think is trully excellent and a gem to behold.You can also check out some audio samples for this album on Kirsty's official web site and at her label's web site at Nettwerk."

Shaken by a whisper

Richard Stoehr | Bremerton, WA USA | 01/20/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The hard part about being a fan of Kirsty Hawkshaw is that she's hard to keep track of. She has only one album of original music of her own (the excellent 'O.U.T. - On Ultimate Things'), but the majority of songs featuring her lovely, ethereal voice are done as collaborations with other artists, with a fairly strong emphasis on dance music and electronica. Trying to collect all of her music can get a little expensive, which is what makes 'Meta-Message' such a wonderful find -- it collects some of the best of her collaboration songs on one album.



Many of the songs I already knew and loved are here. Kirsty's own version of DJ Tiesto's 'Just Be' leads the album off perfectly. This version is called 'Just Be Me,' and showcases a steady rhythm and upbeat tone. Next is 'Fine Day,' a complete re-imagining of Opus III's dance-hall anthem from the early 1990's, 'It's a Fine Day' -- Kirsty's new version is at once familiar and fresh. Delerium's 'Nature's Kingdom' is on this CD as well, probably one of Kirsty's sexiest songs, a sensual landscape of sound and voice. Further collaborations with Tiesto, Lange, Hybrid, and others are also included, and all are excellent.



Through it all, even with all the different musicians and styles represented, Kirsty's voice provides a common thread. Sometimes strident and powerful, sometimes sweet and whisper-soft, her vocals lend just the right tone to each song. She's the reason I got this CD in the first place, because I know her voice can make a good song into something magical, and every song on this album feels that way, for one reason or another.



Two songs deserve particular notice. I had never heard either of these before, but they struck me immediately and are now among my favorites, the ones I can listen to over and over and never tire of. The first is 'Reach For Me,' an unexpected direction in the realm of pop music, with simple lyrics and a strong tone. It's a beautiful little gem of a song, a song that can make you feel good and want to reach for the one you love.



The second standout song is 'Whisper,' the final song of the album. This is the perfect way to finish out the CD, ending with a soft rhythm and sweet words: "When I feel my world falling down, I think of you, I think of you. When I feel I can breathe no more, you speak to me, you speak to me." This is a song you can just close your eyes and listen to and imagine those closest to you, and how good it feels to be with them, and how they are there even when they're not.



In music, a voice can make all the difference...Kirsty Hawkshaw is an excellent example, a voice that can create magic in the music of others. 'Meta-Message' is a near-perfect compliation of the music she has made with other musicians, and when she says "This world will be shaken by a whisper," you'll hear exactly what she means."

"Meta-message" - Kirsty Hawkshaw

A. D. Gould | CHESTER, ENGLAND, UK | 01/18/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the much anticipated, long overdue debut artist opus from the unquestionable talent that is Kirsty Hawkshaw. Having been responsible for many proto dance classics as a founding member of Opus III, such as club classic "It's a fine day", the mesmeric "When you made the mountain" and the Perfecto anthem "Hand in hand", which was covered by Grace in 1997, Kirsty has gone from strength to strength.



The album itself kicks off with the powerful original version of "Just be", a remixed version of which appeared on Tiesto's second album of the same name and saw a single release last year. Produced by the legendary Jimmy Gomez (aka James Wiltshire), the producer responsible for remixing to perfection many a bona fide club classic (see "Last Rhythm", "Careful" - Horse, "Looking at you" - Sunscreem), Gomez' production is invariably a polished affair which is accentuated by Hawkshaw's soul searching vocals. The track itself is highly poignant and was co-written by '70s songstress Judie Tzuke, who also wrote the track "Dreaming", which was released in 2000 by BT featuring Kirsty Hawkshaw. She was also responsible for Lucid's downtempo mini classic "Stay with me till dawn".



The next track is a truly hypnotic remix of 1992's "Fine day". The track has been remade by the prodigal James Holden, whose remix is nothing short of breathtaking - arguably his strongest work to date aside from his own production "Nothing" which was released in 2003. You may also be pleased to hear that Holden's remix is featured in full length format



Third up is Kirsty's new single "Reach for me". Composed by, of all people, Jamie Cullum, it is a surprise to learn that this is the first single to be cultivated from the album. A poppy, upbeat number which may be a tad too Avril Lavigne for some ears, "Reach for me" is nonetheless a quality pop song which should paint a smile on your face



The fourth track is "Nature's garden", a collaboration with introspective electronic folk types Delerium, most noted in the UK for their earth shattering Top 3 single "Silence", remixed by Tiesto and sung by Sarah McLachlan. "Nature's garden" is a lilting number to which Kirsty's vocals are entirely suited. The only thing that does detract from this classy pseudo ambient is the apparent inanity of the lyrics, of which i'm entirely unable to make snse.



Next up is the hugely infectious "Walking on clouds". Produced by Tiesto and Josh Gabriel of Gabriel & Dresden fame, "Walking on clouds", it takes a good few listens to be able to appreciate the awe inspiring production, which, when paired with Kirsty's vocal performance, make for a truly anthemic track. Sounding not too dissimilar from the output of Gabriel's other project, Andain, it is a surprise to learn that this song was not picked for single release by Kirsty or by Tiesto, upon whose album it also appears. Again, featured in full length format as opposed to a radio edit



"Battleship grey" is track 6, the cimenatic masterpiece as featured on Tiesto's 2002 debut opus "In my memory". A truly inventive, atmospheric number, "Battleship grey" marks one of Tiesto's finest productions to date



Next up is the much lauded and very recent Lange collaboration "Sincere for you". Executed in Lange's own inimitable, powerhouse, epic, euphoric style, "Sincere for you" is comparable in terms of sheer brilliance to Lange's signature production "Follow me", which was a massive hit back in 2000



"Blackout", the eighth track is possibly the weakest on the album. I was eagerly awaiting Kirsty's collaboration with Welsh breaks pioneers Hybrid, and the result does in fact disappoint (if only slightly). Perhaps this is Hybrid's fault for producing too many cutting edge and truly revelatory tracks, (see "Finished symphony") - subsequent productions will always be judged by such a benchmark. "Blackout" smacks of some of the weaker tracks from "Wide angle", and I do believe that Kirsty was the wrong vocalist for this tracks. Perhaps Julee Cruise would be more suited to this style of singing. Anyway, moving on



"Split" is a colloboration with another legend - Mr Sam - responsible for many an anthemic remake. Contrary to expectations, "Split" is actually an ever so delicate downtempo, even slightly trip hop affair and is truly one of the most memorable tracks on the second half of this album.



Track number 10, "All I want", is another collaboration with Hybrid, who really atone for the disappointment of "Blackout". A cinemtic masterpiece with all of the pomp and circumstance one would associate with a high quality Hybrid release a la "If I survive". Again featured in all of its full length glory, "All I want" is one of the highlights of "Meta-message" and the fact that it was again penned by Judy Tzuke only serves to heighten the brilliance of this electro-orchestral work of art



The next track is "Beautiful danger", which is quite a weak affair and, aside from "Blackout", is the most unjoyable track on the album



Nothing could have prepared me for track number 13 though, which, despite the fact that this is one of the best albums of recent times, eclipses all of the 12 songs. "Whisper" was produced by former Faithless bass guitarist Dave Randall aka Slovo and is, in fact, one of the most beautiful songs i've ever heard. Polished, tight production and yet so seemingly simplistic in style, "Whisper" really has to be heard to be believed. On the back of this track i'm now making a concerted effort to hunt down the Slovo album from which "Whisper" was culled, which does in fact feature further Kirsty collaborations.



My only other gripet about this album is that it is a little too short, I would personally love to have seen at four or five more tracks included, Kirsty has such an extensive and high quality back catalogue that there are in fact too many to choose from. Personally I would like to have seen the Miro remix of "Battleship grey" included instead of the original, further Slovo collaborations, perhaps a remix of "When you made the mountain", but one can only hope. All in all the best album of the year by a mile, comparable only to the Sarah McLachlan remix album "Bloom" currently doing the rounds, which does in fact feature collaborations with some of the producers on "Meta message" including Tiesto, Gabriel & Dresden, Hybrid, Delerium etc.



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