Customer Reviews

Disappear Here

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ever since I bought this album last fall, it has been played countless times. Not one song on here is disappointing, each one shifting styles while holding on to a main theme. This album, while not loud and aggressive, has a very dark and intense vibe to it that I absolutely relish. The defining elements in this album are the percussion and vocals, though there are numerous classical pieces scattered through the songs.

We start off at "Empire", where those beats set the mood for the whole album.

Moving onto "Can You Hear Me Now", it's almost as if two songs were playing at once, complementing each other rather smoothly. I love how two polar opposites work so well together.

"Green Shell Suit" has nice beats and electronica, along with some elegant vocals in the background.

Now comes one of my album favorites, if not the favorite; "Disappear Here". It has a dark intro, slowly climbs up to a fantastic tempo, and falls away to a surreal and haunting end. The vocal work is superb, and the lyrics are nothing short of brilliant. Very entrancing song.

Everything shifts to calm acoustics once we reach "Every Word". It has a nice subtle beat, along with that nice vocal work that would make any road drive instant relaxation.

But don't get too comfortable, as "Formula Of Fear" makes it's mark. The rhythm is among the most catchy, and uses a fantastic piano piece that brings out the raw talent in this album. I won't explain how great the vocals/lyrics are yet again.

"City Siren" flaunts some great classical, which can be very well likened to a movie encore. It may be short, but that piece will be returning later in the album...

Also among my favorites is "Salt". Using an exotic beat and seductive vocals, you cannot skip this song. Definitely one of those songs that you would move to.

"Original Sin" has a very slow build up but definitely has a strong seduction to it. The percussion gets strong, and the vocals/lyrics are quite dark and intense. A lot of raw appeal here.

If any of the songs in this album had to lose a point, it would be "Take A Fall". It's not a bad song, however the vocals aren't too impressive, and the song never changes or moves around like the others do; it ends the same way it started.

"Break My Soul" takes that nice encore from before and uses that great percussion and vocal work to give the classical genre a modern edge. I always admire classical, but never listen to it much due to the fact that it, well, bores me. But this song breaths a new kind of life into it, and keeps me interested. It has a serious and somewhat intense vibe to it.

Finally, everything winds down to "Numb". Vocals and lyrics are the main theme here, and gently ends the album on a higher note.

It's a brilliant album that maintains a dark and intense theme, while experimenting with musical styles and almost complete genre jumps. If, on those long nights driving or working, you don't feel like listening to soft music, but just don't feel up to louder music, try this album. It'll keep your interest up throughout.

This new album has everything I love Hybrid for: epic orchestras, big breaks, beautiful vocals and perfect production. It also has some unexpected new elements.

The track "Every Word" reminds me of an American folk song with Charlotte's earthy vocals and sliding guitars. I also enjoyed how "Can You Hear Me" feels like two songs spliced together. It's refreshing and helps tie the entire album together in a strangely cohesive way. Other standout tracks are "Salt" with it's middle-eastern dance vibe and the similarly sexy "Original Sin". "Break My Soul" is quintessential Hybrid with it's soaring strings and huge beats, but it blends into something soft and subdued with "Numb", the last track.

My favorite track is "Disappear Here". I love the slow sadness of the beginning, the sudden entrance of drum breaks into the middle, and then the ethereal piano and vocal harmonies at the end. Throughout the whole song is the typical atmospheric swirling voices and sound fx that give Hybrid such production depth.

I feel the album has a hard, dark vibe yet at the same time is quite tender and emotional. This juxtaposition to me is what gives it such interest and leaves me wanting to listen again as soon as it's over.

I have been a fan of Hybrid for quite some time and I must say that I am very pleased with their most recent work. I will say that they have definitely evolved their sound somewhat in that they have reduced some of their technical aspects but have more than made up for it with great integration of vocals with their new singer and their use of symphony sounds. It is really well done - symphony orchestra, technical, and vocals a refreshing and welcome evolution of the hybrid sound. This album is 70 minutes and 15 seconds and at the end I found myself wanting more - can't get enough.

I was expecting something more along the lines of Hybrid's previous work (like Morning Sci-fi, or Wide angle), but this album is still great none the less. It's certainly more percussive, but the use of beats and rhythms is different from what you'd hear in most mainstream music, and a fresh "relief" of the much music you hear nowadays... It's something Hybrid fans and people who've never heard of the group would enjoy. I really did, especially the song "Formula of Fear," the piano melody in that track is brilliant.

There's a lot here. This is one of those releases that just keeps getting better over repeated listens. It's got Hybrid's usual high standards of production. A few have criticized the use of vocals in the music...that was my first reaction too. After a few listens, I really can't conceive of these songs being done any other way. Required listening for anyone who appreciates music that is sophisticated, orchestral, and electronic.

Hybrid sometimes falls between "breaks" DJs Adam Freeland or DJ Hyper and a great movie soundtrack, and this album is no different. However, it feels like they really took a step forward in what is rapidly becoming a totally unique genre. While the album took me more than 10 listens to really find the music, digging underneath a lot of intense and unique sound, but when I did there was little to say but wow.

For fans of hybrid, this album feels like a wonderful continuation of the outstanding "I Choose Noise." Its powerful symphonic tones and euphoric vocals make the tracks soar and help you lift just a little off the ground when you walk around with headphones on.

I was less impressed by the "Take A Fall" track, whose words felt sort of like a holdover from the 80s, but there was still plenty to love about the track. I'm interested in trying to find the instrumental version. Also, this album does not have the "complete album" feel that previous albums had. I really like that both Morning Sci-Fi an I Choose Noise provided the sensation of being a complete work rather than a series of excellent tracks.

Despite minor gripes, this is easily headed favorite album status of 2010.

The problem with electronica/techno these days is that it has become very repetitive and boring. It's hard to find something original in this genre, but Hybrid always pulls it off, with a kind of foreboding theme that tends to come with cinematic music. They also mix in excellent rhythms and vocals. This is a great album. If you like their style, check out the web site, where they often post free hour long sets.