Michael Brook with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois - Hybrid (1985)
As a massage therapist, this is one of my "go-to" albums when it comes to relaxing music for massage. It's also great for meditating, working on your computer or any number of things when you might want to enhance your environment with a mellow atmosphere. In my profession, I typically have a whole hour to concentrate on music while I'm working, so I'm very in tune with what a relaxing album has to offer. Often massage therapists use New Age-y kinds of music but this is something different. Some of the songs feature very hypnotic processed tribal rhythms, not typically heard in a massage studio, but it's actually quite relaxing and thus appropriate. Other songs are serene and almost still, much more ambient. Some of the pieces even sound more like environmental recordings than music. The only drawback is one track toward the end which sounds a bit like a siren and is thus vaguely unsettling. However, this is only a minor complaint and it's not likely to bother most people. A most enjoyable record, one I return to often and I've yet to get sick of it.
rating: recommended
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Hybrid
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Hybrid
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MP3 Music, July 26, 1985
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Audio CD, Import, March 31, 1992
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Track Listings
| 1 | Hybrid |
| 2 | Distant Village |
| 3 | Mimosa |
| 4 | Pond Life |
| 5 | Ocean Motion |
| 6 | Midday |
| 7 | Earth Floor |
| 8 | Vacant |
Product details
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- Product Dimensions : 5.5 x 4.94 x 0.45 inches; 2.83 Ounces
- Manufacturer : Editions Eg Records
- Date First Available : October 21, 2006
- Label : Editions Eg Records
- ASIN : B000003S2Z
- Number of discs : 1
- Best Sellers Rank: #113,376 in CDs & Vinyl (See Top 100 in CDs & Vinyl)
- #467 in Ambient (CDs & Vinyl)
- #691 in North American Music
- #1,095 in Bluegrass (CDs & Vinyl)
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
15 global ratings
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2013
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2002
I'm not quite sure how to describe "Hybrid". I guess musical landscapes to 8 different settings. Turning the volume up and closing my eyes I venture into some African village that has never seen white man, doing their tribal ritual dance... I am lured into a deep hypnotic trance. Swatting the mosquitos away I stumble upon a jaded blue pond, the marshlands infested with venomous creatures. Standing out in a mid west wheat field, a gentle breeze stirring through out, a constant clattering of crickets. Diving into the coral reefs, brilliant flashes of colour from fishes of various shapes and sizes coming your way.
These are the impressions I get from listening to "Hybrid". I may get something completely different the next time I listen to it. When it comes to ambient music, I don't think you can find better musicians than Michael Brook, Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. All three are multi talented producers and musicians...so they should have a pretty good idea in what texture to put to the music. There isn't a lot of different instruments heard through out, obviously there is lots of over dubbing and Michael's infinity guitar may also have a saying in that. The infinity guitar is a guitar Michael invented and with only three in existence, Daniel Lanois and The Edge of U2 owning the other two.
Okay maybe "Hybrid" isn't everybody's cup of tea and it may seem a bit monotonous at times. Some people may think that "Cobalt Blue" is a far superior c.d and in some regards it is. "Hybrid" to me seems to flow aimlessly and not put to much enthusiasm in being creative. It's highly imagative music as opposed to anything else I listen to.
These are the impressions I get from listening to "Hybrid". I may get something completely different the next time I listen to it. When it comes to ambient music, I don't think you can find better musicians than Michael Brook, Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. All three are multi talented producers and musicians...so they should have a pretty good idea in what texture to put to the music. There isn't a lot of different instruments heard through out, obviously there is lots of over dubbing and Michael's infinity guitar may also have a saying in that. The infinity guitar is a guitar Michael invented and with only three in existence, Daniel Lanois and The Edge of U2 owning the other two.
Okay maybe "Hybrid" isn't everybody's cup of tea and it may seem a bit monotonous at times. Some people may think that "Cobalt Blue" is a far superior c.d and in some regards it is. "Hybrid" to me seems to flow aimlessly and not put to much enthusiasm in being creative. It's highly imagative music as opposed to anything else I listen to.
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2000
I was gung-ho to get this lp, as it had Eno, one of the all time greats on it, as well as Michael Brook, who's "Cobalt Blue" continues to amaze me for all its beauty.
Fans of both men were probably a bit disappointed- Brook fans wanted more Brook; Eno fans saw this as not as strong an effort as it could have been. Perhaps they all are right, but taking the cd for what it has to offer, I very much enjoy it.
Yes, its more an Eno lp than Brook, but that doesn't mean that Brook was a mere spectator in these proceedings. His contributions to the lp are strong, as are Eno's and Lanois', which makes for a great lp.
Eno and Brook fans will come to appreciate this lp more over time, as they should. Its a fine ambient journey by all men, and it holds its own well.
Fans of both men were probably a bit disappointed- Brook fans wanted more Brook; Eno fans saw this as not as strong an effort as it could have been. Perhaps they all are right, but taking the cd for what it has to offer, I very much enjoy it.
Yes, its more an Eno lp than Brook, but that doesn't mean that Brook was a mere spectator in these proceedings. His contributions to the lp are strong, as are Eno's and Lanois', which makes for a great lp.
Eno and Brook fans will come to appreciate this lp more over time, as they should. Its a fine ambient journey by all men, and it holds its own well.
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2005
This is one of the defining pieces of ambient music, and Michael Brooks' best by far. It has an ancient, murmuring, earthen quality, with rich percussion, a sense of centuries passing by. It also captures the heady art pop music scene of the early 80's. I would put this in a series of Brian Eno's other canonical collaborations from this time, namely My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, and The Talking Heads' Remain in Light. I know I've placed Hybrid in excellent artistic company, and am convinced it deserves the praise. Ancient and modern, resolving the seeming paradox effortlessly.
Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2000
After I had immersed myself into the quintessential avant-garde guitar rock of "Cobalt blue" and "Live at the aquarium", "Hybrid" first came as a little disappointment to me. Michael's arpeggio style isn't featured here, instead, this album reminds me of Brian Eno's "Ambient 4 - On land" and "Apollo". Dig a bit deeper, and you'll see that "Hybrid" is just as good as the aforementioned records, and perhaps even more engaging and accomplished. Michael's 'infinite guitar' can often be confused with flutes or violins, while the soft, subdued melodies add a much-needed human dimension to the ambitious soundscapes. The title cut and the ghostly "Distant village" have strange, swampy percussion rumbling in the background, but these tracks are so complex that the structures and melodies only emerge after a couple of listens. "Mimosa" and the intimate "Earth floor" have a more menacing, tension-filled undercurrent, while "Pond life" nearly entirely consists of field recordings. The refreshing, aptly titled "Ocean motion" and the bright "Midday" once again feature Michael's unobtrusive guitar style. "Vacant" closes things on a bass-heavy note and prefigures the sound of Brian Eno's "The Shutov Assembly". Overall, there are lots of magic moments in this album which are really worth being discovered. A must-have for fans of experimental ambient music.
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2002
The music on this cd ranges from the semi-quasi-rapid pulsing of the first song to smooth keyboard with tabla, sampled insects, & eerie, sparse keyboard. It's ambient music that doesn't ever bore or irritate with over-spareness or techno obtrusiveness, & is very interesting for what other inspirations you might not hear much in music are thrown in. Great ambience, music to soak the room with a mood you can't put your finger on, very highly recommended.
Top reviews from other countries
Benny Farinacci
5.0 out of 5 stars
Powerful and Deep
Reviewed in Canada on February 25, 2022
Cd showed up in perfect condition. This particular album with Daniel Lanois at the board is haunting and big.
Zorzi Baffo
5.0 out of 5 stars
un voyage envoûtant
Reviewed in France on January 23, 2005
Michael Brook a enregistré des disques aussi bien avec Brian Eno qu'avec Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, l'extraordinaire chanteur soufi pakistanais hélàs disparu. Ici, les sons qu'il tire de sa guitare (si, si, c'est une guitare, aussi incroyable que cela puisse paraître) ont plus à voir avec le souffle, celui d'une déesse nocturne de la Nature, calme et paisible, exhalant sa langueur par de longues mélopées de sa flûte d'opale, feulant de somptueux glissandi qui serpentent dans la jungle dont il sourd des profondeurs luxuriantes le rythme lancinant de percussions indigènes tourbeuses et boisées. Alangui sur votre pirogue qui fend silencieusement l'encre épaisse et noire d'un fleuve africain ou amérindien baigné de lune, vous vous laissez aller au sortilège de cette plainte d'amour surnaturelle au fil de l'eau. Un voyage de velours dans la chaleur enveloppante d'une nuit équatoriale. Une pure merveille.
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