The 4 man band known as 4Hero is, and always has been, a group of brave individuals. From their early cross pollination experiments of jazz and drum and bass, they have built a career out of making music slightly left of the spectrum. Weaving dance beat undertones with electronic bits of techno, Star Trek samples and studio tricks never before heard (thank them for the popularity of time stretching and drum ‘n’ bass as a whole), the crew has matured into a serious force of sound. After all, they are the guys responsible for crafting a remix of "I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun" that had Little Louie Vega pronouncing it “one of the best mixes ever.” If you’ve heard The Nuyorican Soul mix, you’ll know why Vega’s comment is not to be taken lightly. They’re the main people behind one of drum 'n' bass music’s greatest success stories, Reinforced Records. They made what has been called the first drum ‘n’ bass album, Parallel Universe. They would soon receive accolades and awards as they continued to push the envelope with their unique style, which they christened as 4Hero.
It’s been a long time since we last heard from 4Hero. Their latest project, Play With The Changes finds them working with some old friends, and bringing a tighter, polished shine to their sound. This is real mature music for real music fans, as anyone with good hearing can’t help but be blown away by the beauty of this CD. In my humble opinion, it really is that good! From the moment I first played it in my car, it has become the new soundtrack to all my travels, giving my usual trip to the grocery store a sophisticated feel.
Play With The Changes hits you from the first song "Morning Child," featuring the vocals of Carina Anderson of Les Fleur fame. The song lifts you up with it’s airy string and horn section painting the landscape and sets the stage for things to come. "Take My Time" follows up and brings Jack Davey of J’Davey fame, to the booth to rock the mid tempo jam. Look Inside is some seriously groovy type of funk, with FACE returning to the fold and delivering one of the hottest tracks on the album. Before you can cool down from, the next track "Sink or Swim" feat Lady Alda, hits you with a shuffling drum track and the coolest keyboards in life, making you shake even more. Next up is a smoothed out track featuring Phonte of Little Brother along with Darien Brockington called "Give In", a track that should have no problem fitting in your favorite hip-hop and R&B station. The entire album carries this pace for the most part, making you give it up to this amazing crew of musicians.
Article comments
1 - Mervin Malone Jr.
An absolutely brilliant release! 4hero only get better with time.
2 - Bill486
Bill486 - "For about ten years now, I have come to love this '4 Hero' for their alternative, 'jazzy-techno' sound. A little research showed me that these guys (Dego and Marc) are much more than DJ's or 'remixers', it is evident that they have a way of preserving a period of time in music before the onslaught of exploitation and the 'music video craze'. Being from the UK, with a diverse population that shows more appreciation, makes it easier for them to promote the very roots of modern soul and jazz music, while at the same time cleverly creating a new musical sound that combines and transcends classical, hip-hop, jazz, and R&B genres"......
"Play With the Changes" is a wonderful mix of Soul & R&B that will elevate and entertain much like the music of the 60's and 70's.