Hybrid

It does make you wonder, what is there left to achieve when your music has fed hungry ears since the 90s, been featured on Hollywood films, covers an array of genres and has been featured in theatre and even computer games? Step forward Hybrid. This band explores the three P’s- process, pioneering and progression. They create, play and then move forward, creating sounds, which are timeless and make history without having to repeat themselves. Chris from Hybrid talks about his confused state of mind listening to Dubstep and how he loves to head out and lose it to Hawtin. This music doesn’t have a direct genre, it doesn’t need to be catergorised. From Classical to Dance, Chill Out to Techno, Hybrid have a huge following for a reason.

Good morning Chris, how are you doing today?

I’m good thank you, running late as always. But I’m good, little depressed by the English weather, especially here in Swansea – it’s shit. But yes, apart from that I am great thanks. Nice to speak with you.

You too Chris, now, you guys have been around for over 15 years, what has been the biggest change throughout the years musically within the band?

Well, a tricky one. I’d say it is most definitely when Charlotte came on board about four years ago, that was a major shift. We have always been looking for a vocalist. We have never had someone that we thought that we could explore and get the best out of us. She really brought something to Hybrid’s melodic and classical envelope.

You are seen to be a pioneer of electronic music… was this what you first set out to achieve all of these years ago?

We loved people like Way Out West, Aphex Twin, BT etc we wanted to beat these crazy acts. Audio and technically wise we wanted to push that envelope as far as we could. That’s our thing you know. The Hybrid Soundsystem CD where one side was dance and the other was glitchy, techno and weird electronic chill out. It was everything, so we are going to do another one and see where it goes. We wanted to take off where Future Sounds London had left, as there is a musical gap and no one is really filling it at the moment.

Well as you say, you have such a mix of genres, do you think you could label your music Chris?

Yes, it is forward thinking music, it is progressive but it is progressively thinking music, moving forward like nothing else. We are doing the Hybrid classics 2 release on June 30th, and going back into our back catalogue, looking at our first classics CD and then our orchestral stuff which some of it is unheard, was fascinating. I never listen to our music, we make it and perform it and then I move forward and carry on. But going back into it all, it was a lovely week and the music has lasted, some of it is twelve years old and it sounds ok to me.

Well, I was going to ask about the second Hybrid classics CD, which is soon to be released. Why a second?

Yeah we have been with them forever and this is the last of the contract. We are not leaving the old Hybrid behind and completely changing but we have lots of stuff we want to combine all of the really exciting stuff. This new album is going to change things, fill in the gaps of Future Sounds as I said hopefully. But you never know, we might just fuck it up and I’ll sound like a twat then.

Well, I do absolutely love your remix of Depeche Mode’s classic ‘Silence’. It’s such an amazing original and you have smashed it. How did this come about?

This is another wonderful thing about our fans. Sometimes there can be a four-year gap between our albums, and we don’t use the press as much as we used to because of it being a small label. Anyway, the fans are always there. Our Facebook can be dead for six months, nothing, and then all of a sudden they’re all there and I take my hats off to them because they sit around waiting for us to release a new record. We then ask them what they would like us to cover and we had 5 and a half thousand suggestions from them, it was ridiculous..

You have chosen to remix the likes of UNKLE, Doves, Guy J, Elite Force, Losers and Radiohead, how do you decide on a track you wish to remix?

Some of our biggest hits like Future Sound London, Papa New Guinea worked well as we were doing a mix for Radio1 so we knew that we wanted to do something really different, so we did a bootleg of it and then we got a call from them and they asked if they could release the track. We were speechless. If we had been asked to remix Papa New Guinea first we would have snuffed it, but because we loved it and just went for it, it just turned out great.

Obviously things have changed dramatically throughout the sounds of music since you guys started, who means the most to you in the past musically?

For pure quality and content, Richie Hawtin. Every time I go and see him for four or five hours, I do a few naughty things and that keeps me going for months. I lose it and then the next day I feel full of energy to write music. Some of Sasha’s shows, it has to be quality. I know they’re old and heritage but they give me a warm glow.

What do you think of the radio at the moment then? Do you think it’s crap? I’m not particularly inspired by Radio One’s top 40 (laughing).

Me neither Frankie, but I do like a bit of BBC 6 for their inspirational selection. There is a new band which I have come across – The Choir of Young Believers – it’s piano, vocals, quite Radioheady in a way. Film scores and adverts, intimate and melodic music, which perks my ears up; it’s not always just banging dance music that drives us on and we do the technology and the electronic side of things. Like Dubstep, it’s interesting but it gets too much after a while.

?ow do you see 2012? As a year of serious dedication and progression or are you looking to just go with the flow and enjoy?

We have a mini album on the go, which is going to be so accessible for the masses. The Hybrid classics on route. Hybrid Soundsystem 2 to go with the DJ show too also, before the end of the year. And the fans are there, as always, which is just amazing. 2012 looks to be a good year.

By Frankie Salt

Catch Hybrid this month at Billboard, Melbourne, and Chinese Laundry, Sydney.

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