4 Hero – Two Pages

Knowing the cd very well, the vinyl release shows the digital mixing and compression used during recording and is highlighted only in a couple of songs. However, the release is outstanding generally and well worth the price. Generally it's a very clean vinyl, there is a little crackle at the start and end of sides, however the music itself is very clean.
If you love ninja tune label or XL records, then this album is basically the template those used for at least 10 years, way ahead of its time and really it only becomes more relevant with modern times and global warming.

if you really can buy this superb box for a lower price: nothing to think about. just do it.

Yes, we all have our personal 'classic' LP's, but this one really is worthy of this statement.

Before it came out in 1998, after a couple of the tracks had previously been put out on promo's and on the EP "Earth Pioneers", the anticipation for the release of the project as a whole LP reached fever-pitch amoungst the underground dance music scene on the streets of London --and probably Tokyo, Paris, NYC, etc-- so when it eventually hit the airwaves of the few radio shows who got it first (probably Gilles Peterson; who at the time was still doing A&R for his label Talkin' Loud, so had the obvious label connection !!) the reponse was massive, and though it could be said 4 Hero were a so-called 'underground' fenomenon beforehand, after "Two Pages" was released, this soon changed.
This became evident when the LP was nominated on the shortlist for the Mercury Music Prize in 1998. Praise indeed, as the Mercury is respected as being given to only the best albums of the year that any artist releases (whatever their field; folk,dance,rap,rock ...anything) and is voted entirely on the QUALITY of the music, and not on sales which are often due more to record companies preconceived marketing campaigns rather than musical worth.

The LP itself seems to have one main concept, if you can call it that. The 'two' pages seems to be the difference between one of light & dark, promise & futility, or put simply; opposites.
The first page, easily the better half at that, contains tracks that embody the beauty of 1960-70s black music at it's finest --Charles Stepney productions come to mind-- whilst planting them firmly in the 21st century. Live string & brass arrangments, mixed with constantly evolving drum & percussion programming which only two veterans of the drum&bass scene could have possibly achieved, make these tracks mindblowing in their sophistication to say the least!
It could be said that this half of the LP marks a new dawn between the live element --with actual musicians playing the acoustic instruments-- and the technical advancement machines have brought to producers on a production level, with the two sitting pretty together without any obvious seperation.

The second page, unfortunately, is not nearly as good, as Dego & Marc Mac have abandoned the live element virtually comletely, instead opting to show-off their prowess when it comes to dark and heavy beat & percussive production; much in the vein of their Reinforced stuff, as well as their more Detriot techno productions and the like.
Now this could be seen as a bit of a cop-out, and perhaps it is, but they really DO know how to get sounds from the studio that before this album was released no-one else had simply thought about, nevermind reached!

As a whole this LP is simply stunning and should be more widely appreciated for the opus it is.
It certainly opened the way for many dance scenes we have at the moment. The 'broken beat' scene in London was virtually formed on the basis of this album, with the style of the beat production 4 Hero pioneered on the LP being jumped on by irers and ever expanded upon; Jazzanova & friends in breakin' it down; as well as the amazing productions coming out of Japan from the likes of Jazztronik, Kyoto Jazz Massive & others. All with their own sound, talents, and twist on things.

Worth a listen simply for inspiration, but also if innovation is what your after.

(Also, a word to the wise. You need to get a copy of this on CD as well as VINYL. A nice sales ploy for the record company, I know...

Why? Firstly, the CD comes with multimedia extras; fun for a while... but mainly because the CD puts the tracks in their natural order, as well as some of the tracks endings being mixed nicely with the beginning of the next one; which works very well in the context of the album as whole.

The vinyl, on the other hand, has three extra tracks on the last side of the vinyl. I say 'tracks', but they are really just little ditties, which those of us who have a bad vinyl addiction can't go without now, can we ?!)