(thing) by fledy Sat Jul 09 2005 at 17:20:17
Wider Angle is an album released by the British electronic group Hybrid in 2000. The album contains two discs, the first of which is essentially the same as their 1999 album, Wide Angle. I'll list the tracks on both discs, anyway.
The second disc is what separates this album from their earlier one. It could be called Live Angle, as the first six tracks on it are live renditions of their songs. In my opinion, both discs are very excellent. And you can purchase the two-disc release on Amazon.com for about $16! This is an excellent deal and very much worth it.
One of the things I love about most of Hybrid's songs on thus release is that a lot of them have orchestral accompaniments to good electronic music, with the plus that the orchestral stuff is nice. The blend is absolutely beautiful, and would be the kind of thing that automatically induces an orgasm if I was aroused by music.
Full titles are bolded, times are in parentheses, and any additional notes about the song is given as footnotes.
Also, in an effort to make this writeup less Wiki-like, I will give some commentary on each song.

DISC I:
  1. Opening Credits (1:20)
    • A relatively short piece, but sets up the mood of the CD nicely. Has a stringed instrument playing a melody in long notes. A good opener, sorta like a movie.
  2. If I Survive (8:41) *
    • One of my favorites on the album, for some strange reason. The vocals add a nice touch. They seem somehow more appropriate if one is playing a video game, especially an RPG. Like a lot of Hybrid's great tracks, this one has some nice electronic filters with OMFG ORCHESTRAL ACCOMPANIMENTS!!!!!111oneoneoen.
  3. I Know (8:32) *
    • Again, some nice music using orchestral backgrounds (stringed instruments make me very happy). The lyrics seem somewhat fitting, but they also seem a bit superficial and sometimes cheesey. Not one of the highlights of the album, but it doesn't approach horrible. It fits in nicely here, but the blend from "If I Survive" is a bit rough. Not something that gets stuck in my head often.
  4. Beachcoma (6:30)
    • Starts out some a saxophone. This is one of the vocal-less songs on the album. A nicely composed track that has these sorta breathy background noises. It eventually gets an interesting beat accompanied by a piano on another voice. A slick song.
  5. Dreaming Your Dreams (7:13) *
    • Starts out a bit trance-y, but turns into something I can't quite classify (but then again, I'm not very good at picking apart music and identifying styles). One of the calmer songs on the album. Lots of synthesizer here, less strings. The vocals aren't really intrusive, but not memorable, either.
  6. Snyper (6:20)
    • This song is definitely a break from the previous songs. A very electronic/house (?) oriented song. The melody here is catchy. Some of the background noises sound like some sort of television or radio transmission. The song is particularly dramatic when the strings take the lead with repeated, extended crescendos. Great song. I approve.
  7. Theme from Wide Angle (6:28)
    • In comparison to other songs on the album, this song may be a "low point." Even at that, it's still not bad. Seems much more standard and more house-y than other songs. So this one doesn't stand out.
  8. Sinequanon (7:19) **
    • One of the unique highlights of the album. French rap is fun, folks. It seems like a combination of styles. Ambient hip-hop, perhaps? Awesome simply for the fact that it's French rap (and it's good otherwise).
  9. High Life (7:23) *
    • Ah, a song with a catchy beat and melody extolling the pleasures of either being wealthy or doing drugs. I can't really tell, but I don't really care, either. Seems more like the latter. The beat seems kind of standard, but despite that, the song forms a harmonious whole. "I like the view from here, I won't come down."
  10. Fatal Beating (4:30) *
    • Short, uneventful, and, at places, a bit jarring. Vocals seem to add to the jarringness. Doesn't really segue well between "High Life" and "Finished Symphony." Probably my least favorite song on the disc.
  11. Finished Symphony (9:37)
    • !!!! Okay, I first heard the song "Symphony" on Sasha and John Digweed's Northern Exposure 2: Eastcoast Edition, and it was lovely. This particular rendition stands on its own in terms of loveliness. It's long, which means double the awesome, double the fun. The melody is catchy, beautiful, and the pace of the song is nice. Definitely my favorite song on the disc. This develops in a very trance-like way, with the strings taking the main voice on the melody. Very smooth and dramatic, and serves as a great climax/ending to the disc. Splendiforous. A+++ Two thumbs up yadda yadda.
  12. Altitude (Red Square Reprise) (2:30)
    • Sorta like "Opening Credits," more or less "filler," working with the movie theme. Granted, it's a nice filler and segues very well from Finished Symphony without making you want too much more. Nice finisher.



DISC II: (I'll review these songs when I have access to Disc II)
  1. Kid 2000 (11:26) ***
  2. Burnin' (8:09)
  3. Snyper (8:17)
  4. Accelerator (7:11)
  5. High Life (8:41) *
  6. Finished Symphony (11:32)
  7. Kill City (Bonus Track) (5:50)
  8. Altitude (Bonus Track) (6:27)
  9. Kid 2000 (12" Original Mix) (6:16) ***


* Vocals by Julee Cruise
** Vocals by Soon E MC
*** Vocals by Chrissie Hynde
SOURCE:
http://www.discogs.com/release/27821
I like it!

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