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Hybrid announce release of double-disc mix collection Soundsystem 01 - Out August 19, 2008 through Nettwerk Music group

New York, NY - Acclaimed dance-music innovators Hybrid (Mike Truman and Chris Healings,) announce the release of a new new double-disc mix collection, Soundsystem 01 on August 19, 2008. “Cinematic” is a term long associated with the duo and that widescreen emphasis comes even more into focus on Hybrid’s ground-breaking new effort. Soundsystem 01 takes Hybrid’s movie obsession to a new level fully merging it with their DJ / production roots. On the first disc, Truman and Healings fuse actual film scores and ambient electronica together for the first time, making for an unforgettable downtempo odyssey: here, glitchy, atmospheric
tracks from Trentemoller, Spooky, Andy Page, and new Hybrid vocalist Charlotte James blend seamlessly with edgy score selections from films like Kingdom of Heaven and Man On Fire. “It gives a good insight into glorious bits of music we thought should see light of day,” Truman says. “It’s a bit out of the norm - a more beatless, more abstract vein than we’re known for - yet it also reflects the kind of soundtrack work we do for something like a Tony Scott film. The idea for the mix came about when the combination of this great Ryuichi Sakamoto track featuring David Sylvian, with a remix of Harry Gregson-Williams’ score for Man On Fire just jelled. We wanted to mix it up so that other people’s tracks become a bit of our own.”

The more upfront, club-oriented disc of Soundsystem 01 also features some surprises for Hybrid fans. For one, while big-room icons like Sasha, Quivver and Elite Force are represented, Soundsystem shifts the duo’s trademark progressive/breaks sound into a predominantly techier, 4/4-driven groove. “We’ve never actually played just one style, so this is a real reflection of our DJ sets - of what’s actually in our record box,” Healings explains. “This mix isn’t so much banging as it is a refined journey through today’s clubbing experience: a little bit progressive, a little bit chunky and tech-housey, with some techno and breakbeat in the middle.”

“Making big noises is what we do,” adds Healings. “It’s our calling card. But whether we use electronics, string orchestras, or brass, our songs always take the listener somewhere, which is where the cinematic tag comes from.”

Hybrid’s filmic quality was evident from their genre defining 1999 debut Wide Angle. Since then, in addition to crafting dancefloor hits of their own and remixes for everyone from Radiohead to Moby, Hybrid has become known for their work scoring films, as well as sound design and arranging. Truman and Healings can be heard on the soundtracks of Domino and Deja Vu,in addition to Kingdom of Heaven and Man On Fire. All projects with renowned composer and frequent collaborator Harry Gregson-Williams, who also appeared on the group’s 2006 album I Choose Noise. 2007, meanwhile, saw Hybrid complete its first full score for the horror film Catacombs.
“I think you have to go beyond being just a club act,” Healings says. “We think of ourselves as producers, film scorers, sound designers, songwriters, and a real live band. If we were just DJs, we’d get bored very quickly.”

Indeed, both Soundsystem’s mixes and Hybrid’s new material reflect just how diverse and vital the sphere of electronic music has become. “Music is so clashing right now, and it’s glorious,” Truman concludes. “It’s an exciting time for music - everything’s wide open.”