Chris Bowden With 4 Hero - Hero / Lullaby

One of my all time favourite records and probably the hardest I have struggled to find a tune in those pre-Discogs and eBay days. A wonderful slowed down mellow drum and bass tune that like all the early Chris Bowden tune takes its time to build up the groove. Original issue was 650 copies with 250 copies in a hand-sprayed clear PVC sleeve. I liked the Satellite label so much that I had my own webpages devoted to them and here is what I said 10 years ago....

What Satellite Say:

Chris Bowden And 4 Hero Collaboration. Stravinsky Meets Drum And Bass.

What I Say:

If Satellite's First Record Was A Bit Disappointing, They Made Up For It With Their Second Release, A Collaboration Between Jazz-Classicist Chris Bowden And Post-Drum And Bassers 4-Hero. On "Hero" Bowden's String Section And 4-Hero's Slowed Down Dnb Rhythm Track Seem To Merge Together Seamlessly And Work With Each Other Rather Than The Expected Jarring Effect, And The Tracks Seem To Evovle Throughout The Piece, Before Dropping Into A Mellow Mid Section Where Some Vocals Float Lazily Over The Strings, Before A Final Uptempo Section Emerges With 4-Hero's Drums Driving The Track. "Lullaby" Is A Series Of Building String Pieces Supported By Sparse, Minimal Beats Which Climax As Dreamy Ambient Sections, Then Become Brought Back To Life By The Return Of The Drums.

This maxi contains two absolutely stunning gems evolving between modern classical, jazz, and d&b in two highly atmospheric and intimate pieces of music. The way Chris Bowden masters strings orchestrations makes me think of Yoshihiro Hanno. Music with the highest degree in inspiration and realisation.