4hero | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Consistently on the front lines of the drumnbass battleground, the duo of Dego (McFarlane) and Marc Mac (Mark Clair) nevertheless failed to receive the exposure of luminaries like Goldie and Roni Size, mostly because they didnt release much 4hero material during jungles crucial crossover years, from 1994 through 1997. Despite beginnings in Londons hip-hop underground during the mid-80s, the duo moved into the hardcore/rave scene later in the decade and recorded classics like "Mr. Kirks Nightmare" and "Journey from the Light" for one of the scenes best labels, their own Reinforced Records. The tracks were among the first to chart the dark side of the rave scene and presage the more sinister tendencies of drumnbass. Quite ironic then, that while the jungle scene caught up with (and grew increasingly obsessed by) 4heros innovations during the late 90s, the duo had already moved on to a more polished, fusion-inspired sound with their major-label breakout, 1998s Two Pages. In the beginning, the name 4hero did actually mark the presence of a quartet. Marc Mac and Dego first hooked up with Iain Bardouille and Gus Lawrence in 1986, through their mutual adoration for hip-hop and involvement in the Strong Island FM pirate radio station, which operated out of Londons Camden area. By 1989, Marc Mac and Dego were recording percussive breakbeat experiments and becoming increasingly involved with the rave and hardcore breakbeat scene, while Bardouille and Lawrence gradually moved into management of the quartets newly formed Reinforced Records. The label debuted with the Rising Sun EP by Marc and Dego, credited to 4hero. The second EP, Combat Dance, became a big seller in the dance community, though a shady distributor reneged on payment of the profits. The pair crisscrossed the country during the late 80s and early 90s, DJing and playing at raves while they struggled to earn enough money for Reinforced to stay afloat. After approaching the group at one show, Goldie began working as an A&R; man and engineer for the label. He soon became a familiar face at Reinforced headquarters and learned much about production techniques from Dego and Marc Mac. Though they were still in the rave scene, 4heros subsequent recordings also revealed a growing interest in the flip side of raves increasingly elegiac feeling. The single "Mr. Kirks Nightmare" included samples of a policeman telling a suburban father that his son has died of an overdose, and the statement of intent in the titles "Journey from the Light" and "Cookin Up Ya Brain" was self-evident. 4heros 1991 LP debut, In Rough Territory, also sketched a sinister path through the breakbeat scene, leagues ahead of other producers and on the cutting edge of a style that wouldnt peak for well over five years later. Instead of continuing down the darkside breakbeat path, however, 4hero began to diversify. Dego introduced his Tek 9 side project, which united his love of hip-hop, jazz fusion, and occasional breakbeats, while Marc Mac debuted the straight-ahead hard techno of Nu Era. Two compilation albums were the next LP releases for Reinforced -- Calling for Reinforcements and Definition of Hardcore -- with obvious contributors 4hero and Tek 9 alongside newer projects like Goldies Rufige Cru and Marc Macs Manix. Three years after their debut LP, 4hero released another album, Parallel Universe. The smooth sound reflected more of a debt to old-school Detroit techno and Chicago house, much farther away from the hardcore of In Rough Territory. As jungle began to explode as a commercial force in 1994, 4hero was often name-checked as a godfather of the movement. (Great Britains BBC-TV even borrowed the title of a Tek 9 track for its jungle documentary, A London Sumtin.) The duo was relatively silent during 1995, though Reinforced continued its release schedule with a debut full-length from Nookie (The Sound of Music), another compilation (Jungle Book), and several singles from Doc Scott. One year later, Marc Mac released a Nu Era full-length (Beyond Gravity) and Dego put out the first Tek 9 LP, Its Not What You Think It Is!?!! Also, Dego and Marc Mac added yet one more alias to their stable during 1996, with a self-titled album recorded as Jacobs Optical Stairway. Released on R&S; Records, the LP became the duos most polished effort extant, with high-pitched synth and spacy fusion breakbeats, in addition to help from technocrat Juan Atkins and dance superstar Josh Wink. Three years after their last 4hero full-length, Dego and Marc Mac signed to the British nu-groove label Talkin Loud and released their third album, Two Pages, tied to earthier forms of jazz fusion than their Jacobs Optical Stairway material. It was nominated for Britains Mercury Prize and prompted the remix album Two Pages Reinterpretations in 1999. Creating Patterns appeared in late 2001, boasting collaborations with a trio of groove specialists from several decades: Mark Murphy, Terry Callier, and Jill Scott. Six years later, the very similar Play with the Changes was released, with contributions from Larry Mizell, Jody Watley, and Darien Brockington. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 16 Title: Combat Dancin’ Released: 1990 Tracks: 3 Duration: 18:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Mr. Kirk’s Nightmare (06:15) 2 Move Wid the House Groove (06:24) 3 Combat Dance (05:27) |
 | Album: 2 of 16 Title: In Rough Territory Released: 1991 Tracks: 12 Duration: 55:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Genesis (05:26) 2 No Sleep Raver (Tired Eyes mix) (04:53) 3 Mr Kirks Nightmare (live mix) (05:16) 4 Reachin (04:54) 5 Cant Strain My Brain (04:39) 6 Put Your Thinkin Caps On (01:55) 7 May the Wicked Perish in the Fire of Hell (04:10) 8 The Last Ever Bleep Track (Used to Death) (04:13) 9 Risin Sun (instrumental) (04:11) 10 Mad Dogs (Feeding Propaganda) (04:52) 11 Massacre (05:42) 12 4 Hero (05:06) |
 | Album: 3 of 16 Title: The Head Hunter Released: 1991-09 Tracks: 4 Duration: 20:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Ghost Stories (04:24) 2 Reaching (Nourishment remix) (05:32) 3 Make Yah See Spiders on the Wall (Voodoo Beats) (05:01) 4 Mind Loss (A State of Amnesia) (05:03) |
 | Album: 4 of 16 Title: Cooking Up Yah Brain Released: 1992 Tracks: 4 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Cooking Up Yah Brain (?) 2 Burning (?) 3 Time to Get Ill (?) 4 Wheres the Boy (Trial by Ecstasy) (?) |
 | Album: 5 of 16 Title: Golden Age EP Released: 1993 Tracks: 4 Duration: 20:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Students of the Future (The 4th Dimension 4 Hero remix) (05:12) 2 Golden Age (Peace 1000 4 Hero remix) (05:21) 3 Students of the Future (Nostradamus: The Revelation Rufige Kru remix) (05:12) 4 Better Place Becomes Reality (4 Hero remix) (05:07) |
 | Album: 6 of 16 Title: Journey From the Light Released: 1993-02 Tracks: 4 Duration: 18:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Journey From the Light (remix) (05:08) 2 In the Shadow (Sunrise remix) (04:07) 3 The Elements (Fire & Water remix) (04:37) 4 The Power Dub (R-Solution remix) (04:50) |
 | Album: 7 of 16 Title: Universal Love EP Released: 1995 Tracks: 4 Duration: 05:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Universal Love (Metalheads mix) (?) 2 Universal Love (4 Hero mix) (?) 3 Universal Love (L Double mix) (05:42) 4 Universal Love (By Nookie mix) (?) |
 | Album: 8 of 16 Title: Parallel Universe Released: 1995-03-27 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:11:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Universal Love (05:35) 2 No Imitation (05:00) 3 Parallel Universe (05:07) 4 Talk Around Town (05:13) 5 Follow Your Heart, Part 1 (04:52) 6 Wrinkles in Time (05:59) 7 Terraforming (04:53) 8 People Always Criticize Us (05:44) 9 Follow Your Heart, Part Two (05:09) 10 Shadow Run (02:27) 11 Sunspots (06:30) 12 Sounds From the Black Hole (06:14) 13 Power to Move the Stars (04:22) 14 Solar Emissions (04:53) |
 | Album: 9 of 16 Title: Earth Pioneers EP Released: 1997-09-29 Tracks: 6 Duration: 33:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Hal’s Children (06:08) 2 2030 Grand River (01:21) 3 Planetaria (A Theme From a Dream) (06:26) 1 Dauntless (07:41) 2 Loveless (05:54) 3 Loveless (instrumental) (05:54) |
 | Album: 10 of 16 Title: Two Pages: Reinterpretations Released: 1998 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:15:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Planetaria (Hefner remix) (06:20) 2 We Who Are Not as Others (Jazzanova remix) (07:08) 3 Mathematical Probability (Mustang remix) (05:44) 4 Escape That (New Sector Movements Selekshan 2 Sector Rub remix) (09:33) 5 Escape That (Off-World remix) (06:44) 6 Dauntless (Restless Soul South Pacific remix) (04:53) 7 Star Chasers (Masters at Work Main mix) (10:52) 8 Star Chasers (Azymuth remix) (06:20) 9 The Action (Shawn J Period remix) (03:49) 10 We Who Are Not as Others (Alpha Omega remix) (06:38) 11 We Who Are Not as Others (Sonar Circle remix) (07:24) |
| Two Pages: Reinterpretations : Allmusic album Review : Unlike many acts, Dego and Mark Mac had nothing to prove with their remix album, so Two Pages Reinterpretations spotlights a few of 4heros up-and-coming favorites in the dance community instead of getting in bigger or more critically respected names to draw in neophytes. Many of the renditions are downtempo or jazzy house, with cuts by Jazzanova, Ron Trent, Shawn J. Period, and Sonar Circle proving that 4heros interests lie far afield from drumnbass. Its still a bit of an irony that the biggest name here -- house legends Masters at Work -- contributes the best remix: a smooth garage rendition of "Starchasers." | ||
 | Album: 11 of 16 Title: Two Pages Released: 1998-06-24 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:17:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Loveless (05:54) 2 Golden Age of Life (06:01) 3 Planetaria (A Theme From a Dream) (06:02) 4 Third Stream (06:03) 5 Wormholes (00:32) 6 Escape That (05:23) 7 Mother Solar, Part 1 (00:11) 8 Spirits in Transit (04:54) 9 Greys (02:00) 10 The Action (03:17) 11 Star Chasers (04:53) 12 Wishful Thinking (04:39) 13 Normal Changing World (00:13) 14 Universal Reprise (05:25) 15 We Who Are Not as Others (07:56) 16 Humans (03:27) 17 Pegasus 51 (04:17) 18 [symbols] (06:25) 19 De-Sci-Fer (00:06) |
 | Album: 12 of 16 Title: Creating Patterns Released: 2001-10-29 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:19:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Conceptions (05:39) 2 Time (04:38) 3 Golden Solitude (06:55) 4 Twothesme (06:01) 5 Another Day (04:57) 6 Hold It Down (05:11) 7 Unique (04:43) 8 Something Nothing (02:37) 9 Ways of Thought (04:29) 10 Eight (05:40) 11 Twelve Tribes (06:06) 12 2-BS-74638 (03:59) 13 Les Fleur (04:09) 14 The Day of the Greys (05:52) 15 2000 Black (04:44) 16 B-Side-Track (03:47) |
| Creating Patterns : Allmusic album Review : While it may seem 4heros Mark Mac and Dego have been looking in different directions since 1998s Two Pages, their twin visions of music arent so very far from each other. During the three-year interim, Dego spearheaded the programming-heavy broken beat community around West London, while Mark Mac explored small-group jazz using fusion and jazz-funk as a springboard (the Ronnie Scotts scene). Though the workload on Creating Patterns is distressingly one-dimensional (not one track features both of them), Degos rugged breakbeats never sound too synthetic to clash with all the acoustic instruments, and Mark Macs tracks feature a wealth of independent-minded musicians as well as the half-machine, half-human drummer Luke Parkhouse. After a fine -- though rather long-winded -- opening jam, return guest Ursula Rucker turns in one of her finest performances on "Time," revealing much more emotion than usual and flitting gracefully between sung and spoken vocals. A promising collaboration with Jill Scott turns out flat, though two other groove iconoclasts -- Mark Murphy and Terry Callier -- were recruited for great tracks. Murphy appears on the evocative spoken word performance "Twelve Tribes" (virtually no one else couldve pulled off these pseudo-mystical lyrics with the same authority), while Callier performs on a misty, somber "The Day of the Greys." The single "Les Fleur" is easily the most beautiful moment of the record, except this trilling, spring-like performance (by Carina Andersson) is an unbelievably similar remake of a song from Minnie Ripertons solo debut, Come to My Garden. While Creating Patterns doesnt hit the heights of the brilliant, sprawling Two Pages, its definitely a tighter record, more effective as a statement of art and music-making. The result is 4heros usual synthesis of old and new, artificial and organic, strange and familiar. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 16 Title: The Remix Album, Volume 1 Released: 2004-03-29 Tracks: 24 Duration: 2:37:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 I Am the Black Gold of the Sun (4hero remix) (08:28) 2 Ive Known Rivers (4hero remix) (08:01) 3 I Seen a Man Die (4hero remix) (04:32) 4 Inner City Life (4hero remix) (06:48) 5 Twisted (4hero remix) (06:44) 6 Having Your Fun (4hero remix) (06:07) 7 Give in to Me (4hero remix) (07:21) 8 Indo (4hero remix) (08:04) 9 Love Theme From Spartacus (4hero remix) (06:15) 10 Into the Blue (4hero remix) (04:15) 11 Escape (4hero remix) (06:18) 12 Naima (4hero version) (05:51) 1 Hold It Down (Bugz in the Attic remix) (07:22) 2 Star Chasers (Masters at Work remix) (10:33) 3 The Action (Visioneers remix) (04:16) 4 We Who Are Not as Others (Jazzanova remix) (07:08) 5 Ways of Thought (Restless Soul remix) (07:17) 6 Escape That (New Sector Movements remix) (08:55) 7 Universal Love (Metalheadz remix) (04:42) 8 9 by 9 (Marcus Intalex & St Files remix) (06:26) 9 Hold it Down (Exemen remix) (04:50) 10 Star Chasers (DJ Spinna remix) (05:15) 11 9 by 9 (King Britt remix) (05:32) 12 Better Place (Marcus Intalex & St Files remix) (06:28) |
 | Album: 14 of 16 Title: Play With the Changes Released: 2007-02-05 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:07:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Morning Child (04:36) 2 Take My Time (04:07) 3 Look Inside (04:06) 4 Sink or Swim (No Choice for Me) (03:50) 5 Give In (04:52) 6 Play With the Changes (05:57) 7 Something in the Way (04:58) 8 Stoke Up the Fire (05:04) 9 The Awakening (04:45) 10 Sophia (03:53) 11 Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You?) (07:53) 12 Why Dont You Talk? (04:35) 13 Bed of Roses (04:06) 14 Gonna Give It Up (Wanna Quit) (02:45) 15 Dedication to the Horse (01:52) |
 | Album: 15 of 16 Title: Reinforced Presents: 4hero - The Early Plates Released: 2008-09-01 Tracks: 10 Duration: 51:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Universal Love (4hero remix) (05:19) 2 Better Place (4hero remix) (05:02) 3 Journey From the Light (remix) (05:08) 4 Students of the Future (05:12) 5 Cooking Up ya Brain (05:16) 6 In the Shadow (Sunrise remix) (04:07) 7 Universal Love (Goldie remix) (06:15) 8 Kirks Back (05:15) 9 Rising Son (instrumental) (06:04) 10 Better Place (original mix) (04:10) |
 | Album: 16 of 16 Title: Extensions Released: 2009-10-19 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:09:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Universal Love (07:25) 2 Why Dont You Talk? (05:33) 3 Conceptions (04:39) 4 Planetaria (05:00) 5 Third Stream (06:10) 6 Give In (05:24) 7 Blank Cells (06:12) 8 Sophia (04:15) 9 Cosmic Tree (04:22) 10 People Always Criticise Us (06:09) 11 Humans (07:41) 12 Star Chasers (06:27) |