Track Listing

1. Loveless - Ursula Rucker, 4hero
2. Golden Age Of Life
3. Planetaria
4. Third Stream
5. Wormholes
6. Escape That
7. Mother Solar (Part 1)
8. Spirits In Transit
9. Greys
10. The Action - 4hero, Ish (aka "Butterfly")
11. Star Chasers
12. Wishful Thinking
13. Normal Changing World
14. Universal Love
15. We Who Are Not As Others
16. Humans
17. Pegasus 51
18. Three Thousand And Five
19. De-Sci-Fer

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33959 in Music
• Released on: 2000-08-28
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds
• Running time: 78 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Within drum and bass, Dego MacFarlane and Mark Mac are nothing short of legendary. Responsible for the music's first artist long-player (check "In Rough Territory", released in 1991); the introduction of jazz to the genre; and the unleashing of Goldie to the world. Their Reinforced imprint has released a steady stream of material since May 1990, bringing names such as Doc Scott, Gavin Cheung, Peshay, and Arcon 2 to the fore. After releasing two critically acclaimed long-players under pseudonyms--the techno influenced Jacobs Optical Stairway and Tek 9's hip-hop influenced "It's Not What You Think It Is"--they finally signed their key project, 4 Hero, to Talkin' Loud in the early months of 1998. Their first album for the label took over two years to make, holding court to twenty full-length tracks split over two compact discs. The first 'page' pursues the Philly string sound and jazz influences of the Ursula Rucker' vocal cut, "Loveless". The second is more in line with the sound pursued by their own label--a fascination with science fiction enriched through desolate sounds, sub-orbital beats and obscure vocal references. This is as essential as an album can be.--Kingsley Marshall

CD Description
Drum-and-bass has come a long way since its underground birth in the early '90s. It has moved from its white label origins into the realm of downright respectability and mass acceptance, is used as advertising fodder, and is even sometimesdislocated from its purist electronic roots. 4 Hero, like Roni Size, Goldie, and Impulse before them, seek to integratedrum-and-bass with acoustic instrumentation, looking for a way to boldly paint the genre as the music of the future.
Epic in scope, TWO PAGES is a sprawling two-disc set that bounces between lush life electronica, with the supple strings and sampled orchestras that abound throughout Disc One, and the galvanised-steel rhythmic tours de force of Disc Two. It's an experiment that pays dividends for the listener--note the alien trajectories of "We Who Are Not as Others", and "Humans", or dance through the majesty of the Pleiades on dreamy sonic confections such as "Wishful Thinking", or "Spirits in Transit", which effortlessly links '60s CTI jazzmen such as Deodato and Stanley Clarke to contemporary downtempo starshine.

Customer Reviews

Simply Suberb
Wow, Wow and Wow... A truly inspiring mix of rap, soul, experimental drum and bass, instrumentals, beautiful vocals and more. The first time I heard this album I was left totally speachless. I'm still almost lost for words. If you've never heard of 4Hero, I'd urge you to get this album and introduce yourself to their smooth, unique sound. If you are a fan and haven't got this album, what are you waiting for? Its simply exquisite.

Bel.

Pioneering
This album marks 4 hero's shift from the sounds of drum and bass (which they were at the fore-front of, basicly inventing the genre), to the sounds of what has come to be known as "nu jazz". It was one of the first nu jazz LPs, and is respected as a classic within the scene, as well as gaining much praise from the wider music community.

As with other styles, there is a lot of crap modern jazz music made for the dance floor or for the "lounge", but this is where the real goods are found. This album is full of the highest quality musicianship: Spectacular, unique atmospheric sounds, original, high quality live and electronic jazzy beats, and beautiful vocals. The layering of sounds is precise and skillfuly compiled, and hense there is so much to appreciate. The production is just unbeatable. Like anything 4 hero have put their hand to, it's in a league of its own, next level, inspired. The beats are just so good, taking influence from modern and older genres, and not just reproducing, but pushing forward, building on and surpassing infuences. I wouldn't say it's a concept album, but there's a definative 4 hero sound established here ("4 hero" is one of a number of guises for Dego and Marc as a duo and individualy, through which they explore other genres) and the album as a whole has a directional feel. There is a specific soulful (in its truest sense) vibe and subject area in exploration within two pages; the tracks work together musicaly and in regards to the lyrical contributions.

The album has a uniquely spiritual feel, the foundations to which are clearly evident in the lyrics and the sounds. Lyricaly the tracks are forward thinking (at times deeply so), positive, reflective and open minded with no meaningless filler rubbish which too often accompanies all genres of dance music. The focus on notions of love and energy that comes accross in the lyrics is inspiring, and accuratly reflected in the instrumentals. This isn't to say the album becomes inaccesible however; all the tracks can be appreciated on the immediate level.

This album is great to listen to chilling on your own or in a social context, passively or mindfully - the immediate sounds are great and make you grin, dancing, head-noding or relaxing; but there is also much detail to listen to on each track, so much to gain from them.

The manner in which 4 hero have produced an album of such musical quality within a framework that comes from and appeals to the spiritual (intentional or not I don't know), makes this a masterpiece.

magnificent !!!!
i don't usually give out 5 stars but this album is a incredible piece of work, i first found out about this album when it was nominated for the mecury music prize sometime in the nineties.i think every person i've introduced this to has bought it.complicated,sophisticated,intelligent drum 'n'bass lavishley produced but still maintains the 'talkin loud'[origional record label] sound . i really can't endorse it with enough superlatives.