4 Hero
Two Pages

I was wandering through my favorite store, amidst cheerful families squandering their salaries on FIFA 2009 and wrestling games for their spoiled kids, groups of girls drooling over the Tokio Hotel shelf, and the usual boring metalheads debating how dying and brrrrutal that new cover of the black neomelodic metal alliance between Burzum and Mario Merola is. "Two Pages" caught my eye, a gem I bought on cassette already 10 years ago, and to be honest, I also had it on an innocent rar file downloaded with the pack animal. But I want this album original, screw piracy, (you must listen to it, no you must listen to it a lot (quote), word of the great Yosif). With one eye I glance at the price, 11.90, good, with the other I look with a certain amount of disgust at the metalheads who are now discussing the whirlwind ultra-technical and violently-oh-my-god-come-on-hey-hear-that-ferocious solo of Fear Offf De Monnezz', I shrug, feeling even more pity and compassion, admire the mysterious and fascinating cubical cover of the album in my hands, head to the pudgy cashier (never one of those MILFs you see on YouPorn), greet him and with another dose of disdain mixed with curiosity, take one last look at the metalkids on the next shelf, now vanished are on the Cannibal Corpse album: "brutal burzum metal speed power death church mistress tomb mutilated kill truzz pain blood burrrrp" are the only audible phrases that reach me, I hold back the urge to vomit and head home, aware I can listen to the album again without the vintage rustle of that cassette bought back then from who knows which emigrant.

The Christmas scene closes, here comes the impressive work "Two Pages", a 1998 album by 4 Hero, a strong team of talented DJ-producer-musicians from London, among the major representatives of the d'n'b movement before Two Pages; it is in fact with this album that our heroes decide to renew themselves, opting for a refreshing soul-flavored and refined restyling, now leaving behind the chaotic past of the early 90s, and exploring new sinuous sounds, new sound experiments, new rhythms, the result is simply excellent.

The album is available in two versions, a special double one (pages one + pages two, hence the title of the work) and a "single edition" where only a handful of tracks play, but where the concept "2 pages" remains almost unchanged, the two different parts illustrate the concept of this singular project, namely a first jazzy and sophisticated session, where you will find the pieces of the courageous restyling, a massive mixture of the most varied genres (in particular I mention the most relevant ones, Nu Jazz, Neo Soul, Blues, Jungle, Black, Break, Broken Beat), and the second "page" more geared towards D'n'B, Techno, Electronic and instrumental scores, almost to highlight that despite the stylistic renewal, they do not intend to abandon the previous style entirely. The most striking aspect of "Two Pages" is this skilled mix of genres that are light years apart, matching classical with modern, old with new, melodic with thumping, indeed powerful jungle beats combined with warm black voices, the piano, the omnipresent orchestral strings and living room sounds could almost seem like an oxymoron, yet the result is simply perfect, without the slightest flaw, without beating around the bush: immense.

All this is largely evident in tracks like "Loveless", with the help of Ursula Rucker's sensual voice, and the elegant "Golden Age Of Life", an authentic gem that with its warm strings and relax-oriented percussive rhythms, could easily serve as the soundtrack to snobby perfume boutiques, or Geo & Geo documentaries, there's also a touch of street flavor that makes it a special and undoubtedly valid work, also thanks to the splendid voice of Carol Crosby. In the same vein, the lush and intense "Escape That", with Face's velvety timbre asserting itself, who also lends his voice to the wonderful "Star Chasers" (picked as a single), and to the almost entirely instrumental "Third Stream" where he delights us with some final riffs brimming with "blackness". Carol returns in the slow and cocktail-like "Wishful Thinking" and on "Universal Reprise" where sax and mystical-tribal elements also make an appearance. The relaxing and jazzy rhythm created by the sung pieces is broken by the numerous long instrumentals between one track and another, as is the case with the spatial "Planetaria", "Spirit In Transit", and the alien interludes "Normal Changing World", "Wormholes", and "De-Sci-Fer". The influences are truly endless, in fact even a splash of Hip Hop is found on "The Action", rapped by Ish, and even Techno on "Humans" and "Greys", where extraterrestrial sounds, the skillful use of acid synths à la Daft Punk, and the recognizable drums of the glorious Roland 909 give us further proof of their great eclecticism. At the end, the 5 wild and powerful Jungle/Drum and Bass pieces, where the 4 charismatic producers showcase extraordinary rhythmic mosaics with top-level beats. In fairness as a reviewer, although absent in the edition I own, I have listened to the other tracks from the double version, which keep in the same mood as these final tracks.

"Two Pages" is a work of truly infinite class, its dual face makes it even more appealing, it knows how to relax and capture you with the first chic fraction, it can destroy the subwoofers of the system with the second part. The best things are found in part 1, but the second is equally endorsed wholeheartedly, overall it flows smoothly and compactly without disruptions in rhythm, nor skippable tracks. If you are not part of the spoiled kid category, nor the Tokio Hotel addicted category, much less the closed-minded metalheads, rush to the store or network, and get yourself this album of rare beauty immediately, listen to me, forget improbable electric shavers or Sky packages, don't heed that forgetful Pasquale, for Christmas gift yourself or others this disc.

Essential!