#TBT || Hybrid – Finished Symphony

“Finished Symphony” represents that delicious place where electronic and orchestral meet and creates beautiful music.

The year is 1999 and Hybrid, a Welsh duo (Mike Truman and previous band member Chris Healings) release one of the most moving pieces of music to have graced the electronic world. “Finished Symphony” is an unbelievable piece that combines house elements with breaks layered with string instruments. The track comes from their album Wide Angle, which is a deep and groundbreaking work of art. To some, it’s release set into motion the genre of “progressive breaks”.

“Finished Symphony” begins with a with a slow build up of strings, then slowly layers multiple styles, almost one by one. Staying true to their name, Hybrid’s “Finished Symphony” is an amalgamation of breaks, techno, trance, and other styles. The piece eventually crescendos into a full-bodied euphonic blend of styles. Though the zenith is very important, the best part for me is the slow emotional build up.

Hybrid’s music was both uplifting and grimy and personally always gave me a sci-fi, otherworldly feel.

The name “Finished Symphony” is also likely a play on their previous track, “Symphony”. If you listen to the earlier work released in 1996, you can hear the connection between the two. They are virtually the same track but with major differences. The main and most important change is the inclusion of actual strings rather than a synthesized orchestra. The orchestral pieces were played by the Russian Federal Orchestra and with the inclusion of the orchestral piece, their symphony was finally completed. The instruments in “Finished Symphony” are vigorous and completely captivate your attention; they aren’t as muddled as they are on Symphony. Regardless of which version you prefer, there is no mistaking the amazing track and dynamic music they created.

Stream Hybrid – Finished Symphony on YouTube:

Regardless of which version you prefer, there is no mistaking the amazing track and dynamic music they created. If you’re interested in a more modern take on this classic, check out Deadmau5’s remix.

Thankfully, Hybrid is returning to their classic orchestral fueled sound. They took a break, changed band mates and began focusing on writing scores for films such as Man on Fire, Prince of Persia and, Fast and the Furious. If you’re interested in this side of their music, check out their site focused solely on film scores. They are set to release their fifth studio album soon!

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