4hero’s Two Pages: A Listening Route Through the Album

Two Pages by 4hero is an album to return to for the way its acoustic instruments and electronic rhythms work together. The live drums, double bass and jazz arrangements give the music a natural, played feel that makes it a particularly rewarding reference for drum and bass producers.

Listen to Two Pages on Spotify

The recording choices behind that sound

In a MusicRadar interview, Marc Mac described studying the credits on older jazz records to understand their instruments, recording equipment and ensemble line-ups. When work began on Two Pages, he researched vintage Ludwig drum kits and bought a kit specifically to get the sound he wanted.

That attention to the source is useful context for an album whose live instrumentation feels so considered. Its sound began with decisions about the players and instruments, well before the final mix.

Two sides of the record

The original double album also leaves room for a more electronic side. DJ Mag’s retrospective describes the jazzier first half through its live strings, double bass and percussion. Tracks such as We Who Are Not as Others bring rolling breaks and synths back into focus.

That range is part of what makes Two Pages worth revisiting: a record where the energy of electronic music and the feel of live instrumentation can sit comfortably together.