4 Hero – Combat Dancin'

only bangers from this iconic duo! so happy to have this in my collection

Within the beginnings of hardcore lies this record, released in the very start of the 1990s, a decade which would be instrumental (no pun intended) in the formation of various exciting electronic music genres. As mainly a jungle drum n bass listener, I have a soft spot for many of the hardcore tunes of the early 90s and listened to many of them early in my discovery of drum & bass. Mr. Kirk's Nightmare being one of my introductions to hardcore -- and with that:

Mr. Kirk's Nightmare - 5/5

The first track on this record, and one of the earliest examples of true hardcore, it's hard to believe this was made in 1990. Haunting vocals, destructive bass, a super slick drum beat and just the right noises make this a very special tune. A bonafide classic, a 10/10 track.

Move Wid The House Groove - 4/5

This tune is an interesting combination of hip hop, house, and breakbeat which serves as a pretty good tune! There's some funky bass that underlines this one with typical breakbeat science you'd eventually come to expect from 4 Hero. Overall a groovy one right here.

Combat Dance - 4/5

This one definitely leans the most in the house direction, but still makes for a good tune with some nice bass if you're willing to listen.

combat dance is a certified dancefloor killer, trust me!
The record sounds muddy on a cheap system and only "shows" its true nature when played thru a phat system.

I when Steve Jackson gave t'Mr Kirk' its first radio play on Kiss in London - it was one of those rare moments when you exactly when you first heard a record as it was so different to anything else at the time. I hoped to hear it out raving that weekend (I had virtually stopped raving then for about 5 years but a friend persuaded me to go to a rave that weekend weekender -but I think the tune was so hot that most DJ's didn't even have copies at that point so no luck there. Often cited as the first hardcore record although Shut Up And Dance were making what was pretty much hardcore by 1989 and I believe 'We Are IE' by Lennie De Ice although out much later was recorded in 1988. However this tune has nearly everything that became synonymous with hardcore in one place. Landmark tune if there ever was one.

This is such an inspirational track that people still talk about it 25 years after it first came out, Back it the House rave days if you dropped this track all hell broke loose, I think because the sample was anti drugs in a rave culture.

Look up Think - "Once you understand" for the vocal sample on "Mr. Kirk's Nightmare".

Incredible. I love the loww bazzzzz

Move Wid The House Groove - Think Eric B & Rakim's 'Follow the Leader' in a UK style for the warehouse; very PE-influenced with nods to Belgium. Hip house that hasn't dated as badly as many other tracks from this era have.

Combat Dance - 'Tour De ' breathing and keys over bleeps and barely heard piano stabs before bassline interrupts for intermission and the whole kerboodle comes back in. Boogie keys provide brief counterpoint melody. Understated for the most part but not much of a hint as to what was to come...

Mr kirk , your son is dead,he died of an overdose!!

What a fantastic track from 1990,wicked breakbeat,huge rolling bass & a nasty sinth makes this one of the best tracks that came out that year.
Sampled so many times in all kinds of records, from deephouse till hardcore,most of us will know this sample !!

This record came as an extra with the limited'In Rough Territory 'LP.