Meta-Message [Import]

1. Just Be Me

2. Fine Day [James Holden Remix]

3. Reach for Me

4. Nature's Kingdom

5. Walking on Clouds

6. Battleship Grey

7. Sincere for You

8. Blackout

9. Split

10. All I Want

11. Beautiful Danger

12. Whisper

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Kirsty Hawkshaw came to prominence as the voice and face behind the 1992 Top 5 dance classic 'Fine Day' by Opus 3 and in the aftermath of this success lent her tonsils to club and chart hits by a plethora of respected leftfield artists including Orbital, Steve Hillage, Spooky, Drum Club, Rachid Taha and Global Communication. In recent years, her vocal talents have been utilized by heavyweight club/dance acts such as Tiesto, BT, Hybrid, Way Out West, Lange, Swayzak and Delerium, with some of these gaining Radio 1 playlist exposure and subsequent chart positions. Meta-Message is a compilation containing many of her best collaborations and also includes the track 'Reach For Me' which will be released as a single and remixed for club promotion. 12 total tracks. Nettwerk. 2005.

Tracks:

Just Be Me
Fine Day [James Holden Remix]
Reach for Me
Nature's Kingdom
Walking on Clouds
Battleship Grey
Sincere for You
Blackout
Split
All I Want
Beautiful Danger
Whisper

Album Description

Kirsty Hawkshaw came to prominence as the voice and face behind the 1992 Top 5 dance classic 'Fine Day' by Opus 3 and in the aftermath of this success lent her tonsils to club and chart hits by a plethora of respected leftfield artists including Orbital, Steve Hillage, Spooky, Drum Club, Rachid Taha and Global Communication. In recent years, her vocal talents have been utilized by heavyweight club/dance acts such as Tiesto, BT, Hybrid, Way Out West, Lange, Swayzak and Delerium, with some of these gaining Radio 1 playlist exposure and subsequent chart positions. Meta-Message is a compilation containing many of her best collaborations and also includes the track 'Reach For Me' which will be released as a single and remixed for club promotion. 12 total tracks. Nettwerk. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

Pretty Good, Check It Out.......2007-02-16

I am a big fan of Kirsty Hawkshaw, so I was thrilled to know that more of her work was readily available. I had pretty high expectations, due to me hearing some of her top-notch work, for instance, an Orbital song (Halcyon and On and On), her work from Opus III (Guru Mother), and most recently, Sleepthief's "The Dawnseeker". All were fabulous. Well, this album is pretty good, but not great. At times I really was enjoying what I was hearing, and know this album was not a waste of money. On the other hand, there were a lot of moments where I thought to myself, "there is no way this is a five star album". I thought that some of the sounds used were not conducive to the intended vibe, some of the electronica sounded a bit basic, and I wanted to hear her beautiful voice more sometimes. But maybe I am jaded and not the typical Hawkshaw fan. I recently got Sleepthief's "The Dawnseeker" (also with Kirsty performing) and that was as good as it gets. Because I had high expectations, this album was a bit of a let-down. But maybe you know exactly what you are getting and will like it more than I.

Shaken by a whisper.......2007-01-21

The hard part about being a fan of Kirsty Hawkshaw is that she's hard to keep track of. She has only one album of original music of her own (the excellent 'O.U.T. - On Ultimate Things'), but the majority of songs featuring her lovely, ethereal voice are done as collaborations with other artists, with a fairly strong emphasis on dance music and electronica. Trying to collect all of her music can get a little expensive, which is what makes 'Meta-Message' such a wonderful find -- it collects some of the best of her collaboration songs on one album.

Many of the songs I already knew and loved are here. Kirsty's own version of DJ Tiesto's 'Just Be' leads the album off perfectly. This version is called 'Just Be Me,' and showcases a steady rhythm and upbeat tone. Next is 'Fine Day,' a complete re-imagining of Opus III's dance-hall anthem from the early 1990's, 'It's a Fine Day' -- Kirsty's new version is at once familiar and fresh. Delerium's 'Nature's Kingdom' is on this CD as well, probably one of Kirsty's sexiest songs, a sensual landscape of sound and voice. Further collaborations with Tiesto, Lange, Hybrid, and others are also included, and all are excellent.

Through it all, even with all the different musicians and styles represented, Kirsty's voice provides a common thread. Sometimes strident and powerful, sometimes sweet and whisper-soft, her vocals lend just the right tone to each song. She's the reason I got this CD in the first place, because I know her voice can make a good song into something magical, and every song on this album feels that way, for one reason or another.

Two songs deserve particular notice. I had never heard either of these before, but they struck me immediately and are now among my favorites, the ones I can listen to over and over and never tire of. The first is 'Reach For Me,' an unexpected direction in the realm of pop music, with simple lyrics and a strong tone. It's a beautiful little gem of a song, a song that can make you feel good and want to reach for the one you love.

The second standout song is 'Whisper,' the final song of the album. This is the perfect way to finish out the CD, ending with a soft rhythm and sweet words: "When I feel my world falling down, I think of you, I think of you. When I feel I can breathe no more, you speak to me, you speak to me." This is a song you can just close your eyes and listen to and imagine those closest to you, and how good it feels to be with them, and how they are there even when they're not.

In music, a voice can make all the difference...Kirsty Hawkshaw is an excellent example, a voice that can create magic in the music of others. 'Meta-Message' is a near-perfect compliation of the music she has made with other musicians, and when she says "This world will be shaken by a whisper," you'll hear exactly what she means.

Amazing.......2007-01-10

I was hesitant on the money I was paying for this cd but I had heard Kirsty before and knew that she had a beautiful voice. I was amazed at the different sounds on this cd. It is definately worth the money, it has been a staple to my music diet!

Beautiful Danger.......2006-12-09

"They say learning to love yourself
Is the first step that you take
When you want to be real
Flying on planes to exotic locations
Won't teach you how you really feel
Face up to the fact
That you are who you are
And nothing can change that
I believe

Just be--
Just be"

Fine Day invites a clarity into a deep frozen sea and then melts your mind. Echoes of vocals create spacious vistas for pulsating reverberations. Her breathy "Reach for Me" takes a completely different direction and creates a similar mood to "Whisper." This presents a space to clear your head because in "Nature's Kingdom" you are again presented with stunning beauty.

In "Walking on Clouds," Kirsty Hawshaw takes off to heights I've yet to hear anyone duplicate and then dives deep into sultry depths. Her voice has an amazing range of possibility, not to mention elements of ethereal ecstasy.

She weaves her poetic lyrics within edgy driving beats to create a balance of vulnerability and strength. "All I Want" is heavy techno and yet it retains a delicate edge within a track that purrs to life. The tracks are all journeys within Kirsty's vocal playgrounds and I'm especially intrigued by the lyrics and the wild beauty of her voice.

"Your soul, it touches mine..."

~The Rebecca Review

Reach for me.......2006-03-11

Ever since I first heard Kirsty Hawkshaw's ethereal voice on Orbital's "Halycon/On and On" (at the time I didn't know it was her)a few years ago, I have been a great admirerer of her music or at least her songs. I think it was inevitable that Kirsty would release an album of the songs she has collaborated over the years with electronic artists like Delerium, Opus III, and Tiesto. "Meta-Message" is that album of collaborations Kirsty has released over the years. My personal favorite is the beautiful "Just Be" track. The song is beautiful both lyrically and musically. I like both this version and the trance remix by Tiesto. "Fine Day" (which is sampled on the Orbital track "Halycon/On and On") has always been one of my favorite songs by Orbital thanks to the sweet vocals of Kirsty. I rather liked the catchy pop/rock sounds of "Reach For Me". Yeah it sounds a bit generic ala Avril Lavigne but it's catchy and a bit of a departure from the first two songs that are electronic based. To be honest "Nature's Kingdom" has never been my favorite Delerium. That is the one song on the entire cd I didn't really care for. I love "Battleship Grey". It reminded me a bit of Portishead with its slow, hypnotic trip hop beats. I personally thought the flow of the cd was fine. Production was good. I look forward to hearing more from Kirsty in the very near future.

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