Little Wing
Sunburn Records
With his brothers Scott Hardkiss and Gavin Hardkiss, Robbie Hardkiss is a central figure in the infamous Hardkiss family of DJs and musicians. Working in their hometown of San Francisco, the Hardkiss brothers were instrumental in developing the U.S. rave and outdoor party scene in the early '90s. Pioneering Hardkiss tunes such as "3 Nudes In A Purple Garden" and "Rainery" helped define the psychedelic West Coast breakbeat sound that continues to grow today. Their legendary status within the realm of electronic music was immortalized with the release of their double album, Delusions of Grandeur.
Since then, Robbie Hardkiss has gone on to remix songs (with and without his brothers) for artists such as Elton John, Freestylers, Spacetime Continuum, The Grid, Lords of Acid, The Sandals, Q-Burn, God Within (aka Scott Hardkiss), and Hawke.
Little Wing is Robbie Hardkiss, by himself, experimenting with melancholic mid-tempo breakbeat. Lightheaded, his debut full-length under this pseudonym would make perfect listening in the bath with a glass of champagne and a pair of top-of-the-range Sennheiser headphones. "Thing Two" is an unusual hybrid of sparse Afro-Cuban breaks, ethereal female vocals, and rock guitar. Any other artist mixing these three essential ingredients would make a hash of it, but not our Robbie -- he blends them to perfection.
Luke Magnuson
last updated:
08/29/01
