Hyper: Rewired, Label: Kilowatt

You will be no stranger to DJ Hyper if you listen to breakbeat, he is one of the top artists of the moment and is continuing grow. In 2004 Hyper released a double compilation album called ‘Wired’ now three years on it’s time for the second instalment, ‘Rewired’. This mix sees a harder and rockier collection of breakbeat, with artists including, Dan F, Ils, Bloc Party, Alex Metric, Rogue Element and many more.

Three years in breakbeat is a long time and you can hear the differences between the two mix albums. This new selection really does power drive through the tracks, with not much time for a breather, this is no bad thing, as the tracks compliment each other well, (be that guitar sound I reckon), and in some ways it could be seen as a dancy rock album. Hyper’s expansion into a fully functional and touring band may well have helped seal this. Don’t get me wrong; to label this, as a ‘rock breaks’ album wouldn’t be completely accurate or fair, there are plenty of synths and basses, and Eddy Temple Morris doesn’t appear on any of the tracks. In fact the ‘Ils’ track ‘No Money On Trees’ gives me a feeling that only dark hip-hop can do, but coming from rockier climates myself, I do enjoy a good guitar riff.

Kicking off with the acapella from Hyper’s current single ‘No Rockstars’ then onto Dan F’s ‘Right On’, the scene is set, distorted guitar and dirty glitchyness. Then we move onto Sharem Jay’s ‘Message 2 Love’ (Alex Metric Mix), again a guitar driven vocal sample track, building, and then crashing into the Koma and Bones mix of Brancacio and Aisher’s ‘Freak Around’. This track breathes some fresh air into your ears without breaking the atmosphere, it will also get you bouncing about, fuzzed up bass and synth take over the previous guitar drive.

Time for the Albino Allstars, ‘The Knights’ take you squelching and bleeping through what sounds like the air, until we meet the current Hyper single, ‘No Rockstars’. This continues the pace nicely as the two tracks turn into one, if you were sat down it’s now time to stand up and move about, this is a sure floor filler if ever I heard one. We are then slammed into a bouncing bit of Broken Family Band, ‘Love Your Man, Love Your Woman’, remixed by Rogue Element, the beat grooves along nicely and doesn’t sway you from the need to dance about like a crazy fool. The Ils give you a quick breather and then we go to see the travel agent, and find ‘Computer Says No!’ ‘cough’ a collaboration between Hyper and Jhz, lovely!!

Aaren San’s ‘Osclowynzz’ proclaims ‘I wanna rock with you…’ and I wanna rock too, mixed by Blende, thumping kicks and fuzzy synths once again making me smile. Alex Metrics ‘Pins’ hits the funky tone with some refreshing crisp synth stabs, but not forgetting the distorted guitar roughness, that give this album it’s unique and consistent sound.

Bloc Party as you would expect, deliver a full vocal track, with Boys Noize on the mix of ‘The Banquet’, a defiant British accent and tiny guitar sound taking me back to the ‘80’s with heavy contempory beats and glistening strings. Hyper’s ‘I’m Sick’ remixed by Vandal, has a gutsy pounding bass that carries the beat, with vocal samples and Nine Inch Nails sounding guitars dropping in here and there, a grinding tune with an industrial edge. Quality!Finalising with ‘Pogo’ (Mentalism version) by Digitalism and going out as we arrived with the ‘No Rockstars’ (Acapella Part Deux), this album takes us through a journey, with a consistency of quality and a driving force only heard through Hyper’s approach to breakbeat.

REVIEWER: TOBYD