Hyper - Suicide Is Painless
DJ Hyper fans haven’t had to wait long for a follow-up to last year’s mix-CD Rewired. With a new artist album Suicide Tuesday out now, 3D’s Tony Edwards spoke to the Brit producer/DJ ahead of his Australian tour.
You’ve got a new album, Suicide Tuesday. What sort of styles can we expect-
It’s a rock/electronic sound-clash taking in punk energy and club sensibility with songs and the odd bit of French style production for good measure.
Any collaborations on the record-
Collaborators on the album include Leeroy Thornhil, Charlotte from The Subways, Jim Davies from Pitchshifter, our new singer Axe Girl and production appearance from Vandal.
What else do you spend your time doing when you’re not in the studio-
Obviously I tour a lot but I’m a big reader, love eating out and get on the squash court twice a week these days too. Apart from that, stick me in front of the TV for the evening and I’ll be happy.
To survive the changing tides of the electronic scene over the years many DJs have practically abandoned their original styles just to stay alive. What’s your personal approach to that tough issue-
Well, we all have to eat I guess. I can’t imagine having to spend my time making music I don’t like though, it would become like going to an office job for me. I think people’s styles evolve anyway; you get bored making the same music forever. I almost feel sorry for people who have one big hit and spend the rest of their careers trying to remake the same record. Sometimes it’s time for a change.
Do you ever get out the old Y3K mixes and reminisce-
No, I haven’t listened to that in ages – you move forwards, not backwards.
Which of your mixes are you most proud of and why-
The DJ mix I’m most proud of would still be the Y3K compilation. I’m not saying it’s the best mixed or whatever, but it set my stall out and was a groundbreaking compilation. No one can take that away from me. Remix-wise, I remixed The Crystal Method’s Busy Child fairly recently and I was very happy with that – it goes off in the clubs.
You were a DJ for a long time before you started producing your own tracks. Was it an easy transition to producer for you- Did it come naturally after playing all those beats for so long-
Well, for a long time I have had to use an engineer to help with writing because I was a DJ primarily and had no idea of my way around a studio but people were asking me to remix, etc. Now I have a studio at home though and do a lot of stuff myself, which gives me so much more personal satisfaction. It’s actually very addictive, yet at times frustrating. I wouldn’t say it came naturally but knowing what works on the dancefloor definitely helps making club tracks. Writing an album with a different concept is a whole different ballgame however.
What producers/labels have you been digging the most lately-
To name a few: Tronik Youth, Dolby Anol, CSS, Alex Metric, MGMT, SebastiAn, 10 Rapid, Proxy…
How many times have you been out to Australia now- And do you have a particularly memorable gig you’ve played out here-
Loads, I reckon this will be number six, but I’m not sure. The best gigs have been the ones I can’t remember – Ambar Perth’s always a blast though!
WHO: Hyper
WHAT: Plays Club Club at Chinese Laundry
WHEN: Saturday 25 October
MORE: jammusic.com.au