DJ Hyper - Full interview ... FYI

At the tentative age of 24, DJ Hyper aka Guy Hatfield has already had an impressive journey through the world of the music industry - from his first job at Sony which he landed shortly after his arrival in London from the provincial Shire known as Lincoln, to setting up his own record promotion company, Waxworks; where he forged lasting relationships with the likes of PuSH, TCR and Hybrid in the early days through to DJ residencies at Tyrant, Bedrock@Heaven and HiRise@home, and more recently compiling and mixing Y3K - hailed as the most important breaks album to date, though this could be set to change with the release of Bedrock Breaks - the latest compilation to get the Hyper treatment.

I caught up with breaks' very own Frodo on the eve of possibly his biggest challenge yet, the launch of his own imprint Kilowatt - the next step in helping him fulfil his aim of spreading the word of breaks and converting the house hordes to a new accessible style of music, and possibly world breakbeat domination. Whatever happens next in this story you can be sure that it's all a far cry from manufacturing garden sheds in Lincoln...

Q: Hi Guy, how are you?!

A: Really well at the moment. Thanks.

Q: Are you seriously only 23?

A: No, I'm 24!

Q: I know that you're really busy, so what have I caught you in the middle of doing?!

A: I'm currently writing proposals for Waxworks and eating a lunch of pork noodle soup from the Japanese canteen over the road!

Q: You're launching your own label Kilowatt soon, when is the first release penned in for?

A: Jan. 14. It's by Fatliners and called 'Lo Life'. The vibe seems really good!

Q: How long have you been thinking about setting up your own label?

A: As long as anyones known me really

Q: You've been involved in the breaks scene for a long while now - so why have you decided to launch the label at this point in your career, ie why not a couple of years ago, why do you feel that the time is right now?

A: I've been waiting for the right circumstance and artists to come along. It's also been a matter of waiting for the right partner to come along as I don't have time to do EVERYTHING with the label. It seems right now though!

Q: You've got quite a few of breakbeat's "heavyweights" already on board with the likes of Terminalhead and PFN, how did all that come about?

A: Terminalhead have always been on the cards if I got a label together or rather I've always loved them so they were first choice for me. Minuteman (now Fatliners) came up to us at Bedrock and handed an acetate of 'Lo Life' to Terminalhead and I loved it and had to sign them. PFN record for 10 Kilo but Ronnie from the group is doing an album project under the name Stir Fry for us. I've always loved his production and he's a great bloke and was also on my list of 'wants'.

Q: Who else have you got involved - who's on the roster so far?

A: There are two others that I'm looking at but we'll see how it goes with them. The idea is that everyone commits to an album, I don't want to do too many one off single releases if possible.

Q: Have you signed up anyone who we possibly won't have heard of yet? ie, have you discovered any new talent which you're going to unleash on us?!

A: No comment

Q: I know from previous conversations with you, that you are very much into pushing breaks towards a much wider audience than it is usually associated with - is this going to be the "ethos" of Kilowatt?

A: Yes, with everyone working with vocals at some stage and everyone doing albums, I really want to be pushing for serious radio support at some stage in the not too distant future!

Q: So what are your other main aims and ambitions for the label?

A: As said, develop the artists, give them a home where they feel part of something and move the whole thing forward.

Q: You're obviously the man with a plan, so when can we expect the first album on Kilowatt?!

A: The first artists album will be from Terminalhead in the new year with a couple of compilations planned for later on and then Fatliners and Stir Fry albums later!

Q: Are you planning an artist album of your own for the near future?

A: Yes I am looking into it, I'd really like to move ahead with that in the new year as well.

Q: It sounds like Kilowatt is going to be quite a progressive label, what kind of producers are you going to get on board for remix duties? - Are you going to go with harder edge breaks or possibly house?

A: It won't matter if theyre harder production wise or Proggy or whatever as long as they fit with the overall sound of the label. We already have a remix by False Prophet (aka PMT) of the first Stir Fry single (Breakin On The Streets) and a Bedrock mix of Terminalhead in the pipeline. Both of which are stunning!

Q: Are you planning a big launch party or tour to kick off the label?

A: We'll be about you can count on that. The main launch will hopefully be at Bedrock but look out for the Kilowatt/Acetate Ltd night called 'Twister' starting up in the new year at Turnmills. It's looking likely.

DJ Hyper's new mixed CD "Bedrock Breaks" is out in January 2002 through John Digweed's UK based label Bedrock. The double CD is also released domestically in the USA through Pioneer.

Hyper is a resident DJ of the breaks room at Digweed's Bedrock nite at Heaven in London.

"Bedrock Breaks" is Hyper's third CD following the seminal "Y3K" and followup "Y4K". The double CD features 22 tracks including some of the best tunes of recent tunes like ILS - "Next Level" and the Plump DJs remix of Mighty Ming - Brothers Love Dubs plus tunes by Koma & Bones, BT, Terminalhead, Meat Katie, Rennie Pilgrem, Radioactive Man, Dark Globe feat. Boy George and other artists.

Several of Hyper's excellent own productions are also included, like the Hyper & Rhymes remixes of Puretone - "Addicted to Bass" and Timo Maas presents Mad Dogz "Sudden Journey".


INTERVIEW:


Q: You are very well known for running the promotions company "Waxworks" - how long have you been doing that now?

A: Over 4 years now I think and I still love it. It keeps your hand in.

Q: What made you set up Waxworks?

A: A: lack of anyone supporting a sound I loved and the opportunity to forge my own path. I also get to work with other artists outside of the breaks scene which is also a big part of the Waxworks ethos. I'd rather people got over the idea that we 'just do Breakbeat' we've worked on some excellent projects in the last couple of years.

Q: I take it you are still going to run Waxworks alongside Kilowatt?

A: Oh yes. Kilowatt has background staff and Aidan at Waxworks is well on the case which means there should be no problems. I can work off my laptop and mobile if I'm not in the office for whatever reason.

Q: Running Waxworks is in itself a massive task, how are you going to balance running a label and a promo company with gigs and touring plus producing? Are you mad!

A: See above. Yes I am mad!


Q: On top of all this you also have a high profile residency at Bedrock, which has given rise to to one of your latest ventures - the compilation album "Bedrock Breaks", how long have you been involved with Bedrock?

A: Been playing there with Terminalhead for 2 years or so now.

Q: This is Bedrock's first compilation - how did you get involved in doing the mix for the album, over and above some of Bedrocks other resident DJ's?

A: I had a track record with my Y3K series and was not happy with the situation at Distinctive so I approached Bedrock who saw my problem and agreed to take the leap to Breakbeat.

Q: Did you have absolute control over the choice of tunes?

A: Yep.

Q: Alot of the artists involved are also going to be releasing material on Kilowatt; so this album is going to be quite instrumental in setting the scene for the new label - was this your intention or is it just a lucky fluke?!

A: Oh, a lucky fluke No, at the end of the day, I signed the people to my label who's work I love and play out most. The basic A&R principal involved with a compilation is the same so it was an obvious step.

Q: You have in the past mixed a compilation for the Y3K series, which like the Bedrock Breaks album was very progressive and dancefloor orientated, although Bedrock Breaks does have the added dimension of a more chilled out extra CD, do you feel that what you have done for Bedrock Breaks is in the same kind of vein ie - as much of a reflection of what and where you are as a DJ as it is a reflection of the Bedrock night/label - do you think that the two albums can be compared?

A: Y3K WAS/IS my series, I did 2 for them. The albums can be compared but Bedrock Breaks is the next level as far as I'm concerned, the ethos is the same but having the chance to do 2 CD's meant I could represent more of the music that I play in warm up sets at Tyrant etc.

Q: Will you be doing anything again for Distinctive and the Y3K/Y4K series?

A: Er, no! The reason Y4K is that and not Y3K is that they are not allowed to use that name for a period of time after I left the label.. After a year or so, they can use the name again if they want but it probably wouldn't be a great idea. I have moved on from that although they were a massive part of my development and I'm very proud of both albums. I think they made a few people sit up and take notice as I hope they will for this album.

Q: You narrowly missed out on the DJ Magazine top 100 DJ's again this year having been tipped in '99 as one to watch, do you think you'll make it in there next time, do you care! or do you think that these polls are just a load of bollocks?!

A: It would be nice to get in but I'm not going to lose any sleep about it!

Q: DJs are not often credited for their looks! but they try their hardest to attain a vaguely sexy image (bless 'em) be it Freq Nasty's hair, Adam Freeland's beard or Rennie's... well, just Rennie - so whats the story with your shorts - do you really think that your legs are your best asset?!

A: I don't really pay that much attention to the whole image thing. It's about the music. If I'm playing for two hours in a hot club in the middle of summer, I'll wear shorts. It's kind of like turning up in your jumper knitted for you by your mum. YOU may think it looks great but when your dripping with sweat, it's not such a great idea. It's common sense.

Q: I know that Waxworks possibly keeps you very well endowed in the vinyl department, but what was the last record that you actually went out and bought? (and did you bollock them for not putting their stuff through Waxworks!)

A: I generally buy old records if I'm shopping, I don't like the attitude of people in most (although not all) dance oriented shops. I'd prefer to track them down and buy over the internet that put up with some 'better than thou' twat looking down his nose at me.

Q: Finally, whats your preferred weapon of choice in the studio?

A: Nice pollen!