Back in the day,
Hyper was a single person -- Guy Hatfield (aka DJ Hyper). But then something happened, and now
Hyper is a band, though admittedly a strange sort of hybrid band that seems to consist mainly of DJs, producers, and a guitarist, and relies heavily on guest vocalists for its debut album. Not that there's anything wrong with that: anyone who remembers
the Prodigy with affection is sure to get a kick out of
Hyper's punktronic sound, and the guests are well chosen:
Wildchild brings a nice bite to the techno-flavored hip-hop of "This Is a Warning," and Dirty Harry's vocals are a nice addition to the otherwise rather lackluster "Set Fire to Me" (on which
Crystal Method's production prowess should have made more of a difference). "Cascade" and "Electro Lude" are both fun and funky instrumental tracks, but the album's highlight is a hilarious update of
Adam Ant's kitsch classic "Ant Music." Unfortunately, that track is later ruined in a remixed version by Dirt Technique, a mix that wrestles the song out of its joyful 6/8 meter and turns it into generic electro drudgery. Much better are
Future Funk Squad's insane and dubbed-up remix of the title track and Metric's weird and funked-up remix of "Twisted Emotion." Recommended overall. ~ Rick Anderson