Hyper

The sonic evolution of Hyper has spanned electronic territories by blending nu-skool breaks with punk-tinged electro and post-dubstep laced with EBM and industrial influences. Through albums ranging from the 2006 debut full-length We Control to the 2021 Control EP and subsequent material, Hyper established a reputation as the premier selector for high-octane, fractured-rhythm electronica.

Guy Hatfield, who performs as Hyper, grew up in Lincoln, England, before relocating to build a career in music. He handled behind-the-scenes roles at Sony, launched his own promotions outfit Waxworks, and emerged as a central figure in the early-2000s nu-skool breaks movement. Working alongside Adam Freeland, Tayo, and Dylan Rhymes, he merged progressive house, electro, and big beat on initial outings including the 2000 single "Trigger" and 2003's "We've Been Waiting." As the breaks scene divided, some artists such as the Freestylers and Sons of Mecha leaned into tear-out basslines, while Hyper pursued a more progressive direction that intersected with the tech-house and progressive trance realms led by BT, Hybrid, and Way Out West. Although his catalog at that stage consisted mainly of singles, demand grew for his DJ sets, which took him around the world and included mix compilations for Bedrock and Distinctive Breaks.

During a 2004 flight returning to the U.K. from Australia, Hatfield encountered Leeroy Thornhill, the former Prodigy dancer who had departed the group to develop solo work. Listening to Thornhill's productions sparked a partnership that merged the Prodigy's punk-edged energy with Hyper's progressive breaks approach. Two years later the pair issued their debut album, 2006's We Control, enlisting ex-Prodigy guitarist Jim Davies, Kieron Pepper, and breaks artist John Ross of Stir Fry. After a series of successful live performances as a band, they followed with the 2008 sophomore effort Suicide Tuesday. Their electro-punk style translated readily to visual media, resulting in placements across major video-game soundtracks as well as Hollywood films and television series.

Hatfield extended this aesthetic on 2011's The Panic, then integrated dubstep and drum'n'bass textures for the fourth album, 2014's Lies. Subsequent releases over the next several years began folding in EBM, industrial elements, and expansive cinematic atmospheres. Early in 2021 he delivered the explosive single "Impact Weapon," marking his first output after joining Deadmau5's Mau5trap imprint. Several months afterward, the EP Control consolidated the various threads of his prior work.