You can now start counting down the days until Bloc Weekend hits Butlins Minehead. And it looks like it’s going to be another sell out year for the UK’s best out-of-season dance music festival.
On Sunday we’re taking over Red:Bloc for 8 hours of Braindrop. We’ve chosen the legend that is DJ Hype to bring the whole festival to a close, aided by his MC Daddy Earl.
We tried to get an interview with the man himself, however Mr Hype is very busy gent indeed and alas this wasn’t possible. So we thought we’d run a feature on him anyway and remind you as to why he deserves his legendary status.
DJ Hype - panda lover
New genres are created and consolidated by a handful of tireless visionaries. Fledgling producers, DJs and label bosses work together to create a brand new sound, establish its identity and build a scene around it.
Hype was a leading light in all 3 of the above categories. He got to where he is nowadays by building himself a sterling reputation as a highly technical dj, a respected producer and a driving force for breaking talent as label boss, A&R extraordinaire and hard working radio jock.
Hype and the Ganja Kru dawg
DJ Hype burst onto the young jungle scene in 1994 with the first release on his label, Ganja Records. He rapidly stamped his mark on the scene with successful and numerous releases from himself and the rest of the emerging Ganja Kru, his production collective consisting of himself, Zinc and Pascal.
However it was the absolutely MASSIVE Super Sharp Shooter EP – released in 1996 – which made Hype and the rest of the Ganja Kru a household name. Curated by the man himself and comprising of tracks by Hype, Zinc and Pascal, each tune on the ep is a classic (it’s not just all about the title track!) and heavily influenced the future direction of the then infant d’n’b scene.
The S, the U, the P the E the R
The same year Hype launched the iconic Tru Playaz imprint, kicking things off with his classic “Peace, Love and Unity”. Tru Playaz quickly became one of the most popular labels in drum ‘n’ bass, giving us tracks such as Zinc’s Reach Out, Casino Royale, Ska and 138 Trek, Pascal’s P-Funk Era and Friction & Nu Balance’s Robocop – just to name a very few. Tru Playaz became a huge brand in itself, selling swathes of merchandise and of course thousands of compilation CDs mixed and scratched by Hype. Tru Playaz was brought in by Fabric to become their flagship Fabriclive night – and still remains one of its busiest regular events.
Tru Playaz kicking off at Fabric
Fast forward a few years and Hype launched a couple more specialist labels. Liqweed Ganja was born in 2005 and attracted releases from Calibre, A Sides, Wickaman, Netsky and Drumsound & Bassline Smith. Ganja Tek started in 2006 and saw Hype sign the ridiculously talented Prolix. And Playaz took over from where Tru Playaz left off in 2007 – smashing the scene to bits with his new generation of jump-up dons – Hazard, Original Sin and G-Dub. Their latest release, Original Sin’s Therapy, is arguably one of the biggest tunes to hit the d’n’b scene for a while.
Hype & the Tru Playaz
Whilst he’s produced some truly classic tunes over the years, it’s his reputation as a dj that’s really cemented his place at the top of line ups worldwide. Hype comes from a turntablist background – back in 1989 he won the London DMC heats, and went on to represent the UK in the European DMC championships. This turntablist flair is something his sets have become renowned for – most notably his catchy scratching hooks. We spent our teenage years constantly rewinding Hype mixtapes and these recordings certainly got us hooked to the drum ‘n’ bass sound.
Hype is still top of his game, and earns his place alongside Andy C, London Elektriciy and Goldie as visionaries who have not only shaped the direction of d’n’b, but have created their own empires along the way. Big ups and maximum respect to the Hype – we are truly blessed to have him closing the Braindrop arena.
Check out Hype’s myspace
Check the Playaz Online website
Check the Bloc website
Comments
Laura
Mar 10th, 2010Hype hype hype!
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