Hyper

Back in the day, Hyper was a single person -- DJ Guy Hatfield. 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. [The 2006 edition features bonus tracks.] ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide