DJ, Producer, Label Boss, Remixer – the hugely talented Guy Hatfieldaka Hyper is set to release his eagerly anticipated third studio album ‚ÄòThe Panic’ on April 4^th 2011, on Distinctive Records. Luckily for us, we at BlagSound have been given the chance to dissect the record a few weeks early. Scalpals at the ready people

The End

The perfect opener, not so fittingly titled ‚Äì here be the overdramatic, blockbusting introduction to the ‚Äòride of your life’ record. Rocket propelled by heavy riffs, then left to defiantly drift away in moments of amateur robotics ‚Äì all the while straddling a droning synth, eyes rolled back and chest bare to the wind . Icebreaker is an understatement.

My World

Jim Davies fights for control in this frenzy of a number, flashing between your typically course Prodigy number and the expansive, half ethereal throb that Hyper does best. Frenetic, ferocious, and a force to be fucking reckoned with.

Machine

Think Hole, were Courtney Love fed slowly into a vox-grinder and drowned in swathes of infectious power pop. Quite a pleasant image, no? Oh yeah, and it’s a pretty damn special track too. Easily the most accessible on the record, it’ll have the novices shaking, and the seasoned fans simply gagging for more.

Beyond The Rave

A return to somewhat stable ground in this conventionally anthemic, Mediterranean summer dance floor filler. Is this safety necessary? Probably not ‚Äì but who cares, it’s a distraction from this miserable weather.

Accelerate

XTRMNTR era Primal Scream meets Pendulum, or so I’m told. However, unlike the latter, this doesn’t just sound like every other track ever released under the Hyper moniker. Vocally, I like to think it is more similar to Delphic, but thankfully a whole lot less fragile.

Cheap Thrill

A feverish Karen O vocal from Axe riding semi-automated waves of saccadic synth and weighty guitars ‚Äì arguably the stand out track, and undeniably the tune you’d pay to see live.

Tear The Silence

Alas, I’ve been scared of trip-hop for a few months now. Of course, I appreciate it wholly ‚Äì it’s just that my middle aged father has become a fan. Fortunately, the nightmarish cityscape vibe layered over passive keys has proved the perfect reintroduction. Thank fuck for that.

Start The Panic

Mirroring ‚ÄòMy World’, this clunky, claustrophobic number explodes with a somewhat improvised edginess, yet all the while retaining Hyper’s strong sense of control and pacing, however paradoxical it may seem. Here you are the tool, the puppet in this grand scheme. Just close your eyes, and fully embrace the ‚Äòpanic’.

Are You Ready

No, you’re not. Expect a sharp and constant upward climb, peaking through excessive know-twiddling and otherwise generic layering ‚Äì and early and long lasting climax, just as you’d expect from a seasoned professional.

I See Fire

And then the bumpy return to earth, through brooding apolocalypse and static interference. Peeling away as the track progresses, we’re left with a slick and stable landing- the ideal, methodical yet turbulent round off to the record.