Hash Key EP (w/ Jamie Jones remix)
Hype002 / 2007 / 12” & DigitalAfter ripping up dancefloors across the world with their acclaimed first release from Glimpse, the Hypercolour squad returns with the debut release from label co-owner Alex Jones. One half of the DJ duo The Insurgents (former residents at clubs including The Boutique, Electric Stew and Playground),
Alex's formative love of grunge and thrash rock soon gave way to drum n' bass, then breaks, and eventually futuristic house and techno, with clubs like Tyrant and later Fabric forming the basis of his musical direction. Last year, he formed Hypercolour along with fellow DJ Cedric Maison, with the aim of bringing their own particular slant on modern club music to the fore.
'Hash Key' opens the EP with a snaking riff, stripped back, Chicago-esque drums and a sweet blend of old-school vibes and edgy, up-to-the-minute attitude. Simple yet smartly put together, it's a useful tool for darker, late night moments, with distinctive echoes of Poker Flat's patented ware-house grooves.
London's man-of-the-minute, Jamie Jones, remixes 'Hash Key' on the flip with surprisingly house-y results: layering searing strings over an endlessly rolling groove, he creates a warmer alternative to the original's devilish charms.
Last and not least, Alex finishes the record with the subtly driving lilt of 'Judgement', which places some head-spinning quasi-Arabian melodies over top of a plaintive, humming bass, offering hints of Mathew Jonson's analogue mastery throughout. Super deep, but bristling with vitality, it's the perfect conclusion to the second chapter in the Hypercolour saga.
About Alex Jones
The co-creator of the influential Hypercolour/Glass Table/Losing Suki labels, Alex Jones is a name that is rightly associated with unerring quality regardless of genre boundaries. A sharp wit and refusal to take life too seriously is contrasted by a cast iron reputation within electronic music that has seen the East-Londoner play the world over and release on some of the most lauded labels around.