Kilowatt Recordings release a melting pot of breaks, house and electro, with Rewired from label-boss Hyper. At the cutting edge of the electronic sound since the turn of the millennium, Hyper shows his skills with some fresh sounds by some of the best in the business; namely Ils, Alex Metric, The Rogue Element, Bloc Party and Digitalism, to name a few. It’s a fairly up front release, with the promo material suggesting that these tracks are the ones that make up Hyper’s primo record bag in recent months. It’s a high energy journey into the kind of tech cuts Hyper is famous for.

The last mix CD I heard from Hyper was our very own inthemix is Six, released two years back. Hyper did a decent compilation of tunes on disc one, but was absolutely rolled by Bass Kleph who delivered a storming forward thinking mash of tunes that got much more play on my walkman. But, back to this disc… The first thing to note about this mix is that it is not traditional breaks. Hyper, as well as his known cohorts such as Elite Force and Meat Katie, have long been peddling tunes under the ‘breaks’ name, but in fact owe as much to house and techno as they do to breakbeat. With that in mind, Rewired crosses the divide, presenting a futuristic blend of tunes, with some four on the floor action as well as some off beat rocking.

Put the disc in, and the first thing you get is some fast rhythmic static. A lot of the tracks Hyper has chosen display prominent obsession with exercises in static. That’s not such a bad thing – it could well be the sound of the future. Message 2 Love (Alex Metric mix) by Sharem Jay is a cracker of a tune and indicates the direction this mix is taking. Metric has become a bit of a poster child for this cutup tech style of beat. The Knights by Albino Allstars use a well known sample from good old JJJ faves Muse. But this is nothing like you have ever heard it. Freaky. Rogue Element remixes Love Your Man, Love Your Woman from The Broken Family Band to great effect. Ils has No Money On Trees to shake things up. A really spooky cinematic style with some authentic grime lyrics.

The Boys Noise remix of Bloc Party’s The Banquet also appears. It’s an old fave stepped up into a style suited to this mix. Digitalism’s Pogo also appears in a different version designed to make you move. Hyper’s No Rockstars acapella is everywhere, which leads one to believe that he is the rockstar around these parts. His mixing is clever and swift, never getting in the way of the tunes. Constantly pushing the boundaries, Rewired is the sound of now. This sound is increasingly making its way into our scene and feels as fresh as an experimental sports car. This mix really grew on me and I know a lot of crew who will really lap it up. Hyper and Kilowatt have proved their vital relevance once again.

Check out the tracklisting…

1. Dan F & Hyper – Right On/No Rockstars (Acapella)
02. Sharem Jay – Message 2 Love [Alex Metric Mix]
03. Brancaccio & Aisher – Freak Around [Koma & Bones Remix]
04. Albino Allstars – The Knight [Original]
05. Hyper – No Rockstars [Original]
06. Broken Family Band – Love Your Man, Love Your Woman (Rogue Element Mix)
07. South Central – Golden Dawn
08. Ils – No Money on Trees [Album Version]
09. Hyper & Jhz – Computer Says No!
10. Aaren San – Osc Low Nyzz [Blende Remix]
11. Alex Metric – Pins
12. Bloc Party – The Banquet [Boys Noize Mix]
13. Hyper – I’m Sick
14. Digitalism – Pogo [Mentalism Version]
15. Hyper – No Rockstars (Acappella Part Deux)