Hypna : Inspirations.

Coming through from Brussels, Hypna has unraveled a slew of icy-cold tracks on future-facing labels Boxed and Corrupt-Data. At the start of 2020, he was tapped for the debut label release on Insert; Londonʼs highly curated audiovisual platform. Titled ‘Data Recoveryʼ, the 4-tracker pulls together influences from grime, ambient, techno and ballroom, pushing the boundaries as he further explores the fringes of club music with dramatic effect.

"Throughout the years, whenever I have writers block and want to be inspired again, Iʼm always attracted to the albums Iʼve picked for this article. I constantly discover new elements in these works and that can spark a series of new ideas to test out in my own tracks"

Ryuichi Sakamoto - Esperanto

This album was made in the mid 80ʼs, in between of ‘Illustrated Musical Encyclopediaʼ and ‘Futuristaʼ. This era is probably my favourite of his entire discography.

All three are so ahead of their time. I think Esperanto is the most out there of those three albums. Sakamoto created this super bizarre, abstract universe with Esperanto, by mostly using a sampler which shows you how interesting you can make things by manipulating and twisting samples. Every time Iʼm creating new sounds it pushes me to go even further to get something really intruiging out of it.

Mica Levi - Under The Skin OST

As good as the film may be, it really stands out because of the music. To me this movie feels like a futuristic Hitchcock and thatʼs mostly due to the music. 

The way Levi builds up tension with the score is unbelievable. Her playfulness between silence, nervous strings and deep drone-y woodblock hits makes the perfect recipe for this really unsettling nightmarish experience. She uses just a few sounds that keep coming back throughout the album but itʼs not boring for a second.

 One day I hope to be able to make such interesting compositions as she does.

Logos - Cold Mission

Cold Mission was and still is an absolute game changer for me. The first time I listened to it, I remember being really confused. It sounded like sketches that werenʼt finished. But still, I was very intrigued by the combination of familiar and unfamiliar sounds that were used in a new refreshing way. So I kept listening to it and after going through it in itʼs entirety I really fell in love with the beauty of this stripped-back album. Piecing elements from Grime, Ambient and Jungle together in this new abstract universe of sound.

 Iʼm still trying to challenge myself to make music as minimal as this while still sounding refreshing. Itʼs important to mention that this album also led me to the Boxed movement which opened so many doors in terms of inspiration.

Ruff Sqwad - White Label Classics

Where do I even start with this one? Nothing but classic hard-hitting Grime instrumentals. Impossible to duplicate the raw energy of those RS productions. While many producers tried to mimic Wileyʼs ‘eski-soundʼ during that era, those guys were in their own lane, taking the sound of Grime where it has never been before.

Talk Talk - Laughing Stock

Without a doubt one of my favourite albums ever. Silence is key on this body of work and the way the band plays around that is truly unique. Every time I listen to this album I get really emotional, in ways I canʼt describe. You would think that if you listen multiple times to it that you know what to expect and youʼll get less emotional over it but Iʼve listened to it over a 100 times from start to finish and it still touches me deeply.

Visible Cloaks - Reassemblage

By far the most interesting group to come out of the ‘ambient revivalʼ. They sound very different from all the ambient Iʼve heard from the past decade. Where as many new ambient acts are recycling ideas from the past, these guys are really pushing the sound further by incorporating new, interesting ideas. On top of that their sound design is just jaw-dropping. Very clean-sounding 3D synths and computerised voices. I love everything theyʼve released but this one is still is my favourite from them.

Hiroshi Yoshimura - Green

Probably the most relaxing and soothing album Iʼve ever listened to. The combination of beautiful field recordings with minimal arp-y synths brings me to a state where I can completely clear my mind. This is the musical equivalent of being snugged into the softest blanket and forgetting all stressful things of life. All Yoshimuraʼs albums are amazing but this is the one for me.

Lloyd SB - Boida Flare

Ice-cold, yet very playful Grime/Ballroom hybrid tracks. I love everything about this release. Every track is so powerful and stands out in every set.

Jam City

Just like Logosʼ Cold Mission this album lives in itʼs own universe. They both have a minimal approach in their tracks but in a different way. This album had a lot of impact on how I look at texture in samples when I make music. Itʼs also a good reminder that you can make dry, sometimes mechanical-sounding club tracks but still be playful. A whole scene was created based on this album so without a doubt a true classic!

Hans Zimmer - Blade Runner 2049 OST

Of course I love the original Vangelis score, which had a huge impact on electronic music in general. I was really worried that the soundtrack of the second film wouldnʼt be good when I read Vangelis wasnʼt going to score it. The opposite was true. The sound design really blew me away in the cinema when I saw it. I think Hans Zimmer respected the core elements of the original ‘Blade Runner soundʼ that Vangelis created with the original score and made it way more brutal and dark sounding, which fits the script really well in my opinion. Totally in love with this.