Hype Williams (band)
Hype Williams is a music and art group best known for consisting of UK-born artist Dean Blunt and Russian-born artist Inga Copeland (aka Lolina) between 2007 and 2012.[5] Supposedly founded in 2005 as a "relay" project passed between artists every five years, the group has given few interviews, leaving music journalists and the media in doubt as to the exact nature of the project.[2][5]
Hype Williams | |
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Origin | London/Berlin[1][2] |
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Years active | 2005 (allegedly)–present[5] |
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Background, style and career
The group's work encompasses widely experimental music releases marked by a lo-fi sound, including their 2011 album One Nation on Hippos in Tanks, and distinctive video pieces, including the defunct YouTube channel pollyjacobsen, which featured a bizarrely cryptic range of content.[1] Their work has drawn irreverently on popular culture and incorporated opaque imagery and contexts,[5] as well as an idiosyncratic online presence.[5] In 2011 they were signed to Hyperdub.[5]
The group's lineup has remained obscure, although Blunt's artistic style has been heard within newer releases, and a variety of other names have also been invoked as members. A mysterious representative named Denna Frances Glass has alternately been posited as either the manager of the project or a fake identity created by Blunt and Copeland.[2][5] In 2016, Glass announced that Blunt and Copeland were no longer part of the project, which would be continuing with other members.[6]
Discography
- Improv (2009, self-released) (with Bo Khat Eternal Troof Family Band)
- Infinity (2010, self-released) (with Bo Khat Eternal Troof Family Band)
- Untitled (2010, Carnival)
- Find Out What Happens When People Stop Being Polite And Start Gettin Reel (2010, De Stijl)
- One Nation (2011, Hippos in Tanks)
- London 2012 (2012, self-released)
- 10 / 10 (2016, self-released)
- Guccistreams 2 (2017, self-released)
- Chalice (2017, self-released)
- Rainbow Edition (2017, Big Dada)
References
- "Hype Williams make hypnotic film jams about Britney and herring". Dummy Mag. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
- "FACT mix 216: Hype Williams". Fact. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
- "Hype Williams announce new album Rainbow Edition". Factmag.com. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
- David Laderman, Laurel Westrup (2014). Sampling Media. OPU USA. p. 109.
- Gibb, Rory. "In Search of Hype Williams". The Quietus. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
- Brito, Kristian. "Hype Williams' new album out now; Dean Blunt & Inga Copeland touring separately". Brooklyn Vegan. Retrieved 17 August 2016.