Kevin Ford (born 1968), better known as DJ Hype, is a British

jungle A jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past recent century. Etymology The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅ ...

and

drum and bass Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-ba ...

producer and DJ.

Biography

Hype first became involved in music as a teenager in 1982, assisting PJ and Smiley with their sound system Heatwave in

East London East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...

, which evolved into Shut Up and Dance. Hype began producing in 1989, engineering and co-producing tracks (including "Exorcist" and "The Bee") for Kickin'Records, Strictly Underground and Suburban Base.

UK garage UK garage, abbreviated as UKG, is a genre of electronic dance music which originated in England in the early to mid-1990s. The genre was most clearly inspired by garage house, but also incorporates elements from dance-pop, R&B, and jungle. It ...

producer Wookie remembers that Hype worked with The Scientist on "The Bee" to create one of the first

tunes to hit big, following "£10 to Get In" by Shut Up and Dance in 1989. Around this time, Hype hosted a show on the London

pirate radio Pirate radio or a pirate radio station is a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license. In some cases, radio stations are considered legal where the signal is transmitted, but illegal where the signals are received—especially w ...

station Fantasy FM, and he was famed for his mixing and scratching skills. Suburban Base released Hype's track "Shot in the Dark" that made the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

in 1993. By 1994, he had become a big name in the

breakbeat hardcore Breakbeat hardcore (also referred to as hardcore rave or oldskool hardcore) is a music genre of the very early 1990s that spawned from the UK rave scene. It combines four-on-the-floor rhythms with breakbeats usually sampled from hip hop. In ...

and

raves - landing awards for Best Male DJ and Best Radio DJ (in 1994 and 1995 respectively) at the UK's Hardcore Awards, and hosting a show on the legal station

Kiss 100 Kiss is a British digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Kiss Network. It is primarily aimed at the 15-34 age group and broadcasts nationally to the UK on DAB Digital Radio, as well as on FM in London, Bristol an ...

. Hype's Ganja Records

label A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product, on which is written or printed information or symbols about the product or item. Information printed dir ...

gained popularity primarily through dance floor fillers such as "You Must Think First", "Tiger Style" and

DJ Zinc Benjamin Pettit (born 12 March 1972), better known as DJ Zinc, is a British DJ and record producer. Zinc first became known for 1995's "Super Sharp Shooter", a hip hop/jungle fusion, notably one of the pioneering jump-up anthems of its time. ...

's "Super Sharp Shooter". Their popularity peaked in 1996 with the release of their first

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

, ''Still Smokin' '', a label

compilation Compilation may refer to: *In computer programming, the translation of source code into object code by a compiler **Compilation error **Compilation unit *Product bundling, a marketing strategy used to sell multiple products *Compilation thesis M ...

released jointly by Ganja and Pascal's Frontline imprint. Re-released in 1997, its success also led to a major label deal with BMG's Parousia sub-label and the establishment of True Playaz, an MC-led deejay and production unit also including DJ Zinc, Pascal and Rude Bwoy Monty. Hype's 1997 Parousia EP, ''New Frontiers'', with Ganja Kru, reached No. 56 in the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...

. Hype is known for his jump-up deejay sets, including appearances at the Playaz night at

Fabric Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

. On 30 March 2009, Hype released a new

double album A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording i ...

mix compilation on

Rhino Records A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...

, entitled ''DJ Hype presents Drum and Bass Essentials''.

Discography

Singles/EPs

* ''Exorcist / The Bee'' (with The Scientist) (Kickin'Records) * ''Shot in the Dark'' ( Suburban Base) * ''Roll the Beats'' (Suburban Base) * ''Computerised Cops / You Must Think First'' (with The Ganja Kru) (Ganja Records) * ''Tiger Style / Mash Up da Place'' (with The Ganja Kru) (Ganja Records) * ''Super Sharp Shooter'' (with The Ganja Kru) (Parousia/ BMG)

Mixes/compilations

* ''Drum & Bass Selection'' * ''

FabricLive.03 FabricLive.03 is a DJ mix compilation album by DJ Hype, as part of the FabricLive Mix Series. Track listing References External links *FabricFabricLive.03*Allmusic: FabricLive.03*Resident Advisor ''Resident Advisor'' (also known a ...

'' * '' FabricLive.18'' with

Andy C Andrew John Clarke (born 7 April 1976) is a British DJ and record producer and is co-founder of RAM Records, a pioneering label in the drum and bass genre. Music career Early years Andy C was a DJ in his own right but gained a strong reputa ...

* ''Dubplate Killaz'' * ''Dubplate Killaz 2: Return of the Ninja'' * ''World Dance - The Drum 'n' Bass Experience'' * ''Drum & Bass Arena Presents: DJ Hype'' * ''Drum & Bass Essentials'' - a triple CD compilation mixed by DJ Hype

References

External links

Official Website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hype, Dj 1968 births DJs from London Electronic dance music DJs English drum and bass musicians English radio personalities English record producers Living people