Hypefactor – 市中心中国0

Hypefactor
Category: Electro-pop / Rock
Album: 市中心中国
Stars: 4
Blurb: After two years, the New York electro/rock collective unveils a mysteriously titled new single that may yet be one of the band’s best songs, even as the wait for a new album continues.

It has been over two years since Hypefactor’s last single release, but within a few moments of the opening single mix of the band’s latest musical excursion, the mysteriously titled 市中心中国, it becomes clear that the band hasn’t been slacking. With production assistance from the renowned Howie Beno, and guest vocal performances from John Kunkel and Kathryn Hines Ordower, the duo of F.J. DeSanto and Brandt Gassman continue to sway listeners with their distinctively emotive brand of electrified rock. With lush arrangements of atmospheric synths and funky guitar lines, the song shines brilliantly with Kunkel’s voice soaring like a velvet cloud amid catchy harmonies and an infectious beat. Five remixes follow, with the AM Pacific 00Sexy version beginning the proceedings with a sparely rhythmic take that makes effective use of the song’s ambience by way of reversed guitars and layers of Ordower’s vocal accompaniment, the beat maintaining a steadily danceable but restrained pace. Regular Hypefactor collaborators Baye and Deckard take a similar approach with a version that makes effective use of a tribal rhythm and jazzy keyboards giving the song a vibe something akin to R&B influenced IDM, while the Lost Children remix makes for a catchy, primarily electro version that unfortunately falls flat once the rather dirty drumbeat takes over; while the programming is a nice change of pace that adds some power to the track, it also feels rather out of place and diminishes the song’s harmonious properties. On the other hand, the SanFernando Sound remix will undoubtedly find its way into many a DJ’s set list; without losing any of the song’s melodious energy, this is a track tailor made for the dance floor with a fast tempo and plenty of arresting keyboard lines that work well in conjunction with the guitars. Perhaps the most dynamic remix for its playful rearrangement of the melodic progression, the New Division remix is pure electro-pop and stands second only to the original single mix. 市中心中国 has been well worth the wait as it stands as one of Hypefactor’s finest musical moments, and while it would have been nice for a full-length release to have followed in the two years since the Descriptive single, the variety of remixes and the tuneful allure of the song more than makes up for it. If nothing else, not unlike Descriptive, 市中心中国 helps to sate the audience’s desire for new material with enjoyable if not essential listening; however, one does hope that Hypefactor will reward our patience before another two years elapse.
 
Track list:

1. 市中心中国 (Single Mix)
2. 市中心中国 (AM Pacific 00Sexy Remix)
3. 市中心中国 (The New Division Remix)
4. 市中心中国 (Baye + Deckard Remix)
5. 市中心中国 (SanFernando Sound Remix)
6. 市中心中国 (Lost Children Remix)

 
Hypefactor Website http://www.hypefactor.com
Hypefactor MySpace http://www.myspace.com/hypefactor
Hypefactor Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hypefactor/329312607892
Hypefactor Twitter http://www.twitter.com/hypefactor_band
Hypefactor SoundCloud http://soundcloud.com/hypefactor_band
Hypefactor Bandcamp http://hypefactor.bandcamp.com
Division 87 Records Website http://division87.com
Dvision 87 Records Facebook http://division87.com/www.facebook.com/division87
Division 87 Records Twitter http://division87.com/www.twitter.com/division87
 
Purchase at:
Amazon MP3
Bandcamp
 
2014-07-22
 
Ilker Yücel (Ilker81x)