The popularity of DJ Hype became evident as soon as I saw the line snaking three blocks from Circa's front doors, but it didn't really hit home until the MC had the whole of the club's main room chanting "Hype, Hype, Hype" in fevered anticipation of the night's main act.
Everfresh did a great job as the fluffer, dropping some ragga in amongst a truckload of fat bass beats, but he was never going to take the rabid crowd all the way to climax. Still, as the giant light rack dropped in front of the stage, the atmosphere reached fever pitch, and only managed not to be ruined by the MC's endless over-the-top intro by being so above reason that nothing could bring it down.
As Hype's dubplates finally began to spin, he showed why he's such a prominent and respected name in the drum'n'bass genre. Weaving through Noisia's "Diplodocus" and the excellent "Tear You Down" by the Brookes Brothers, he showcased the best of modern D&B, as well as the best of his own work, with "Machete" being a prime example of the latter and some live scratching acting as the cherry on top of a pretty massive cake.
None of this went unnoticed by his crazed followers, some of whom got so lost in Hype's set that they didn't realise they were head-banging right into a railing and bleeding quite profusely. It was a scene of carnage the likes of which I haven't seen since Andy C, and also arguably the best gig since the head of RAM Records came to town.
Everfresh did a great job as the fluffer, dropping some ragga in amongst a truckload of fat bass beats, but he was never going to take the rabid crowd all the way to climax. Still, as the giant light rack dropped in front of the stage, the atmosphere reached fever pitch, and only managed not to be ruined by the MC's endless over-the-top intro by being so above reason that nothing could bring it down.
As Hype's dubplates finally began to spin, he showed why he's such a prominent and respected name in the drum'n'bass genre. Weaving through Noisia's "Diplodocus" and the excellent "Tear You Down" by the Brookes Brothers, he showcased the best of modern D&B, as well as the best of his own work, with "Machete" being a prime example of the latter and some live scratching acting as the cherry on top of a pretty massive cake.
None of this went unnoticed by his crazed followers, some of whom got so lost in Hype's set that they didn't realise they were head-banging right into a railing and bleeding quite profusely. It was a scene of carnage the likes of which I haven't seen since Andy C, and also arguably the best gig since the head of RAM Records came to town.
