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Album Review

Hyperpotamus
Delta Pias/ Believe

Article written by Ged M - Jan 13, 2012

Technically, Hyperpotamus is very impressive. A solo artist from Madrid now based in London, his second album mainly consists of his voice, some differently placed microphones to create a multi-layered sound, and a loop pedal. These songs were recorded in the natural environment of his publisher’s house, after which he went into Fortress Studios and added main vocals and basic boombox sounds. And that natural, organic sound of the barely enhanced human voice is what comes across strongest on the album.

‘In The Time’ creates swooping choral effects from that loop pedal, bolstered by the simplest electronic beat, while ‘Seahorse For Dragon’ seems to borrow stylistically from doo-wop and hip-hop to show off Hyperpotamus’s vocal stylings. The Spanish-language ‘Una, Grande y Libre’ is melody-laden Beach Boys-esque sunshine pop, all the more impressive for being the work of a single larynx. But the music loses its impact on the listener the more songs you hear; the technique will always impress but there's something of the novelty party-piece about it. Similarly, the lyrics are a little bland, compared to the likes of Tuneyards who goes on similar loop-pedal-powered vocal flights of fancy with stronger stories. But it's still an extraordinary effort, very different to much of what you’ll hear this year and it probably works just as well live.

Links:
http://www.hyperpotamus.com
http://www.facebook.com/hyperpotamusic
http://www.myspace.com/hyperpotamus