Hype Williams make hypnotic film jams about Britney and herring.
Hype Williams are an enigma. And they’re not looking to change that any time soon, as can be seen in their almost militant refusal to give a straight answer. But that’s OK because their brand of rough, spliced and diced electronics is far better explained through a camera lens anyway. Their music videos are self-made, roughing up snippets of pop culture or using footage that looks as though it’s been filmed with a hand-held camcorder, and stitching the whole thing together in slow motion. It’s the ideal accompaniment to their skewed, magpie sounds. Their 7” ‘Do Roids And Kill E’ryting’ is out now as a white label, and Destijl will be releasing their music in November, with a Hippos In Tanks release lined up for March 2011.
Who is involved in the making of your videos?
D. Blunt and Inga Copeland.
Where do the ideas for your videos come from?
Greenery.
Do you think the music makes more sense when it is visualized?
I think its more the other way round. It’s all a case of tools and which tools you have access to first.
Why the choice of slow motion?
Its a pace I can handle.
I like how your video to Chatline is about a very normal occurrence (someone having their hair washed). Are you trying to find or point out the beauty in the everyday?
That’s me during the tail end of steroid abuse. ‘Roid rage is a bummer man.
Tell us about the thinking behind the Rescue Dawn video. It reminds me a little of Andy Warhol’s ‘Portraits’ series.
Do I sound like a cock if I say there wasn’t any thinking behind Rescue Dawn? Yes, probably.
The video for Rescue Dawn II comes with the instruction ‘listen with headphones’. Is that generally how you feel your music works best? And why in particular is this song best listened to that way?
Ask Steve Jobs.
That same video begins and ends with clips from a Britney Spears video. What is it about Britney that made you want to make her the star of your video?
Dem tig ol’ bitties.
I love the tin foil hat in the Get Choong And Look At The Sky video. Was that something you already had lying around? Or was it made specially for the video?
You’re clearly not up to speed with the latest Estonian trends.
If budget and resources were no object, how would your ideal music video pan out?
We’re filming with our buddy Martin Lawrence in our timeshare just outside Stockholm at the moment. He’s minted so budget is cool. Can’t say much now apart from the fact that we just discovered Martin is allergic to herring.
What are you guys up to at the moment?
Living in Berlin. Gym. Smush. Recordin’. Filmin’. Laundry. Gym. Smush some more and so on and so forth.
Upcoming:
Do Roids And Kill E’ryting (7”, White Label, out now)
Find Out What Happens When People Stop Being Polite And Start Gettin’ Reel
(12”, Destijl Records, November 2010)
Untitled (12”, Hippos In Tanks, March 2011)
