Hypnobeat

Driven by the common DIY-attitude, James Dean Brown founded Hypnobeat with Pietro Insipido in 1983, making noise with a Boss DR-55 rhythm machine, 2nd hand gear and household utensils. It was not before JDB’s encounter with Victor Sol at the end of 1983 that Hypnobeat became a proper, fully electronic outfit. Tobias Freund and Pietro Insipido occasionally joined them as invited musicians. The main goal was to follow a "neo-tribal" approach by reducing electronics to the hypnotic rhythm core. Apart from a TB-303, the wide range of analog studio/live gear included up to six synchronized rhythm machines – always with a focus on the inimitable sound of the Roland TR-808. Accordingly, Hypnobeat conceived an early form of contemporary club music, somewhere within the scope of classical Electro Funk and prototype Techno, and with a proto-Acid flavour. In 1996, evolving from Hypnobeat, James Dean Brown formed Narcotic Syntax, a band he boosted together with Yapacc in 2003. And after all, Hypnobeat retransformed from Narcotic Syntax, starting with a solo live performance by JDB at Serendip Festival, Paris in 2012 before a year later the exciting new evolution of Hypnobeat occured with Helena Hauff joining the project. The duo's live performances are completely based on improvisation, exhausting the power of an untamed Roland horde which is unique on stage: 1 x TR-707 + 3 x TR-808 + 2x TB-303 + an array of effects.