Hypnoskull

The author of the mix is Patrick Stevens (b. 1973), also known as Hypnoskull, who combines the power of cold analog electronics with extremely thorough rhythm structures to form an anarchic noise and techno-industrial assault. Stevens grew up in 1980s Kassel and Belgium, where he attended the iconic Belgian new beat parties and later got immersed in the obscure world of tape music. Stevens’ keen interest in the emerging noise/industrial scene inspired him to execute his own hardware and sonic experiments. 1992 is the formal birth date of Hypnoskull. After years of underground activism in the worldwide electronic network of industrial music, Hypnoskull managed to reach a larger audience after releasing such critically acclaimed heavyweight albums as Rythmusmaschine 1-2 (1998), Ffwd>Burnout! (1999), and Electronic Music Means War To Us (2001). Working hand in hand with the prolific and respected German label Ant-Zen, it didn’t take Hypnoskull long to become an important figure in the darker and harsher musical universe, but even before that, Stevens had already made a name for himself as one half of Sonar – a hardcore Belgian rhythmic industrial project. His past solo projects, like Sona Eact®, Reset, Sliding Elements, Trivial Gender, and 33MHz, also serve as a good starting point to explore Stevens’ exceptional musical concepts.

Hypnoskull on Ant-Zen

The mix is a colossal mixture of the most psyche-penetrating, intensely emotive, and even neurotic music, bound to awaken the listener or at least remind us of the need and importance of resisting the rot of public society. This is the first mix ever made by Hypnoskull, and we feel beyond honoured to share it with the archive.

Stevens took a deep breath to compile and record a very personal and distinct mix, consisting of three parts, each introduced by a strong German female icon. In almost 2 hours, Hypnoskull creatively fuses 53 rare and unique records released between 1930 and 2015. Unexpected turns, occasionally provocative mixing, and a large variety of styles—ranging from breakcore, noise, and industrial to experimental, spoken-word, or even chanson music—are sure to leave no one unmoved.

A diverse palette of 1990s industrial/synth jewels is revealed in the first chapter called Heimweh. The next chapter, Widerstand, documents Stevens’ anger towards the industrial scene which formed Hypnoskull – it reflects the times when he upset large numbers of his loyal followers by crossing over with breakcore and harsh hip-hop. The Angst chapter depicts the producer’s newer and lesser-known side – where words meet the darkest corners of electronic music – a translation of his works for films and documentaries into audio. The mix includes some of Stevens’ recordings too; “The Sewers” and “Big In The Anger” harmoniously coexist within the whole constantly changing and progressively expanding musical scenery. There are no rules or limits, because this mix was born to blow your brains out.

Inside Angst

Hypnoskull’s mix could stand in parallel with Jean Dubuffet’s figurative (Art Brut) painting “Grand Maitre of the Outsider”. Just as Dubuffet used dark and ironically-sacred color tones and unorthodox painting methods on a rugged texture filled with physical marks to directly and purely express the depth of a person, Stevens’ work suggests a similar perspective. Dubuffet’s use of crude materials and the irony found in many of his works nicely reflects Hypnoskull’s musical activities, where he operates outside any pre-determined aesthetic or academic norms. Also, Dubuffet’s isolated, down-to-earth, and genuine personality is quite similar to Stevens’, and it seems these characteristics naturally served as a bridge for both artists to gain worldwide recognition and deserved respect among open-minded people with an anarchistic approach to life and the system we are all trapped in.