Attack

Hypnobeat formed in 1983; founding members were Romulus Coeurque (a.k.a. Insect Commander, now James Dean Brown) and Pietro Insipido (a.k.a. Piedro Insipiedo). Active contributors to the cassette scene in the 80's, Hypnobeat are Prototech representatives and adepts of Neo Tribalism.

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Deeply affected by the energy and emotional impact of polyrhythms, RC's goal was to push the boundaries of electronic music by enhancing textural complexity. Thus he transfered primordial physical approaches to the beat into electronic grooves that were packed with overdubs, syncopations, interferences, fusion noise.

Decay

After PI had decided to finish his active music phase and adjourn to the listening room instead, it was obvious that Porn Flake (now Victor Sol) of Vo Ese would be the one to shift Hypnobeat to the desired level of technological sophistication. Consequently the group's base consisted of two members again.

However, for their recordings and live performances they have been constantly supported by friends from different artistic backgrounds. Altogether more than 20 people joined the party – among them Pink Elln (Tobias Freund who formed Sieg ueber die Sonne), drummer Peter Prochir (Cassiber, Sielwolf), rhythm magician Z'EV, members of Fetus Productions from New Zealand (Sarah Fort, Mike Brookfield), and bestseller author Thor Kunkel.

Sustain

Infected with the inimitable sound of the TR-808, Hypnobeat exhausted a wide range of analog electronic gear in the studio and on stage – including an array of up to six synchronized rhythm machines which incorporated three 808s. Smartly judging from the electronic music development in the mid 80es, RC wrote a manifesto about "Futuristic Minimalism" which was based on the concept of reducing electronics to the emotional, hypnotic rhythm core. Additionally, one of the cheapest available sequencers back then, the TB-303, which epitomized the sound of the Acid movement later, provided a distinctive "Proto Acid" flavour to the Hypnobeat sound.

Accordingly, it doesn't sound presumptuous to state that Hypnobeat conceived an early, seminal form of contemporary club music by blasting out massive prototype Techno and classic Electro beats. Fortunately a testimonial has been preserved: a complete Walkman recording, and a blurred seven minutes video excerpt on VHS of their legendary live performance at GEMINOX festival, Frankfurt University from June 15th, 1984.

Release

In June 1985 Hypnobeat released the double cassette set "Huggables" on their own label Monochrome Tapes. Packed in a resealable pouch made of aluminium foil with zipper-like closure (which originally contained ECG monitoring electrodes), this set features 21 tracks each on two C90 cassettes: "Greatest Hits of Hypnosis and Hydrophobia" and "Subgreatest Monochrome Delights". A few copies are still available. Later that year Hypnobeat contributed one of their key tracks to the 4LP+7" compilation box "SNX" on the Hawai label from France, which unites 48 bands from 18 countries.

In 1986 the inofficial C60 release "Specials/Spatials" followed, on Monochrome Tapes again. Furthermore they participated in a number of international cassette compilations: on Bain Total/F, Club Moral/B, Illusion Production/F, Ptôse Production Présente/F, among other labels.

Most of the group's material was developed in sessions and on stage. Their live sets mostly turned out to become machine improvisations and fundamentally presented tracks neither having been tested nor released before. Each new recording revealed a character that differed from previous works. Varying line-ups and styles occasionally demanded a change of name which resulted in: Hypnobeat/Rotozone, Hypnobeat/InCom, Hypnobeat/Big Animal, X/HU (Extended Hypnobeat Unit), Hydrobeast, U.V.M. (Ultra Violent Males Un-Veil Masked Utopian Vault Monsters), Deaf Sol Zone and, well… Hypnobeatles.

Every now and then Hypnobeat served as a solo project(ion) for RC/JDB. His late work includes the sound/video installation "ROTOCYCLE" from 1988, parts of scores for a London fashion show in 1991 as well as for a dance performance in Vienna in 1993, and a contribution via answering machine to a "Telephone Festival" in 1994.

After a final rhythmic solo twitch the project finally ceased to exist in 1994 – just to resurrect and transform into Narcotic Syntax a year later: as slowly as Hypnobeat had faded to inertia from 1987 to 1994, Narcotic Syntax blossomed into a state of eruptive activity from 1995 until today. If you listen to their 2x12"EP "Provocative Percussion" from 2006, you will actually experience the original, unerring Hypnobeat concept transcoded to digital production technique.