In the true Hybrid Rose fashion of holding nothing back, Hyperkunt envelopes the listener with self-produced high femme, campy pop music that plays with your mind. She has been described as “the embodiment of too much sugar, too much spice and a little bit of underground flamboyance”. Her sound and this album might be like nothing you have heard before, mixed with something you have. Hard to define, completely original and slightly addictive.
Hyperkunt is an extraordinary and unique album. Here is why.
Nine tracks grace this album. First off is Dial Tone a catchy techno-pop number that hooks you in with its cleverly written lyrics which flow like a rhyme. Transitioning seamlessly into I Want It All, you get a taste of some slightly spicy lyrics and a snappy beat. At this point I was hooked.
The rest of Hyperkunt progresses into a delightfully raunchy cyber soundscape. Colourful, bold and racy. Mixed to perfection.
There are several artists featuring on this album. The track that warped my mind the most was Vanilla Beam (feat. Hazel Rose), it sounded like it was being played backwards, a head turning cacophony of sound taking me back to my clubbing days.
I could see why Hybrid Rose has been making waves in the underground music scene. She pulls no punches from the futuristic mixing to the retro beat. Some of her lyrics are R18. If you don’t like it, don’t listen. Five stars from me.
Citing a range of musical influences from Kevin Parker (Tame Impala) to Lady Gaga and Marina Diamandis, to Coldplay, Blenheim resident Rose Gray (aka Missrosevalentina) self-produces tunes that vary from chiptune ditty Video Games to the poppy, dance-y Pixel and distorted dubstep of Expectations.
Her influences go beyond music, however; the opening chords to Pixels came to her while watching an episode of Adventure Time for example. She also cites vintage design and graphics as an influence, especially in terms of the visuals she produces alongside her songs. While Gray doesn’t consider herself a political person, she says she’s very passionate about making change.
Her musical character is a little more involved however, and the music is occasionally politically inspired. Missrosevalentina, an electronic character. An infectious virus in your ears, an addiction you cannot quit.