Hyper Go-Go

Never regarded as strikingly original, Hyper Go-Go were nevertheless one of the most commercially prominent UK house acts, a fact confirmed when their early singles, including ‘High’ (number 30, August 1992) and ‘Never Let Go’ (number 45, July 1993), both crossed over into the UK charts. The team, James Diplock and Alex Ball, had been working together since they left school in the mid-80s. They worked from their own studio, a converted warehouse in the middle of a disused airfield, in the heart of the Essex countryside. ‘High’ was originally released on Hooj Choons before being picked up by Deconstruction Records. For ‘Never Let Go’, a typical storming piano house tune, they switched to the Positiva Records label on a more permanent footing. ‘Raise’, which reached UK number 36 in February 1994, used the familiar ‘Raise Your Hands’ vocal line as its core, with guest vocals from Brian Chambers. Other contributors have included Sally Anne Marsh of Hysterix, and Adeva (April 1996’s ‘Do Watcha Do’). Bell and Diplock also formed one half of the techno sideline Electroset (whose ‘How Does It Feel?’ was their ‘rave thing’) and experimental electronic outfit Compufonic. The latter released ‘Ecstacy 0376’ for Ocean Records in 1992, before signing to Mute Records for whom they debuted with the Make It Move EP.