A new documentary about the legendary drum ‘n’ bass MC Stevie Hyper D is set to be released at the end of this year. Check out the new trailer for the project below.
Titled HYPER: The Stevie Hyper D Story, the upcoming film is set to explore the impressive life and career of the artist, who was a pioneer in the d’n’b and jungle scenes in the UK across the ‘90s.
In the documentary, Darrell Austin – Stevie Hyper D’s nephew – goes on a personal journey through the music scene in London, and explores the impact and legacy that his uncle left behind.
As well as looking at the musician’s early life, rise to fame, and untimely death in 1998, HYPER will also see unique conversations with close friends, family members and musical peers, as well as Darrell Austin confronting his own experiences of grief and mental health struggles.
“Hi, I’m Darryl Austin, Stevie Hyper D’s nephew,” he can be heard saying in the trailer, while footage shows him admiring the late artist’s possessions. “In this box is Steve’s history… I’ve been avoiding this for a long time.”
He continued: “I felt like the whole family was robbed of seeing someone that worked so hard have it, then it all go straight away. It was important for me to get his story out there.” Check out the full trailer below.
In the film, Darryl will explore his relationship with his uncle, as well as take a deeper look into his pioneering MC style, his signing to Island Records in 1996, and his journey to becoming one of the most successful and influential figures in the drum ‘n’ bass community.
It will also touch upon the relentless pressures of performing that Stevie Hyper D faced, as well as how a heart attack “extinguished his potential, leaving a gaping hole in his family and the burgeoning jungle scene.”
Directed by Jamie Ross-Hulme – who also worked on a documentary around jungle MC Navigator – the project has been in the works since 2012. The team are also calling for donations to a Kickstarter campaign to get the project on the big screen.
“[Making this film] was emotional for me. But what was so positive was that we really feel that we ended up showing how influential is, to those who may not know who he is, but also those who do,” Darryl told MixMag.
“Initially the film started as a tribute film to Steve’s legacy, but evolved into much more,” he says. “I really had to dig deep to bring a new element to the story, it was quite possibly one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.”
Find out more about the Kickstarter campaign here.
