Hyperpotamus

Hyperpotamus is a multi-vocal solo act from Madrid, Spain. The project uses only voice, a small number of microphones and a loop pedal, placing it within experimental, a cappella and avant-garde music. Although based in London in the wording of one account, the act’s origin is Madrid, and it is presented as a group.

Early activity and style

Hyperpotamus develops the live set in the underground tunnels of Madrid’s metro stations, first performing in public as a busker before moving on to support slots at more conventional local venues. The project quickly gains attention in Madrid and then across Spain, with early performances reaching large audiences within a short time.

Releases

The debut album, Largo Bailón, is self-released in 2009. A later album, Delta, is released by El Molino in 2012.

Performances and appearances

Hyperpotamus performs in a wide range of settings, including the banks of the Danube, an Amsterdam staircase, a Berlin squat, a Lisbon macro-discotheque, a London railway station, a Mediterranean cruise ship, a Paris flower shop, a Bratislava Soviet People’s Palace, a Texas saloon, Ceaușescu’s Palace in Bucharest, a civic centre in Tijuana, under an organ pipe in Belfast, among skyscrapers in Los Angeles, a retirement home in Bilbao, a cave in Andalusia and New York’s oldest bar. The act also appears at festivals and events including SXSW, NXNE, Primavera, The Big Chill, BAM, Wilsonic and Bratislava Jazz Days.

Other work and recognition

Hyperpotamus writes the soundtrack for a documentary on schizophrenia, Paquita y Todo Lo Demás, and covers Sonic Youth’s “Bull in the Heather” in front of Sonic Youth. The act is also named the Iberian Boss Loop Station Champion of 2010. It opens for artists including Animal Collective, Scorpions, Two Gallants and Buck 65.