James Hype is a real product of our age, a DJ whose star rose on the tide of YouTube and social media sharing through lockdown, only to go stratospheric as soon as lockdown ended and gigs were back on. He’s now one of the busiest DJs on the circuit, and his star is still rising fast as he wins new fans daily all over the world. Where is the limit for James? He’s not there yet, that’s for sure.
As he’s kept so many of us entertained with his video sharing over the years (and as of course he is a Digital DJ Tips tutor, the man behind our James Hype’s Mixing Skills and James Hype’s Club Banger Method courses), we thought we’d collect ten of our favourite James Hype moments of all time, updated for 2024. So in no particular order, here they are. Enjoy!
Our Top 10 James Hype Moments – 2024 Edition
1. Get Closer, London – Full Set
James has blazed a trail by staging his own events to create a “Boiler Room” vibe exclusively for his fans. The energy in these sets is unmatched, with James putting together his absolute best performances for these special shows. This was the first, and it’s a cracker, with an opening routine that was so popular, he added it as a tutorial in his mixing skills DJ course.
2. Headlining Ushuaïa Ibiza – Standing in for David Guetta
When James got a last-minute opportunity to stand in for David Guetta headlining his Ibiza show, not only did he jump at the chance, but he also got straight onto his laptop to produce some exclusive tracks to play. Here you see him working on a remix, and then the crowd’s reaction just a few hours later. It’s one of those career-defining moments that James and his fans will never forget.
3. The Forearm Trick
For a DJ who doesn’t really scratch, James gets super-inventive in other ways, as he demonstrates in this Instagram video clip.
4. Four Decks In The Mix On The London Underground
Just before the first UK lockdown hit in Spring 2020, James dropped this set on YouTube, proving that him and his team’s understanding of social media and building an online presence pre-dated those things being forced on them. (Also on Instagram here and here.)
5. “Hard work vs the show” behind the scenes video
There’s no doubt James’ performances at his gigs are energetic, dynamic and dextrous, but he puts in a TON of work behind the scenes planning and rehearsing all his tricks. In this rare behind the scenes video you get to see some of the work that goes into what James does, and why his sets are so flawless.
6. Justin Timberlake “okaying” his Drums sample
James Hype’s 2023 smash hit “Drums” was destined to never get an official release due to an uncleared Justin Timberlake sample. Most producers would just remake the track or remove the sample, but not James. He didn’t let it beat him, and here you see how he set about getting the sample cleared with Justin’s blessing.
Get the course: James Hype’s Club Banger Method
7. An insane transition from Brooklyn Mirage, 2022
Just simply one of his finest moments behind the decks, using his “Hype Loops” technique to hype the crowd into a frenzy before dropping into a trance / rave classic. Epic!
8. Warehouse rave with ZERO phones
James played a gig in Berlin where phones were not allowed, and he was completely blown away by how intense the energy was in the crowd, so straight away he put plans in motion to put on his own gig with a “no phones on the dancefloor” policy. Teaming up with Meduza, they threw a massive party in Amsterdam and it went off!
9. “The craziest thing I’ve ever done in a DJ set”
Dropping a drum & bass track in the middle of a house set takes some skill, and in this transition James utilises loops & FX live to pull off this huge genre and BPM shift trick.
10. I’m Losing It vs One More Time – Ferdinands Feld Festival, 2018
Saving the best till last, pure originality, all captured on a mobile phone including the audio, and several million views later still sounding as fresh as it did when we all shared it back then…
Want To Learn These Tricks?
James is not only a great DJ and showman, but he’s a fine teacher too, and in his James Hype’s Mixing Skills course, he shows you how to do all the tricks you see above.
Doesn’t matter what your skill level or what gear you have, you’ll be able to do nearly everything James does once you take the course!
Let us know what you think of these clips in the comments below.
Phil Morse
