Liverpool, UK · tech-house · house

James Hype

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Tech house as sleight of hand — the mixing itself is the show, cut so fast the transitions become the hook.

James Hype was born James Edward Lee Marsland in November 1989, in Wirral, Merseyside. He got into online music at 13, and his parents bought him a set of DJ decks for his 15th birthday. By 16 he was working as a warm-up DJ at Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet, and at 18 he began playing clubs across Merseyside and Northern England, taking his first residency at Aura Bar in Hoylake before moving on to Funky Box in Liverpool's city centre.

James Hype built his reputation on technical mixing rather than production alone, working within tech house and house while drawing on UK garage. His sets are known for very short blends and rapid cutting between records, documented in widely shared clips of him working the mixer and CDJs, an approach tied to the catchphrase "Who Does This?" that follows his performances.

Alongside DJing he has released a steady run of club singles and remixes. He collaborated with Craig David on "No Drama" in 2018, and his 2022 single "Ferrari" reached number one in the Netherlands, Italy and Belgium. In August 2025 he released "Waterfalls" featuring Sam Harper and Bobby Harvey, extending a catalogue built on crossover club records rather than albums.

He presented a late-night show on KISS FM from 2017 to 2019, and is an ambassador for DJ equipment maker Pioneer DJ, appearing in its online videos. The crossover appeal of his singles and remixes has moved him from club rooms to large dance stages across Europe.

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