| Hypnogaja | |
| Origin: | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Genre: | Alternative rock, crossover, space rock, hard rock, trip hop (early) |
| Years Active: | 2000-Present |
| Label: | The Spaceman Agency, Union State Records, Access Denied Recordings, Sony Music (Germany), Symbiotic Entertainment, Drama! Music/PARAS Group (Ryko/Universal) |
| Website: | www.hypnogaja.com |
| Current Members: | ShyBoy (Jason Arnold) Jeeve Mark Nubar |
| Associated Acts: | ShyBoy |
Hypnogaja (pronounced hip-nō-gä-zhä) is an American rock band founded by vocalist Jason Arnold (known professionally as ShyBoy) and keyboardist Mark Nubar in 2000.
Numerous TV shows, games, and movies have featured Hypnogaja's music including: Sex And The City (HBO); Warehouse 13 (SyFy); (Warner Bros.); Tap Tap Revenge 3 (Disney); Roswell (WB); The Looking Glass Wars (Scholastic); Valentine (Warner Bros.); Cold Creek Manor (Touchstone); and the Scream 4 trailer (Dimension).[1]
Hypnogaja originated as an electronic studio project. Soon after independently releasing their debut album Revolution, the group signed with Los Angeles-based music publisher PEN Music Group and began a long string of music features in films, TV shows, and video games, with their first placements appearing in projects by filmmaker Zalman King. As a live show developed, the band began to incorporate guitars and acoustic drums which resulted in a more rock-oriented sound on the 2002 release Post-Hypnotic Stress Disorder.
2003 began with the feature of Hypnogaja t-shirts and posters in the pilot episode of the Bryan Fuller series Dead Like Me. The band released the Kill Switch EP in August of that year, following the lead single and video "Nothing Box" (directed by Robert E. Blackmon). Hypnogaja embarked on their first U.S. tour in 2004 and continued to tour consistently throughout the aughts, opening for artists such as 311, Linda Perry, Shinedown, and Saliva.
In 2005, Hypnogaja released the critically acclaimed LP Below Sunset, described by Outburn magazine as "enthralling, first-rate modern rock," Apple Music as "soulful rock with a subtle electronic backdrop," and the Denver Post as music that "pushes boundaries.” The album contains Hypnogaja's widely popular cover of Eurythmics' "Here Comes the Rain Again" and the Alice in Wonderland themed "Looking Glass" (which was featured on the soundtrack for the audio book version of Frank Beddor's 2006 NY Times Best Seller, The Looking Glass Wars. Hypnogaja followed Below Sunset with the release of the live album Acoustic Sunset: Live At The Longhouse, produced by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Wendy Waldman, who co-wrote the album's new studio track "I'm Not One Of You."
Truth Decay, a science-fiction tinged concept album, was released in 2009 and received a 9 out-of-10-star rating from Outburn magazine, which noted it as an "expertly crafted album." The album's first single, "The March," spawned a music video directed by ASC Award-winning cinematographer, Nelson Cragg. During their tour in support of the album, Hypnogaja appeared on the debut episode of Stripped Down Live, hosted by Tears For Fears' Curt Smith. The band rounded out the aughts with a South by Southwest showcase slot and two wins at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards, one for Best Alternative Artist and one for Best Male Vocal for ShyBoy's performance of the Donna Summer song "On the Radio."
In February 2011, Hypnogaja released a remix of the Truth Decay song "Dark Star" (featuring Slimkid3 of The Pharcyde). The accompanying Chil Kong-directed video features an appearance by Slimkid3 and dancers from America's Best Dance Crew, including choreographer Yuri Tag and Cindy Minowa of Kabba Modern and Geo Lee of Instant Noodles.
ShyBoy and Mark Nubar founded L.A.-based indie label The Spaceman Agency in 2012. Since that time, they've released numerous recordings by ShyBoy, including the song "Backroom" (featured in the second season of Dynasty on The CW), which the pair co-wrote and co-produced with platinum-selling record producer Jeff Hoeppner. The track's official music video (directed by Michael Bodie), was premiered by World of Wonder, which described "Backroom" as a "gritty masterpiece." In December 2019, it was announced that The Spaceman Agency signed deals to distribute music of ShyBoy and Hypnogaja through Symphonic Distribution.
ShyBoy was named Best Solo Artist in the 10th Annual LA Weekly Best of L.A. Readers' Choice Awards and has performed throughout North America and in Europe, sharing the stage with artists such as Flo Rida, Meiko, and Amanda Palmer. His music has been featured in RuPaul’s Drag Race, America’s Next Top Model, the Capcom video game Devil May Cry 4, and the trailer for Halloween. An array of writers and artists have collaborated with ShyBoy, including: Emmy Award-winning performer RuPaul; Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Wendy Waldman; Saturn Award-winning writer Bryan Fuller; DJ and record producer Darude; and Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award-winning songwriter Allee Willis.[2]
Hypnogaja released the single "Lovesick" on February 14, 2020. The song was originally written and demoed for ShyBoy's debut solo album Water On Mars. In 2019, ShyBoy and Mark Nubar collaborated with Jeff Hoeppner to produce and mix the song, which became Hypnogaja's first new recording since 2011.
On July 22, 2022, Hypnogaja's "Circle of Hate" single was released via The Spaceman Agency label.