Dev Hynes
Devonté Hynes (born David Joseph Michael Hynes,[5] 23 December 1985), also known as Blood Orange and formerly Lightspeed Champion, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and director based in New York City. From 2004 to 2006, Hynes was a member of the band Test Icicles, playing guitar, synth, and occasionally performing vocals. They released one full-length album in 2005. Hynes went on to release two solo studio albums as Lightspeed Champion and subsequently five more as Blood Orange, between 2008 and 2019.
Dev Hynes
David Joseph Michael Hynes
- Blood Orange
- Lightspeed Champion
23 December 1985
Essex, England[1]
- Vocals
- guitar
- cello
- piano
2004–present
He has written, played or produced for and with artists such as Tinashe, Solange Knowles, Connan Mockasin, Tei Shi, Sky Ferreira, FKA twigs, Britney Spears, Haim, Caroline Polachek, Florence and the Machine, Carly Rae Jepsen, the Chemical Brothers, Kylie Minogue, A$AP Rocky, Mac Miller, Blondie, Jazmine Sullivan, Sugababes, Turnstile, and Mariah Carey.[6]
Early life[edit]
Dev Hynes was born in Ilford, East London to a Guyanese mother and a Sierra Leone Creole father.[7] He was educated at the Chadwell Heath Foundation School, now known as Chadwell Heath Academy. From their formation in 2004 until their break-up in 2006, Hynes was a member of the dance-punk band Test Icicles, playing guitar, synth, and occasionally performing vocals. They released one full-length album, For Screening Purposes Only, in 2005. Hynes relocated to New York in 2007 where he resides.[8]
Solo work[edit]
Lightspeed Champion[edit]
In early 2007, Hynes, under the name Lightspeed Champion, recorded his debut album in Omaha, Nebraska with Saddle Creek producer Mike Mogis. A number of Omaha-based musicians appeared on the record, including Mogis himself, trumpet player and pianist Nate Walcott, the Faint's drummer Clark Baechle and guest vocalist Emmy the Great, along with moonlighting members of Cursive and Tilly and the Wall.[9] These recording sessions resulted in the single "Galaxy of the Lost", released on 30 July 2007, and the album Falling Off the Lavender Bridge, released on 21 January 2008.[10] The name 'Lightspeed Champion' comes from a series of comic strips Hynes drew as a teenager in his school mathematics books.[11]
The touring band for the Falling Off the Lavender Bridge album at various points consisted of friends of Hynes' from other bands, including Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine and Emmy the Great. Mike Siddell, formerly of Hope of the States, played violin with the band. Anna Prior, formerly of Leeds bands Dead Disco and the Ivories, played drums for most of the tour. Other guest members to have contributed in live shows include Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys, Faris Badwan of the Horrors, Frederick Blood-Royale of Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man,[12] Jack Peñate and Eugene McGuinness as well as We Are Scientists' Keith Murray on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on 6 June 2008.
Backed by a full band, Hynes appeared at the NME 2008 Awards, broadcast on Channel 4 on 29 February 2008, dressed as characters from Star Wars, including Princess Leia on the drums. The band's affinity with Star Wars continued when they played the main theme to the trilogy at the Wireless Festival in 2008.[13] Hynes and a violinist Mike Siddell began a short US tour in March 2008, ending with an appearance at SXSW in 2008. At SXSW, they befriended the Wombats, who supported them at a Royal Albert Hall concert. Hynes also performed with We Are Scientists at the Glastonbury in 2008 (John Peel Stage)[14] and appeared at Belgian music festival Pukkelpop in August 2008.
By the end of what became a two-year touring period, Hynes had suffered severe damage to his throat, and had to undergo extensive surgery.[15] He took a two and a half-year hiatus from touring, appearing occasionally to play shows in New York and a top billed slot at the Carling Festival in 2009. In December 2008, Hynes was asked on behalf of the British Film Institute to perform the soundtrack of the cult Hal Ashby film Harold and Maude after a screening of the performance. Hynes had to cancel this due to an operation he had to undergo on his throat. The event was rescheduled for May 2009. In July 2009 Hynes reprised the soundtrack and performed at Latitude Festival. In June 2009, Hynes performed at the Barbican Centre in London in commemoration of the composer Moondog, singing renditions along with London Saxophonic of songs from the Moondog album Sax Pax for a Sax. He also sang "Fujiyama Part 2" backed by the Britten Sinfonia. In April 2010, Hynes returned to the Barbican to perform with the Triffids for a special concert in honour of their singer David McComb along with Warren Ellis, Tindersticks and members of the Brian Jonestown Massacre. He returned for a two-week European tour in June 2010.
Hynes has recorded a number of bootlegs and unofficial releases, made available to the public through his blog and MySpace.[16] These include an album written and recorded entirely in a day and an EP consisting of covers of Green Day songs. The second Lightspeed Champion album, Life Is Sweet! Nice to Meet You, was released in 2010. Hynes retired the project to focus fully on his Blood Orange project.
Classical music and scores[edit]
Hynes has collaborated several times with composer Philip Glass, performing his piano Etudes for radio, at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center.[37][38]
Hynes has written scores for art pieces and film in collaboration with Alex Da Corte, Josh Kline & the Palo Alto score for the movie of the same name by Gia Coppola.[39]
A special performance of Eastern Sports was performed at ICA Philadelphia in 2015[40] and at the Whitney Museum of Art in 2017.[41]
Two performances of the "Palo Alto" score took place in 2016.[42]
In 2019, Hynes composed the score for the film Queen & Slim.
