The year was 1994, and the members of Long Island, N.Y.’s Hypnolovewheel somehow found themselves recording “Secret Star” in a tap-dance studio managed by their drummer, Peter Walsh.
“We had no label at that point,” says co-founding guitarist Stephen Hunking. “But Munster Records in Spain was interested in doing a one-off single, so that’s what we did.”
Eight years prior, Hypnolovewheel—Hunking, Walsh (who passed away in 2021), guitarist Dave Ramirez and bassist Dan Cuddy—had gurgled up from the NYC underground with a playful, unpredictable concoction of garage rock, post-punk, power pop and psychedelia, becoming fixtures on the late-’80s indie circuit with two self-released LPs. They landed a deal with Alias, a label whose impressive roster (at one time or another) included American Music Club, Archers Of Loaf and Yo La Tengo. The quartet rolled through the early ’90s, working with Fort Apache alum Lou Giordano on another three albums and making inroads on college radio with the singles “I Dream Of Jeannie” and “Bridget Because.”
Stylistically, Hypnolovewheel was all over the place, a perceived asset that was ultimately to its detriment in a one-dimensional, pre-Napster music industry. By the time “Secret Star” was recorded, the group was pretty much cooked.
“There’s a feeling of sadness to the music, but it’s also kind of sweet and oddly uplifting to me,” says Hunking. “I told Dan that it reminded me of star-crossed lovers, and he believed it was about the birth of Dave’s daughter. But when I asked Dave, he said it was mostly about Sun Ra’s passing.”
Go figure. And the video?
“It’s a bunch of found footage and old personal videos and images of the band—that’s me and my kids in ape suits dancing around Times Square sometime around 2006,” says Hunking. “I’ll leave it at that. I feel like it’s important to preserve some of the mystery.”
We’re proud to premiere Hypnolovewheel’s “Secret Star” video. The track is one of seven rarities on the self-released Parallel Universe, which also includes 15 of the band’s best moments curated by Yo La Tengo’s James McNew. Previously available on limited-edition vinyl, this version was remastered by Kurt Bloch (Fastbacks, Young Fresh Fellows) and will be streaming on all platforms and available for a digital purchase on Bandcamp on June 19.
—Hobart Rowland
