[Hyperdub]

So often in dance music, a producer either falls into the melodic genius or rhythmic genius category. I’m not saying she’s Sasu Ripatti or anything, but Merrisa Campbell — the woman known to the world as Cooly G –does melody and rhythm so well, she deserves recognition for both. She hasn’t released all that much music, but the tracks she’s let loose via bass powerhouse Hyperdub subtly pack more melodic eccentricity, rhythmic electricity, and general musical sophistication into four minutes than many of her peers do into six or seven (or eight, if you’re Roska). There has, undoubtedly, been some hype. (Boomkat naming “Weekend Fly” the track of 2009 mere weeks after its release, anyone?) But if you can move beyond the hyperbole, you’re very likely to find Cooly G a treasure, wherever your dance music values and allegiances lie.

Her latest for Hyperdub, “Up In My Head/Phat Si,” is also her greatest. Like last year’s “Narst/Love Dub” 12″, Campbell offers two moods across two sides. “Up In My Head” begins on a gorgeously melodic note, and its sweetly synthetic strings remain the track’s focal point throughout. But it also boasts a stabbing, borderline hyperactive low-end that keeps the track club-friendly. On the flip, “Phat Si” appears suspiciously tool-like, but Campbell — with her paws apparently rubber-cemented to the controls — keeps her beat active, asymmetrical, and in constant flux. The result is both effortlessly floor-destroying and surprisingly musical. Which is, of course, the crux of why I love Cooly G: with the flick of her wrist, it seems, she goes well beyond the call of duty, doing as much work on one 12″ a year as many producers might hope to do in five. “Up In My Head/Phat Si” is one of the standout 12″s of the summer, and whether you need to believe the hype or get the hell over it, just make sure you snag yourself a copy.