[Hotflush Recordings]

Hype can be a funny thing. Why are some tracks hyped while others slide under the radar? For one of 2009’s most talked about tracks, look no further than “Hyph Mngo” (hype is even in the name, sort of). Forthcoming on one of the hottest labels around, canned by numerous DJs, and even the subject of an entire column on Pitchfork, the hype surround “Hyph Mngo” has been immense, to be sure. But does it measure up?

New producer Joy Orbison is behind the oddly-named record, but “Hyph Mngo” sounds like the doings of a vet and slots nicely in with the Hotflush sound. The first moments of the track are some of the best, with cavernous melodies and filtered white noise and voices setting a wistful tone. Broken beats and pitched-up vocal hooks complete the picture, and the result is a fiendishly good slice of 2-stepping dubstep. As one of “Wet Look” thickens the synth lines and adds a dose of UK funky to the beat. The pitched-down vocal snippet repeats “I’m falling…” as the synth progression seems likely to topple over at any point under its weight. Both sides amount to another hit for Hotflush in a long string of great releases, but one wonders why was this release garnered so much hyped compared to its predecessors by Pangaea, Untold and Sigha. The potent hook of “Hyph Mngo,” its near speed garage vocals, make for perhaps the most accessible and poppy track in the Hotflush discography. It’s also worth mentioning that the EP has been floating around for ages and still hasn’t received its official vinyl release, fomenting anticipation for the title track’s sugary embrace. Whatever the reason, Joy Orbison has quickly established himself as a name to watch out for.