Has anyone else been jonesing for a new Hybris release? The last solo release on his own Pseudoscience imprint was way back in December last year, though he’s been far from inactive. He’s had singles out on Vandal, Invisible, MethLab, Sofa Sound and Dissected Culture as well as a track on Pseudoscience’s Disinformation compilation EP. He’s also got a single pairing with DLR on Sofa Sound upcoming. A dedicated Hybris drop on his own imprint is another thing altogether, however, and now it’s here. The dual “Mr. Tangles” and “Big Wig” single dropped on September 4.
It’s an interesting juxtaposition that these tracks create, as they seem to be quite different despite being in the same release. “Mr. Tangles” lives up to its name with lots of mad, tangled synths while “Big Wig” is about as close to conventional D&B as Hybris gets. “Big Wig” seems to be an homage to the old school, with a beat that goes back to the original jungle/D&B style of sped-up breaks. Heavy on the snares and with another OG-style vocal sample following said beat and snare, “Big Wig” is definitely a surprise departure from Hybris’s usual brain-scrambling style.
Speaking of brain-scrambling, here comes “Mr. Tangles.” This track will definitely scratch that Hybris itch with its style and substance. The intro is a goosebump-inducing combination of dark, minimal vibes and cinematic ambient sound. After the drop, true to the track’s word the beat and synth sort of tangle up with each other in a really interesting way. While the beat doesn’t exactly get lost in the synths, when the break comes the track sort of unwinds back into the original beat so it becomes really obvious just how minimal the base of “Mr. Tangles” truly is.
It’s clear Hybris had a lot of fun writing both of these tracks. A wink and a nod at the old school with “Big Wig” and another Hybris knocker with “Mr. Tangles” show that he and Pseudoscience are always worth the wait.
“Mr. Tangles” and “Big Wig” are out now on Pseudoscience and can be purchased on Beatport and streamed on SoundCloud.