Joy Orbison

Joy Orbison (Peter O'Grady), the young south Londoner who's been riding the wave of success after last year's "Hyph Mngo" finally saw its release following months of streaming, is back with a new EP and a slightly different sound on The Shrew Would Have Cushioned the Blow EP. Already having a huge leg up from his debut single, Orbison's The Shrew thrives by taking elements of dub-step, a touch of techno and a taste of house and spinning them together. Simple arrangements unfold as looped minimal glitches flit through the tracks and UK funky makes its presence known. "So Derobe" is steeped in misty atmospheric trailings before a mechanical beat filters in, working the dub-step angle. Touted as having the most forward-thinking dub-step track of 2009, "The Shrew Would Have Cushioned the Blow" follows, with its wobbly synth patterns and big bass line drops. Its minimalist rhythm and subtle, yet distinct, shifts only strengthen as the track pushes forward. Actress's Neu Haus mix wraps up the three-track EP, with intriguing, phantasmal spoken word samples and vocals taken from the original title track. Though the remix lacks any of the bass the original played with, its completely different spin is a welcome surprise.