The grinding of gears? Or the connection of mutual interests? It’s definitely the latter as songwriter and producer MathMan (aka Adam Fogarty, of Dublin hip-hop collective The Animators) blends songwriting skills with Chicago’s hip-hop (and actual) funk/soul brothers, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble.

The pair originally hooked up on The Animators 2013 track, Those were the Days, the happy results of which triggered this fruitful collaboration.

What we have is a collection of classic hip-hop that deftly sidelines the brass while ushering in clever wordplay and sinuous rhythms, each of which effortlessly flows from beginning to end.

From track one (Where I'm From, featuring DJ Tuki) to track eight (MathMan's beefy reworking of HBE's Navigator), Hyp Hop hits the hot spot.