This hot and heavy EP has the manic air of a tropical city; it just about throbs with the heat, humidity and isolation of Brisbane’s cabin fever local scene. A lunatic roller coaster ride, it’s quite unlike the usually purist sounds from this country (capital-d dubstep, etc). Tracking its way through pressure-loaded dubstep and rap, the clattering roller coaster seat tops the curve and explodes through a gate of staccato grime, accompanied by flashes of Bhangra, rave and Afro-beat.

Jesse Sullivan’s a video and sound artist who was on the board of Brisbane art-space White House. You get the sense he has bigger ambitions than just making a track that gets picked up by scene DJs.

In just under half an hour – what a relief, a debut record not padded out to album length – Sullivan delivers a mix of vocal and instrumental tracks, with the balance tipped to the former.

Once upon a time Australian rappers worked to a North American template, which inevitably left their art school or suburban rhymes sounding comparatively weak, but the resurgence of dancehall, the appearance of local scenes in places like Paris and Baltimore, and the rise of British grime has given local MCs a few alternative reference points.

Sullivan’s rapping gets close to novelty kitsch – he admits as much in ‘Cold Sweat’ (“Not a lyricist or a real MC / You’ll never see me rapping live on MTV”) – but his manic lyrics and delivery keep it focussed. It’s the high pitch delivery of grime, with a hint of Eminem. The effect’s underpinned by a tough production aesthetic that’s most audible on the instrumentals: ‘Sludge Factory Riddim’ takes Geeneus and Dump Valve style grime as its base, all ravey synths, sirens, time stretched vocal samples and perpetual forward motion; ‘Straight Outta the Garage’ on the other hand is closer to dubstep, its ravey bleepery adorned by references to the mid-90s fave, Itch-E and Scratch-E’s ‘Sweetness and Light’.

Mr Cloak and Dagger is a hilarious, at times irritating, rushing, and hysterical listen. It’s far from timeless. But chances are you’ll be getting up for another ride before long.