Artist: Mortar & Pestle
Title: Concisio Abnotco EP
Label: 3Beat Breaks
By: Simon Jones | 21 May 2004
Tracklist:

• A: Clause 5.1
• B: Voodoo In Space

Mortar & Pestle "Concisio Abnotco EP"

Mortar & Pestle are the Australian duo of Dan Mangan & Jason 'Keltec' Kelton, two DJs who have been making waves in and around Australia over the past few years, with their Sunday nighter at the Alia Bar and appearances at many of the country's top events earning them a following and respect from their peers. Both friends of such names as Luke Chable & Phil K, it's little surprise that they were bitten by the production bug, and after several months and a few tracks later, they have come up this EP which is their first major release. As the English translation of the Latin Concisio Abnotco says, these two are breaking out..

'Clause 5.1' is an awesome, stripped back ambient breaks number. Killer percussion hypnotises, whilst a vibrating and growling bass hook fills out the deep atmospheric void that is created, subtle pads and chords lifting the mood up as the track unfolds, shaping itself into a spaced out and twisted dirty breaks epic that may take time to stamp it's mark on the floor, but you'll know when it's done so.

Over on the b-side 'Voodoo In Space' is an altogether more devastating and sinister cut, a foreboding mood created from the offset as cavernous sweeping waves and spacey sounds are pulled together in an infinite aural vortex that acts as the groove. The bass swings with precision drops and filtered effects giving it a low dubbed out feel that lures you in early on, only for the fabric of your soul to be stretched as the beats drive like meteors into the darkness of the groove, and the following bass waves wipe out any debris that remains until all that is a dark and silent place where no one can hear you scream.

Another fine release from this consistently good label that in it's first handful of releases has managed to assemble a diverse range of talent from around the globe, whilst delivering a few secret weapons for the record box in the process, and with plenty more where this came from, you can be sure that Dan Mangan & Keltec will be leaving their mark on the scene in the next few months, or as the Latins would say, Insignio.