Artist: Jondi & Spesh With Brian Stillwater
Title: The Griptape EP
Label: Mechanism Records
By: Simon Jones | 15 March 2002
Tracklist:

• A1: Backside Tailside
• A2: Backbeats Lockgroove
• B1: Big Air
• B2: Bigbeats Lockgroove

Jondi & Spesh With Brian Stillwater "The Griptape EP"

West Coast boys Jondi and Spesh seem to be busy at the moment, but its all good as here they team up with DC's skate boy Brian Stillwater, to make two cuts that have both have names that refer to what the three guys did in between studio sessions, and that is skateboarding..

Backside Tailside is formed around a funky kick drum, offset by soft synths and percussion, as dark synths and twisted effects are dropped roughly over the bassline giving the sound a gritty feel as an eerie pad array cuts through the track on occasion, synth progression leading into a minimal kick break, then the hooks are let off the outlined route onto a darker, grizzly direction, as the track gets very filthy indeed.

Big Air is a deeper production, a light percussion line complimented by a deep echoing bassline gives the track a slightly techy, atmospheric feel, as a dark reverb effected hook rains down on the bassline in a series of showers. Floaty sounds wallow deep below the bassline as the track heads into the break, reversing itself back to front so the deep sounds are at the foreground, then returns to its original course.

Once again Sumsonic's offshoot Mechanism delivers another essential set of tracks, and with bonus beat and lockgroove madness for the mad dj types.. well just check this out.