Abstract Man is the On the 5th Day duo of Mantas Jankauskas and Katie Arnold, and their upcoming record finds them continuing to craft hypnotically minimal techno. Utilizing a mostly analog set-up, the pair’s stylishly sparse and monochromatic palette is employed to full advantage. A throbbing but elastic kick drum provides the backbone for these tracks, and the duo adheres to it with an unwavering focus. The result is a deeply absorbing rhythmic undertow that works it’s spell on mind and body with an undeniable force. Across the four tracks here, which include a remix of the EP’s title track by Mike Parker, the duo foregrounds this kick driven rhythm–while adding small but distinctive flourishes. The tick of the snare on a backbeat, or skittering shadows of hi-hat, provide those distinct techno moments, just as machine-like hum and echoing patterns give the tracks on Curiosity their gleaming industrial hue.
1. Curiosity
2. Curiosity (Mike Parker Remix)
3. Proposition
4. Exploration
