Mika Vainio and Ilpo Väisänen formed Panasonic
back in 1993, in Finland. Sami Salo joined them in 1994,
but left after a while. After releasing four albums,
including one with Alan Vega, and losing an 'A', Mika
and Ilpo come back with Aaltopiiri.
Claiming influences from Suicide, Throbbing Gristle,
Einstürzende Neubauten or even Pierre Henry, Pan
Sonic don’t deal in classic electronica or digital sound
processing. Instead, they extract sounds from their
machines with caution, carefully placing them in each
song. At times close to the arctic ambiances of Biosphere
(Ensi, Reuna-Alue, Valli),
Pan Sonic appear to create music out of silence, without
pre-established concept or structure. Although extremely
mechanical, their spineless constructions insinuate
themselves into the most remote parts of the brain to
trigger unfamiliar emotions. Aaltopiiri is
more intimate than its predecessors, but also more accessible
in many ways. Though far from being easy to listen to
– Pan Sonic requires concentration, isolation even –
the duo’s more mature approach to their work gives this
album an organic feel. Using improvisation as a basis
for their work, Vainio and Väisänen let their
inspiration take over, inserting beat patterns only
when necessary, allowing space and time in each track.
Pan Sonic’s attitude towards sound is equally interesting.
Applying abrasive blank noises at regular intervals,
they introduce a variety of soft analogue sounds, percussions
or click, in between, and generate a unique untouched
parallel musical universe, devoid of any conventional
melodic source.
The lack of traditional signs is a common denominator
in Pan Sonic’s work. With Aaltopiiri, the Finish
duo take their abstract constructions further than ever
before, developing in the process a complete new approach
to sound generation. Aaltopiiri is Pan Sonic’s
best record to date.
5/5 |
