Pan Sonic – Oksastus (Album – Kvitnu)

Genre/Influences: Experimental, industrial, abstract.

Format: Digital, CD, Double Vinyl.

Background/Info: Pan Sonic, the legendary Finnish duo featuring Mika Vainio and Ilpo Väisänen recorded this album live in 2009 in Kyiv, Ukraine. It happened one year before the band’s split. “Oksastus” –which is a Finnish word for the process of grafting or cultivating of plants, was originally released in 2014 by Kvitnu. So this album is a reissue, strictly limited to 300 copies (CD format).

Content: Pan Sonic doesn’t need any further introduction. The duo remains a reference when it comes to experimental music. But their sound is often more than pure experiment; it’s a fascination for sound creation and manipulation. “Oksastus” sounds improvised, sometimes moving on the edge of industrial music, but it also reveals inhibited parts. The tracks are simply named after their time duration, but they all together create the sensation of a long-during single piece, kind of sonic collage from artists turning the knobs and filtering sequences.

+ + + : Pan Sonic will bring their fans an expertise in electro-acoustic music. I leave it in the middle if it’s music or not, but I think the main strength lies in the creation and manipulations of sounds/noises. That’s what made this band that famous and recognized. They also got experimental music more accessible; sometimes because of the addition of rhythm, but often because of the impressive sound treatments. I also like the somewhat reserved aspect of a few tracks, like sharing some of their deepest thoughts with their audience. No need to get a real interaction, the sound makes it very understandable for all.

– – – : The experimental- and improvised approach is not suited for all listeners. It remains an ultra experimental experience.

Conclusion: I often experienced experimental music as a style without real emotions, but I often considered Pan Sonic as one of the few exceptions to the rule: emotive experimental music!

Best songs: “5’42”, “17’28”.

Rate: (7½).

Label: www.kvitnu.com / www.facebook.com/kvitnu

Since you’re here …

… we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading Side-Line Magazine than ever but advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. And unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as open as we can. So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

Side-Line’s independent journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we want to push the artists we like and who are equally fighting to survive.

If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps fund it, our future would be much more secure. For as little as 5 US$, you can support Side-Line Magazine – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The donations are safely powered by Paypal.