PAN SONIC Vakio (Mute) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Reissue of Panasonic's first album now features the 'legal' spelling of their name. Working with the psychoacoustic principles of phase shifting and beats generated from similar frequencies slammed against each other, Pan Sonic demonstrates the brutality of minimalist electronica.

PAN SONIC / CHARLEMAGNE PALESTINE Mort Aux Vaches (Staalplaat) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Sure there's a novelty to a collaborative album recorded by the figureheads from two generations of uncompromising (and at times brutal) minimalism, but this is not your garden variety resuscitation of crotchety '60s minimalism by Jim O'Rourke. When Charlemagne Palestine and Pan Sonic set organs, oscillators, and random noise generators to constantly warble for over an hour, their intentions are far from benevolent. This album of uneasy listening was commissioned by the VRPO Radio in the Netherlands and is limited to 1000 copies. If you blink, you'll probably miss it.

PAN SONIC / HAYLEY NEWMAN / DAVID CRAWFORTH Rude Mechanic (Piano) 2cd 19.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
From the liner notes: "Rude Mechanicals were unskilled assistants used in early medical operations who performed rudimentary tasks such as restraining and muffling un-anaesthetized patients as well as catching their dismembered body parts and fluids in buckets."
Crawforth, Newman, Vainio, and Vaisanen use this motif to meld all sorts of drones, blips, bleeps, cricks, creeks, moans, and melodies from such sound artists as Bruce Gilbert, Scanner, Jimi Tenor, Kaffe Matthews, Simon Fisher Turner, Susan Stenger (Band of Susans), etc... into an extraordinarily cohesive collaborative project of pulsing noise.

PANACEA Brasilia (Caipirinha Music) cd 14.98
Fourth in a series from the fledgling, but well funded electronica label Caipirinha. The concept: electronica "interpretations" of, or tributes to, (mostly modernist) architects and their works. Writing about music, dancing about architecture--ack! we're dealing with both here! This fourth entry is from the terror-show junglist Panacea, who has chosen Oscar Niemeyer as his subject. Niemeyer was the architect of Brasilia, the utopian project of building a modernist captial city deep within the isolated heartland of Brazil in the 1950s. One of the features of Brasilia was a purposeful absence of pedestrian life in favor of the efficiency of the automobile, and as a result the place has obtained the stigma of being a sterile city in a country that is rich in cultural liveliness. Panacea has had a knack for (violent) alienation on his previous recordings, and this one is certain a bleak listen, but his rapid-fire junglist beat destruction isn't really deployed here. (Nor, for that matter, does this album feature any of the electro/hiphop workouts for which Panacea is also known.) Rather, he showcases a staccatic array of ping pong oscillations and eerie organ chords. By the end of the record, a few of his brutalist breaks do seep through the chlorine drenched electronics. On the whole, tho, this is Panacea sounding close to Pan Sonic. As with every other release in the series, the concept and the sound are two non-convergent trains of thought... so much so that the music really could exist without us having to know that this had anything to do with Oscar Niemeyer. Despite the the questionablity of the series concept, 'Brasilia' is an interesting twist on Panacea's electronic brutality, venturing into a more abstract realm than before. One of his best efforts in fact.

PANACEA German Engineering (Position Chrome) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Distorted beats and random live samplings from our favorite techstep artist, the formerly chubby now hunky Panacea. Not one of his more focused efforts of hiphop infused techno chaos, maybe a bit too heavy on the chaos. Too much mix, not enough content I guess. Inside there are some photots of the new Panacea, all buffed out and trim. Methinks maybe he traded in his creativity and spunk with his love handles. Fans though will find stuff to like.

PANACEA Low-Profile Darkness (Force Inc./Chrome) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
German "dance" music just gets more and more brutal as Panacea pushes the intensity of techstep (a la Nico, Trace and Rush) to its current limit. I cannot imagine that beats can get any harder or darker, or more searingly distorted. Nor that an Izod shirt could go so well with army fatigues and a lip piercing. Highly, highly recommended. Butthole Surfers fans take note.

PANACEA Low-Profile Darkness (Force Inc./Chrome) lp 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
German "dance" music just gets more and more brutal as Panacea pushes the intensity of techstep (a la Nico, Trace and Rush) to its current limit. I cannot imagine that beats can get any harder or darker, or more searingly distorted. Nor that an Izod shirt could go so well with army fatigues and a lip piercing. Highly, highly recommended. Butthole Surfers fans take note.

PANACEA Phoenix Metabolism (Position Chrome) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
As the picture on the sleeve can attest to, it is time for Panacea to claim his rightful position as the Susan Powter of electronica, while musically, his breakbeat mania turns toward hip hop and away from the simplistic brutalism of his earlier records.

PANACEA Phoenix Metabolism (Position Chrome) lp 23.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
As the picture on the sleeve can attest to, it is time for Panacea to claim his rightful position as the Susan Powter of electronica, while musically, his breakbeat mania turns toward hip hop and away from the simplistic brutalism of his earlier records.

PANACEA Twisted Designz (Industrial Strength / Chrome) cd 15.98
Oh how we LOVE LOVE LOVE the rotund German darkstep musician Panacea. Finally, the domestic release of Panacea's second album sees the light of day (with two US-only bonus tracks absent from the import). Monstrous apocalyptic breaks and industrial noise that has been mutated far from the tropes of drum & bass that it may have transcended such a description. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for those with strong ears.

PANACEA Underground Superstardom (Position Chrome) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

PANACEA VS. HANAYO Hanayo In Panacea (Mille Plateaux) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Not so much of the techstep brutality Panacea has been known for, rather our favorite German techno fella finds himself building heavy Wagnerian electronica for Japanese pop singer Hanayo...pretty amazing. Dunno about the "beat-up little girl" look Hanayo's got going, though.

PANDA BEAR Surfers RMX (Kompakt) 12" 14.98

PANJABI MC Beware (Sequence) cd 17.98
Man, why hasn't anybody made this record until now?! Boomin' MTV style big beat hip hop with Bollywood samples and vocal breaks! This is so good. A few artists have dabbled with Indian samples in the past, but none have pulled off this not-so-unlikely hybrid as perectly as Panjabi MC. Take the crazy, exotic over-the-top-ness of Indian movie soundtracks, tablas and sitars, wild vocalising, awesome male and female vocal interplay, and the everything-and-the-kitchen-sink aproach of the Bollywood soundtrack (funk and jazz and heavy metal and lounge and country and soul...) with a huge, speaker rattling production, some rough and funky hip hop, and maybe even get Jay-Z to rap on a track... and you've got a definite winner. The record is split evenly between bumping, barnstorming dance tracks and brooding, hypnotic, slow-burners. Really cool.
MPEG Stream: "Beware"
MPEG Stream: "Jogi"
MPEG Stream: "Mirza Part 2"

PANTHA DU PRINCE Black Noise (Rough Trade) cd 14.98
We first heard Pantha Du Prince last year on his excellent 12" The Splendour, and we knew we had most definitely discovered a new (to us!) important force in the word of electronica. With the release of his third full length, he seals the deal, demonstrating for sure, with every song, that he's absolutely one of the most interesting, nuanced and unique modern electronic musicians today.
Bringing such warmth and emotion to his meticulously crafted songs, we're reminded a bit of early Four Tet and the first Mum record. Delicate, and brimming with layers of warm shimmer. There are a couple tracks which feature guests, including Panda Bear on vocals for one track, but to be honest we don't think Pantha Du Prince really needs vocals at all, as his songs are already so expansive, so complete, immaculately constructed, and so so evocative, allowing the listener to process the sounds in a wide range of ways. The vocal tracks are definitely nice, and do add a bit of a pop element, but its the rest of the album that really strikes such a strong chord with us. We're always so impressed when someone is able to bring such rich nuance and mood to purely instrumental music (electronic or otherwise) and Pantha Du Prince does it so well. It's also appealing that there's really not a quick electronic sub-genre to put him in, it's not dubstep, space disco, techno, etc. In some ways it reminds us a bit of that special moment in the late '90s when folks like Four Tet, Mum, Opiate, B. Fleishmann first surfaced, adding that emotional warmth to an electronic world which had been so cold for so long. We've been listening to this on constant repeat and the more we listen the deeper we get into loving what Pantha Du Prince is all about. Definite contender for electronic record of the year!
MPEG Stream: "The Splendour"
MPEG Stream: "Im Bann"
MPEG Stream: "Behind The Stars"

PANTHA DU PRINCE Diamond Daze (Dial / Kompakt) cd 16.98
The second of two long overdue reissues from this outsider avant pop techno technician, whose Black Noise record had us all in a tizzy, and any hope of that tizzy letting up went right out the window with the reissue of This Bliss, the -other- old title recently reissued, and now here we are with Diamond Daze, the second out of print PdP jam resurrected in the wake of Black Noise blowing up big time.
And like This Bliss, Diamond Daze doesn't deviate too far from what we loved about Black Noise, in fact all three records form this smooth, flowing continuum of blissed out minimal techno skitter, bleary late night pop ambient chill out, moody synthscapes, and throbbing, pulsing drone dance grooves. The weird thing is, if you threw some vocals on these tracks, you'd have a huge pop hit, Phoenix, Caribou, that sort of thing, but instead PdP takes these songs and strips them down, leaves them skeletal and abstract. Synths buzz ominously, beats skitter and shuffle, samples are looped and twisted, and stretched into streaks of washed out his, or lysergic shimmer, the result is not so much dance music or techno, but instead some sort of hypnotic trancelike electronica, a sound more conducive to blissing out, drifting off, than shaking it on the dancefloor.
That said, unlike the others, Diamond Daze features some seriously fuzzed out synth bass, that gives much of DD a way more fierce vibe, and while some of the beats do bang and boom, much of the record is more of a whisper than a howl, the darker more minimal tracks sounding like Kompakt meets Chain Reaction.
Another winner, a gorgeous fantastic, dark and haunting and mysterious collection of electronic mood music, and yet another nail in the coffin of any sort of techno hating we had hoped to ever engage in....
MPEG Stream: "Suzan"
MPEG Stream: "St. Denis Bei Licht"
MPEG Stream: "Glycerin"

PANTHA DU PRINCE Diamond Daze (Dial / Kompakt) 2lp 19.98
Now available on vinyl...
The second of two long overdue reissues from this outsider avant pop techno technician, whose Black Noise record had us all in a tizzy, and any hope of that tizzy letting up went right out the window with the reissue of This Bliss, the -other- old title recently reissued, and now here we are with Diamond Daze, the second out of print PdP jam resurrected in the wake of Black Noise blowing up big time.
And like This Bliss, Diamond Daze doesn't deviate too far from what we loved about Black Noise, in fact all three records form this smooth, flowing continuum of blissed out minimal techno skitter, bleary late night pop ambient chill out, moody synthscapes, and throbbing, pulsing drone dance grooves. The weird thing is, if you threw some vocals on these tracks, you'd have a huge pop hit, Phoenix, Caribou, that sort of thing, but instead PdP takes these songs and strips them down, leaves them skeletal and abstract. Synths buzz ominously, beats skitter and shuffle, samples are looped and twisted, and stretched into streaks of washed out his, or lysergic shimmer, the result is not so much dance music or techno, but instead some sort of hypnotic trancelike electronica, a sound more conducive to blissing out, drifting off, than shaking it on the dancefloor.
That said, unlike the others, Diamond Daze features some seriously fuzzed out synth bass, that gives much of DD a way more fierce vibe, and while some of the beats do bang and boom, much of the record is more of a whisper than a howl, the darker more minimal tracks sounding like Kompakt meets Chain Reaction.
Another winner, a gorgeous fantastic, dark and haunting and mysterious collection of electronic mood music, and yet another nail in the coffin of any sort of techno hating we had hoped to ever engage in....
MPEG Stream: "Suzan"
MPEG Stream: "St. Denis Bei Licht"
MPEG Stream: "Glycerin"

PANTHA DU PRINCE Lay In A Shimmer (Rough Trade) 12" 8.98
Latest single from this master of lush fuzzy minimal abstract techno, who along with Actress, Glitterbug, Walls, and a handful of other recent electronic alchemists, has had us flipping out over modern electronica again.
This 4 song 12" features the track "Lay In A Shimmer" from PdP's most recent Black Noise record, a hazy bit of skitter and chime, laced with handclaps and low end rumble, it almost sounds Christmasy, with its chiming melodies, but it's anchored by some sitar like buzz and dubsteppy bass warble, not to mention a production that sounds like it's nestled in a bed of Oval Diskont94's.
That track gets a gorgeous reworking, which on the surface doesn't sound all that different, but somehow the new version is more lush, the beats more propulsive, there's more swirling buzz in the background, streaks of glitch and hazy whirs drift beneath the skeletal beats and woozy basslines, the first half is a bit more blissy, and dreamy, while the second half is more dense and layered and a bit darker, really quite fantastic.
The two tracks in between sound like they could have come straight off Black Noise, "Sonnesturm" is a thick sprawl of gristly glitchy low end drift, big bassy rumbles underpinning long shimmery tones and tinkling windchime like melodies, before gradually blossoming into some Kompakt worthy, pulsing and loop-ed, minimal almost shoegazey housemusic, while "Ursonate 3" also begins in a cloud of glitch and static, before setting into a gorgeously washed out, muted and minimal late night bit of low slung post-house throb and skitter, chill out bliss.
MPEG Stream: "Lay In A Shimmer (Fata Morgan Versison)"

PANTHA DU PRINCE This Bliss (Dial / Kompakt) cd 16.98
After flipping out over PdP's Black Noise record, a gorgeous collection of lush minimal avant techno, that owed as much to minimal pop music, and avant garde soundscapery as it did to Kompakt or Chain Reaction, we became obsessed with tracking down the two earlier albums, Diamond Daze and This Bliss, but unfortunately, both were out of print, and available only for way too much on eBay.
Then whattaya know, a couple months later and both get reissued, and both are just as fantastic as Black Noise.
The template is the same, spares, spare, skeletal, minimal throb and pulse, click and skitter, house music, techno, the template is classic electronic music, but those tropes get all twisted up and remargined as something lush and otherworldly, sexy and organic, This Bliss couldn't be a more appropriate title for this record, as it is truly blissful. Not so much geared toward the dancefloor, this is like after hours chillout music, but imbued with light and warmth and energy and emotion, propulsive, but also washed out, hazy and shimmery, the sounds are prismatic and crystalline, makes sense that this would get reissued via Kompakt, as it's a pretty perfect fit, but unlike some of the Kompakt stuff, that can tend toward the clubby, the sounds on This Bliss remain rooted in sounds more minimal, and more abstract and avant, besides the muted beats, the swooshing ambience, PdP incorporates soaring strings, epic and cinematic, tracks are given the impression of motion, the soundtrack to speeding along some highway in the middle of the night, notes ring out, chiming bell like loops are layered and allowed to drift into the ether.
On the surface, the sound is definitely minimal techno, but it's so well crafted, it ends up revealing itself as so much more on repeated deeper listens. This is the sort of electronic music that could reasonable convert the skeptical, lure in the non believers with it's lustrous nuanced sounds, and gorgeously moody mystery.
TOTALLY RECOMMENDED. We think it's as good as Black Noise, likewise with Diamond Daze, which we'll review soon, and like This Bliss is destined to join the other two records on non stop heavy rotation around these parts...
MPEG Stream: "Asha"
MPEG Stream: "Saturn Strobe"
MPEG Stream: "Seeds Of Sleep"

PANTHA DU PRINCE This Bliss (Dial / Kompakt) 2lp 19.98
Now available on vinyl!
After flipping out over PdP's Black Noise record, a gorgeous collection of lush minimal avant techno, that owed as much to minimal pop music, and avant garde soundscapery as it did to Kompakt or Chain Reaction, we became obsessed with tracking down the two earlier albums, Diamond Daze and This Bliss, but unfortunately, both were out of print, and available only for way too much on eBay.
Then whattaya know, a couple months later and both get reissued, and both are just as fantastic as Black Noise.
The template is the same, spares, spare, skeletal, minimal throb and pulse, click and skitter, house music, techno, the template is classic electronic music, but those tropes get all twisted up and remargined as something lush and otherworldly, sexy and organic, This Bliss couldn't be a more appropriate title for this record, as it is truly blissful. Not so much geared toward the dancefloor, this is like after hours chillout music, but imbued with light and warmth and energy and emotion, propulsive, but also washed out, hazy and shimmery, the sounds are prismatic and crystalline, makes sense that this would get reissued via Kompakt, as it's a pretty perfect fit, but unlike some of the Kompakt stuff, that can tend toward the clubby, the sounds on This Bliss remain rooted in sounds more minimal, and more abstract and avant, besides the muted beats, the swooshing ambience, PdP incorporates soaring strings, epic and cinematic, tracks are given the impression of motion, the soundtrack to speeding along some highway in the middle of the night, notes ring out, chiming bell like loops are layered and allowed to drift into the ether.
On the surface, the sound is definitely minimal techno, but it's so well crafted, it ends up revealing itself as so much more on repeated deeper listens. This is the sort of electronic music that could reasonable convert the skeptical, lure in the non believers with it's lustrous nuanced sounds, and gorgeously moody mystery.
MPEG Stream: "Asha"
MPEG Stream: "Saturn Strobe"
MPEG Stream: "Seeds Of Sleep"

PANTHA DU PRINCE V Versions of Black Noise (Rough Trade) lp 14.98
Leave it to Pantha Du Prince to breathe new life into the often tired world of remix records. It was last year that we became huge fans of his, thanks to the amazing Black Noise album, which was a unanimous AQ favorite and got us to dig into his back catalog and find so much more to fall in love with.
While remix records can often sound thrown together and all filler no killer, Pantha Du Prince keeps up his commitment to excellence and for HIS remix record recruited talented folks with a wide ranging sonic scope, folks like Moritz Von Oswald, Four Tet, Animal Collective, Walls, and Die Vogel. It becomes immediately clear that all these artists really understand and respect PdP's aesthetic and they do such a great job of subtly accenting it and giving these tracks a new sonic coat of paint. Another problem with other remix records is that they usually don't have their own cohesive flow. But these versions work so nicely with each other and most definitely create their own late night seductive sizzle.
FYI, the cd has 11 tracks, and but the vinyl just 5, hence the differing titles (apparently some of the versions left off the vinyl, appeared on other 12"s...).
MPEG Stream: "Moritz Von Oswald The One version of "Welt Am Draht""
MPEG Stream: "Animal Collective version of "Welt Am Draht""
MPEG Stream: "Walls version of "Stick To My Side""

PANTHA DU PRINCE XI Versions of Black Noise (Rough Trade) cd 14.98
Leave it to Pantha Du Prince to breathe new life into the often tired world of remix records. It was last year that we became huge fans of his, thanks to the amazing Black Noise album, which was a unanimous AQ favorite and got us to dig into his back catalog and find so much more to fall in love with.
While remix records can often sound thrown together and all filler no killer, Pantha Du Prince keeps up his commitment to excellence and for HIS remix record recruited talented folks with a wide ranging sonic scope, folks like Moritz Von Oswald, Four Tet, Animal Collective, Walls, and Die Vogel. It becomes immediately clear that all these artists really understand and respect PdP's aesthetic and they do such a great job of subtly accenting it and giving these tracks a new sonic coat of paint. Another problem with other remix records is that they usually don't have their own cohesive flow. But these versions work so nicely with each other and most definitely create their own late night seductive sizzle.
FYI, the cd has 11 tracks, and but the vinyl just 5, hence the differing titles (apparently some of the versions left off the vinyl, appeared on other 12"s...).
MPEG Stream: "Moritz Von Oswald The One version of "Welt Am Draht""
MPEG Stream: "Animal Collective version of "Welt Am Draht""
MPEG Stream: "Walls version of "Stick To My Side""

PANTS, JAMES I Live Inside An Egg (Stones Throw) 7" 8.98
4 tracks of sci-fi chill-funk weirdness in the same vein as his latest full length, Seven Seals.

PANTS, JAMES s/t (Stones Throw) cd 15.98
James Pants last record, Seven Seals was a favorite for some of us here and while we thought he was going to venture into some far-off new territory with this follow-up full length, we were pleasantly surprised, though a bit perplexed, that he didn't. The songs still ride the gloomy new wave funk of Seven Seals, but it comes across as something you'd hear from the Captured Tracks label more than a Stones Throw release. The feel is less cosmically thematic and instead concentrates on truly well-crafted songs and catchy pop hooks among the murky lo-fi synth filtration. He has mentioned in interviews that he was inspired by Twin Peaks and '50s diner sounds, and there is definitely a creepy retro edge to even the most poppy songs, with elements of dubby ambiance and occasionally ethereal vocals provided by Lucrecia Dalt. But the more we listen to this, the more we're liking it even more than the last record. Its haunting pop-funk transmissions take time to weave their spell, but once transfixed, it's hard to pull away!
MPEG Stream: "Beta"
MPEG Stream: "Every Night I Dream"
MPEG Stream: "Screams Of Passion"
MPEG Stream: "Incantation"

PANTS, JAMES Seven Seals (Stones Throw) cd 15.98
It's apparent from Seven Seals that James Pants is one artist that does not want be pigeonholed. We already got a glimpse into his all-but-the-kitchen-sink approach towards cosmic funk on his Stones Throw debut, Welcome. But on Seven Seals, he takes us to a whole other universe, one where Vangelis gets high with Bauhaus and George Clinton while listening to Hawkwind. Seriously! And the weird thing is that it shouldn't work but it does! Pants is definitely exploring the gothier sides of new wave here with deep dour vocals but with an eye towards a dark retro-futurism and cosmic pop turbulence in the synth and rhythm treatments. Imagine Dam-Funk, Cold Cave and Neon Indian mashed together and broadcast out to a desolate planet where the atmosphere is really heavy and everything is silver, streamlined and egg-shaped and on the verge of being blown apart by cosmic forces. This is their soundtrack.
MPEG Stream: "A Chip In The Hand"
MPEG Stream: "Wormhole"
MPEG Stream: "Sky Warning"

PANTS, JAMES Welcome (Stones Throw) cd 14.98
Here at AQ have always been big supporters of most anything Stones Throw puts out. We get off on the dense, sample driven rhythms and beats from the likes of the late great J Dilla, Madlib, his brother in crime Oh No, MF Doom and the rest of the gang. They're untouchable. There's always bound to be pristine production and everything always fits in its right place, reviving forgotten gems and bringing them back to life with new meaning, new avenues of sound experimentation. They are truly in a league of their own! But one thing's for certain, they have been known to go a bit leftfield at times, straying from the vein of deep, hard hitting breaks and indie hip hop tunes, as they're mainly known for, with releases from artists like the more vintage punk driven Baron Zen, spacey funk pioneer Gary Wilson, Madlib's brokenbeat soul alias DJ Rels, and now... their latest attempt, Mr. James Pants.
Straight out of Spokane Washington, James' Stones Throw stint began as a position as a trusty intern at the office headquarters in Los Angeles, until he was finally taken in by his dream DJ, none other than label founder Peanut Butter Wolf as "the next big thing", with a long awaited offer to release an album. He's a goofy lookin' dude that seems fun to hang out with, which could easily relate to the music he produces. Actually, a friend of AQ grew up with him and he supposedly has a shitload of analog equipment in one room, and the majority of the time takes a non directional approach, simply "jamming out" improv style and once the arrangements are all melded together they blossom into an addictive psychedelic haze.
That's pretty much the gist of Welcome, it's a James Pants one man band, jam session. Full of layers upon layers of percussion, at one point it can be mistaken for various remakes of funky Fraggle Rock theme songs, the next it's drumless atmospheres of milky synthesis, and warm tones backed with random drops of spastic and muffled vocal samples, like unexpected crowd roars and yelps. He even sings/wails a bit throughout numerous songs which at times sounds like drunken howling, surprisingly fused into blissful, whispered singing and creepy vocoded melodies. Cosmic indeed, each tune is saturated with unexpected change ups and transitions. The instrumentation is a melting pot of space-y and druggy vibes, wah synths, harps, dubbed out wood blocks, and the occasional off beat guitar riffs. Picture an enhanced drum circle on Mars with guest appearances from Bootsy Collins and Tangerine Dream, far fetched, yes but listen and see for yourself. Stones Throw described it best, comparing it to '80s Soul, Electro Boogie, Early Rap, New Wave, and Post-Punk Disco, definitely one to check out!
MPEG Stream: "We're Through"
MPEG Stream: "Crystal Lite"
MPEG Stream: "Voodoo Caves"

PARADE GROUND The Golden Years (Dark Entries) lp 15.98
Parade Ground are a Belgian duo, born in the new wave / post-punk explosion in the early '80s finding a sympathetic ear and an ongoing relationship with Patrick Coydens and Daniel B of Front 242. Despite the members of 242 encouraging, producing, and collaborating with Parade Ground, these Belgian lads didn't really fit within the EBM crowd that began to flourish in the mid-to-late '80s in their country. Their synth-pop melodicism drew more from the Brits, especially Wire and OMD. This collection, curated and released by Dark Entries, maps out Parade Ground's development from spiky post-punk into darkly tinged synth pop. Their 1987 anthem "Gold Rush" is featured here, as are the two collaborative tracks Parade Ground did with Colin Newman of Wire.

PARADISE BOYS 2 O'Clock (Anthem) 12" 5.98
A track from local club kids Paradise Boys' The Young & The Guest List album gets the remix treatment from Daum Bentley and Modeselektor (bpitchcontrol). If you dug the full length, you'll surely shake a rump to this too. The A-side features the album version of "2 O'Clock" as well as Bentley's "2 O'Coke Remix". The B-side is the stronger of the two with Bentley's brooding "Running Lovers Dub Mix" and Modeselektor's "6pm Remix" grooving darkly and creating a more mysterious and shadowy atmosphere.

PARADISE BOYS Gonna Make You Mine (All Systems Underground) 12" 5.98
The Paradise Boys wanna sex you up with their poolside... errrr, dancefloor manner. Led by Jeff Fare (aka DJ Jeffrodeeziak and former member of The Calculators), PB are probably not for those seeking a deep listening experience. No way, they're definitely more for those out lookin' for action! This debut EP, mixed at Seismic Seance Studios, contains a total of four tracks rooted in the primal dancefloor urge. The lead-off (and title) cut is filled with ample servings of melodramatic vocals, uncomplicated midi arpeggiated basslines and electronic handclaps, but things get progressively more interesting in the subsequent remixes. Vocals are suitably fragmented and processed, and each of the three remixes generally sound much more polished and fully articulated. PB have enlisted Broker/Dealer who break down the repetitive nature of the track and add a bit more booty thumpin' to the proceedings, and Nikki Anderson with All The Way Lovers who adds a welcome dose of mood and mystery to the mix.
RealAudio clip: BROKER / DEALER "Gonna Make You Mine (Pair-Of-Dice Mix)"

PARADISE BOYS Gonna Make You Mine (All Systems Underground) cd-r 5.98
The Paradise Boys wanna sex you up with their poolside... errrr, dancefloor manner. Led by Jeff Fare (aka DJ Jeffrodeeziak and former member of The Calculators), PB are probably not for those seeking a deep listening experience. No way, they're definitely more for those out lookin' for action! This debut EP, mixed at Seismic Seance Studios, contains a total of four tracks rooted in the primal dancefloor urge. The lead-off (and title) cut is filled with ample servings of melodramatic vocals, uncomplicated midi arpeggiated basslines and electronic handclaps, but things get progressively more interesting in the subsequent remixes. Vocals are suitably fragmented and processed, and each of the three remixes generally sound much more polished and fully articulated. PB have enlisted Broker/Dealer who break down the repetitive nature of the track and add a bit more booty thumpin' to the proceedings, and Nikki Anderson with All The Way Lovers who adds a welcome dose of mood and mystery to the mix.
RealAudio clip: BROKER / DEALER "Gonna Make You Mine (Pair-Of-Dice Mix)"

PARKER, ANDREA Kiss My Arp (Beggar's Banquet/Mo'Wax) cd 15.98
Domestic version of this great album, the debut by this electronica-diva. It totally sucks that Mo'Wax put so much time and energy into that piece of crap U.N.K.L.E. record when the ONLY female artist on their roster creates a record this good. Sub-bass electro thud, dark cello melancholia, breathless Portishead-esque vocals, and an exquisite attention to detail make this record as good as it is. Parker does it all, she produces, she sings, she djs (check out her fine entry in the "DJ Kicks" series)...in a better world this would be getting the push, and the attention, that not-so-hot UNKLE disc did.

PARKER, ANDREA Kiss My Arp/Instrumental (Mo' Wax) cd 23.00
The instrumental version of Andrea Parker's outstanding "Kiss My Arp" album... without the breathless vocals, Andrea's mild reworkings display her talents of moody electro-thud and dark cello melancholia. Deep, enveloping. Shadowy and gorgeous.

PARKER, ANDREA The Dark Ages (Quatermass) cd ep 9.98
Somehow Andrea Parker manages to continue to release music that is forward-looking and challenging yet always super crowd-pleasing and easy to listen to. How does she do it? She's plies her trademark moody electro-thud by starting off with a heavy addictive rhythm and severe yet lush beats, then adds doom-laden synth shrieks and bass thumping that's worthy of, say, Techno Animal but much more friendly. No vocals to get in the way, just an uber-cool confident attitude. Steady and not hyper. Give it a try. This five-song EP is a fine place to start with her, or if you've already got Ms. Parker's other records, you already know she never disappoints. Recommended.
RealAudio clip: "The Swamp"

PARKER, ANDREA The Rocking Chair (MoWax) 12" 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Breathy female vocal accompanied by emotional Portishead-like triphoppedness. There are 2 different vinyl 12"s (available separately), one with Attica Blues remix, one with English String Orchestra. The cd collects all the versions and adds one more. A headturner.

PARKER, ANDREA The Rocking Chair (MoWax) cdep 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Breathy female vocal accompanied by emotional Portishead-like triphoppedness. There are 2 different vinyl 12"s (available separately), one with Attica Blues remix, one with English String Orchestra. The cd collects all the versions and adds one more. A headturner.

PARKINS, ZEENA AND IKUE MORI Phantom Orchard (Mego) cd 16.98
Recent Wire cover stars Zeena Parkins and Ikue Mori team up, not for the first time, for this new disc for Austrian experimental electronics label Mego. Both fixtures of the downtown NYC scene, Parkins is the fashionably dressed avant-harpist best known lately for playing with Bjork (alongside Matmos), and Mori is the former drummer for no wave legends DNA who has made a career since then doing really interesting things with drum machines, though now she's using laptop computers. Together, Parkins and Mori create an enjoyable example of electro-acoustic improv, the abstract soundworld of their Phantom Orchard mixing harp, piano, and synth with squiggly electronics and samples, some tracks mesmerizingly mild and pretty, others on the somewhat skronkier side...
MPEG Stream: "Jezebel"
MPEG Stream: "Savage Flower"

PARMENTIER Luxsound (Sigma) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Parmentier is a collaboration between New Zealand's Rosy Parlene and Dion Workman (ex-Thela) who combine to create scratchy drawn out soundscapes with bleak, claustrophobic drones and rhythms approximating at time the Chain Reaction pulse, by building loops out of skipping records. The end result is similar to Boyd Rice's infamous Black Album, but far more beautiful.

PARSON Throw Some Ds (Planet Mu) 12" 7.98

PARSONS, DAVID Earthlight (Celestial Harmonies) cd 15.98
David Parsons is not as well known outside of New Age circles as say Deuter or Kitaro, but in the case of this New Zealand artist who's been releasing music since the early eighties, obscurity in that particular genre is an asset rather than a liability. Parsons makes the kind of New Age music we really dig a lot around here, the kind that exceeds the boundaries of the genre into areas of experimental drone, pastoral Kosmiche music and 20th century composition. Like Eberhard Schoener (another krauty 'New Ager' we love), Parsons is known mostly for a cross-cultural fusion of Eastern and Western musical forms that feature lots of ethnic instruments and field recordings, on Earthlight, Parsons only uses synthesizers, where he programmed in his own sounds built completely from scratch. Deep bottom-heavy Ur-drones, and soft phased in high tones converge on fields of repetitive gamelan-ish arppegiations and filtered washes of bell tones. Really Nice!
MPEG Stream: "Earthlight"
MPEG Stream: "Altai Himalaya"
MPEG Stream: "Corona"

PASS INTO SILENCE Calm Like A Millpond (Kompakt) cd 16.98

PASTELS Illuminati (Up) cd 13.98
The beloved Scottish pop band gets the star remix treatment from My Bloody Valentine (who contribute 2 tracks), Stereolab, Mouse on Mars, Kid Loco, Cornelius, Third Eye Foundation, Make*Up, Jim O'Rourke, To Rococo Rot, John McEntire of Tortoise, etc. It's an uneven collection that's much more mellow and minimalist than we had anticipated for a tribute to such a rockin' twee group, but still good listening.

PASTELS Yoga (Up) cd ep 7.98
Scottish pop simply doesn't get much softer and twee. On this lil' EP they cover Some Velvet Sidewalk's "Boardwalkin", offer two versions of "Yoga" (one is the album version from Mobile Safari) and and additional track called "Winter Olympic Glory" which I found to be the highlight of this release. Dreamy!

PAVAN Holy Volt (Harmonia) lp 26.00
SKWEEE alert!!
Import full-length vinyl debut from Finland's Pavan, aka Frans Carlqvist, who is actually the same guy as Limonious, another essential skweee artist who's lp House Of Usher on his own label Flogsta Danshall we highlighted here last year. If you liked that one - or like ANY skweee - you ought to like this. And if we have to explain skweee, well, you haven't been paying attention have you? It's the homebrewed electronic music sub-sub-genre that started in Scandinavia, a mix of video-gamey, chip-tuney electro soundz and instrumental hip hop. Damaged, funky, infectious.
This new lp from Pavan is a great example. Nine tracks of pure groovy skweee, with titles like "Punt Kick", "Holy Volts", "Afrika" and "Crank Up". Pavan lists his gear, for those interested, he's using the Ensoniq ASR-10, Atari 1040ST, Atari STacy, Minod Vorga Prototype, Minod Bit Sampler, Yamaha CS-5, Roland Juno 106, Roland RE-201, and Otari 8-track. Great stuff from one of the masters of skweee!

PAVILLON 7B Dark Life (Minimal Wave) lp 24.00

PEACE ORCHESTRA (G-Stone) cd 16.98
This is solo work from Peter Kruder of Kruder and Dorfmeister. Lots more mellow, stretched out and less overtly dance-y than K+D. Very nice.

PEACE ORCHESTRA Reset (G-Stone / !K7) cd 18.98
OK, I admit it. No one here is a fan of Kruder and Dorfmeister, let's just leave it at that. If you can't say anything nice... then praise the side project instead. Really, though, one snowy evening in Lake Tahoe, stoned and well-fed, I did experience several moments of communion with the debut Peace Orchestra album, Peter Kruder's solo project, which is a well-executed piece of trip hop. This here Reset record is a remix album that IMO doesn't improve on the original, in fact the differing styles of the remixers make an already sufficiently cohesive statement into a mish mash. Can't we just leave well enough alone? Remixers include: DJ DSL, Gotan Project (whose leadoff remix is actually quite lovely, especially with the added bandoneon that makes for a very Morricone-style wistfulness), Zero dB, Guillaume boulard, Truby Trio, and more.
RealAudio clip: "The Man (El Hombre de la Pampa mix by Gotan Project)"

PEACE ORCHESTRA Reset (G-Stone / !K7) 3lp 21.00
And here's the vinyl... OK, I admit it. No one here is a fan of Kruder and Dorfmeister, let's just leave it at that. If you can't say anything nice... then praise the side project instead. Really, though, one snowy evening in Lake Tahoe, stoned and well-fed, I did experience several moments of communion with the debut Peace Orchestra album, Peter Kruder's solo project, which is a well-executed piece of trip hop. This here Reset record is a remix album that IMO doesn't improve on the original, in fact the differing styles of the remixers make an already sufficiently cohesive statement into a mish mash. Can't we just leave well enough alone? Remixers include: DJ DSL, Gotan Project (whose leadoff remix is actually quite lovely, especially with the added bandoneon that makes for a very Morricone-style wistfulness), Zero dB, Guillaume Boulard, Truby Trio, and more.

PEACHES Fatherfucker (XL Recordings) cd 14.98
Lookie, here's Peaches' second album. Can she top the the disturbingly rauchy raps of her debut The Teaches Of Peaches? Well, first off, we've gotta hand it to her for the album cover, if not the title. Byram prefers to call this Amish And Proud or perhaps The C. Everett Koop record. As for the musical content, well we don't think Peaches fans will be disappointed! As to what those of us here who aren't Peaches fans (she's had a polarizing effect on the Aquarius staff) think, well, as the lead off track goes (and goes and goes) Peaches "don't give a fuck". So if she's "the kind of bitch you want to get with" then go to it. Rockin' rawer than '80s beat-box grooves and rawer than Lil' Kim rhymes, Fatherfucker is maybe what Pink would sound like if she really was punk like she poses. And as if to prove how punk Peaches is, this features a duet with none other than Iggy Pop, on the track "Kick It", and elsewhere she puts "Rock 'n' Roll" on her set list. Simple but effective, this album doesn't slack on Peaches' provocative sexual/gender stance while always rockin' the parti like Gold Chains. So if you can hang with song titles like "Shake Yer Dix" then you're only $14.98 away from a good time. The cd also includes some video for computers, if you dare.
MPEG Stream: "I'm The Kinda"
MPEG Stream: "Kick It"

PEACHES Fatherfucker (XL Recordings) lp 13.98
Lookie, here's Peaches' second album. Can she top the the disturbingly rauchy raps of her debut The Teaches Of Peaches? Well, first off, we've gotta hand it to her for the album cover, if not the title. Byram prefers to call this Amish And Proud or perhaps The C. Everett Koop record. As for the musical content, well we don't think Peaches fans will be disappointed! As to what those of us here who aren't Peaches fans (she's had a polarizing effect on the Aquarius staff) think, well, as the lead off track goes (and goes and goes) Peaches "don't give a fuck". So if she's "the kind of bitch you want to get with" then go to it. Rockin' rawer than '80s beat-box grooves and rawer than Lil' Kim rhymes, Fatherfucker is maybe what Pink would sound like if she really was punk like she poses. And as if to prove how punk Peaches is, this features a duet with none other than Iggy Pop, on the track "Kick It", and elsewhere she puts "Rock 'n' Roll" on her set list. Simple but effective, this album doesn't slack on Peaches' provocative sexual/gender stance while always rockin' the parti like Gold Chains. So if you can hang with song titles like "Shake Yer Dix" then you're only $14.98 away from a good time. The cd also includes some video for computers, if you dare.

PEACHES Impeach My Bush (XL) cd 13.98
First things first, we were pleased to see that fortunately Peaches has shorn her last album's copious facial hair, opting instead for a gold sequined head covering (tho' on the back cover we were dismayed to discover her spandex cameltoe in full bloom!). Not one to sit on the sidelines nor one to hold her tongue, she's juiced up her funky party pants and sidled herself up alongside the hip-electro-hop likes M.I.A. and Lady Sovereign. Now she strikes a balance between those gals and Le Tigre. She's broadened her vocal range with the extremes spanning from her trademark flat-line speak-sing and a more fiery Kathleen Hanna-style scream. Thick buzzin' synths and ball-crunchin' guitars surround her from start to finish. She's sure come quite a ways from her barebones pre-set button pushing debut Teaches Of Peaches. Still as lasciviously potty-mouthed fun as ever but with a heckuva lot more craft and oomph and guest stars too (Josh Homme, Feist and Joan Jett!).
MPEG Stream: "Fuck Or Kill"
MPEG Stream: "You Love It"