Amid the planned heraldry of Pan-Pot’s 100th release on their Second State label, the artists have chosen to make this “Skin on Skin” EP release a dedication to the Ukrainian people. All proceeds will go towards the relief of the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict.
I don’t know about everyone else, but since the start of the Russian Ukrainian Conflict, I’ve been doom scrolling all of the social feeds and seeing the plight of the Ukrainian people—families torn apart, kindergartens exploded, children hiding in basements, hospitals and apartment blocks being shot up with missiles and RPGs. What I’ve also seen is the determination and steadfastness of the Ukrainian people who’ve banded together from all walks of like to stand up to fascist oppression.
With the Ukrainian people’s courage as a guide, the world has shown up to support them with dedicated hearts, food, financial support, and open arms. Pan-Pot in this case is no exception; this release was supposed to mark a great milestone to celebrate their label, but instead, Pan-Pot have decided to dedicate all proceeds from this “Skin on Skin” EP to the Ukrainian cause. The outcome of this war is uncertain, so the duo has already donated €1000 to the Red Cross. Quite possibly the simplest thing you can do to show Ukraine some love is to buy one of the tracks off this EP.
The first track on the EP and title track, “Skin on Skin“, features a stand out vocal from Swedish songwriter Sandra Bjurman who’s written a great deal of songs for Eurovision, including one in 2011 when she won the contest as a songwriter. Pan-Pot have teamed up with the songwriter for her vocals which call upon the African tribal influences that they’ve been pushing for the last few EPs. The singing is reminiscent of Central African style with the low rhythmic vocals, low jumps in progression, and a closely lowered bass harmony. Immediately it matches any hypnotic-induced dancing and altered states alluded to in Pan-Pot’s brand of techno while encouraging the listener to lose yourself in the music. Of which, it is pretty effective.
The second track, “Particle Fever”, treads a mysterious line between ‘90s electronica, progressive, and techno. Big fuzzy synths harken back to the minimal techno days of Agoria’s anthems, but also, the progression reminds you of progressive house or ‘90s electronica with the arpeggiator lines. Even though it has all these ideas locked within it, “Particle Fever” still has a characteristically reserved, intangible quality that really pushes the techno into a new area.
The last track of the EP is a dub influenced beat titled “Bow”. The track is presented with a solid, classy, and infectious drum groove, matched with a deep, rubber band-like bass. The countering synth hits opposite of this bass line ask a question to the beat in a very drenched, smoky way. Occasionally, references to tape-echoed dub sirens call in the far background to round out the dub elements. The result is a solid winner and a fierce final groover to round out the EP.
For Pan-Pot, this EP is an evolution and a continuance of a set of ideas, though it seems they are still curious about exploring common themes and trying to redirect them into their own aesthetic. They’re definitely carving out a niche in the world techno scene unlike any road they’ve gone down before. Creating their own world is an interesting path to see Pan-Pot take. It’s healthy and strong when there are many strains of techno running concurrently in the scene now. Never tacky or trite, these artists are pushing borders that satisfy their own curiosity and artistic exploration. To do that and to be so generous with their proceeds is to look upon this moment in time, with these tracks in your box, and to say you’re a part of it all.
Please consider supporting Pan-Pot’s efforts to raise money for the people of Ukraine and purchase “Skin on Skin” EP via the link above.
-Sean Ocean
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