SONIC MASALA: Pan

Thursday, 20 March 2014

Bad Sleeping Patterns - Helm and Spyros Polychronopoulos

This post should be much longer. I've been lecturing, planning a couple new Sonic Masala releases, packing for the Roku Music tour (Sydney/Newcastle, see you in a bit), setting up some upcoming Sonic Masala gigs...and I'm struggling with sleep. So I'm trying to drift off now. But the music I've chosen is likely to give me nightmares - the cryptic, sinuous piano explorations of Spyros Polychronopoulos (Piano Acts, out through Room40), and the industrial droning scree of Helm (this year's The Hollow Organ EP on PAN). Still, these nightmares are likely to be the most profound and vivid - so I'll risk it. Abstract and beautiful - like watching crystal shatter in slow motion, or the sun disintegrate, one black spot at a time.

Wednesday, 26 October 2011

Ding Dong, Post Rock Is Not Dead!

Pan hail from South Carolina, and are all about claiming post-rock back. The much maligned genre is the dumping ground for basically any band that plays without vocals nowadays, and a lot of bands are quite vocal about not wanting it tagged to their creative outlet. So I'm all for Pan claiming it, even if its tongue in cheek. Their debut EP is titled Post Rock Is Not Dead, and it finds an amazing middle ground between the ebullient, effortlessly fun sounds of Fang Island with the grandiose sounds of obvious touchstones Explosions In The Sky - and there isn't much in the way of grandstanding, posturing or pilfering to be found. Its a solid release all round, and seeing as I love me my instrumentals, that is an infinitely good thing!

Pan - Seeking (the Sea King)

Grab Post Rock Is Not Dead here!

About

It was early on a Sunday morning at ATP - A Nightmare Before Christmas 2009. After downing a fair few, at 4am we decided to cook a curry. It was during the consumption of this drunkenly delicious breakfast treat that we decided to actually do something about the music we talk about all the time.

So we started a blog – and Sonic Masala was born. Now into its seventh year, the blog has spread out to call both Australia and the UK its home (and the rest of the world), and has expanded to include gigs, festivals and a record label under its black umbrella. Come on, eat the noize.

If an mp3 is up here, it's because we have been talking about it, and think the whole world needs to know more. It's there to give you a little taste. Then, if you like, check out the band live and spend all your hard earned cash on their records. If we've posted up an mp3 of your stuff and you're not too keen on the idea, let us know and we'll happily take it down pronto.