Shadow collector
loteq | Regensburg | 11/16/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"On "Osasto" and "Kulma" (both released in 1996), Pan Sonic began to break from the at-times unlistenable, cold electronic burblings of their early work, stretching for a better structured and more accessible sound. The 23 1/2-minute EP "Osasto", in particular, isn't as fractured as most of Pan Sonic's other releases, it leans more towards danceable hardcore techno in the style of Aphex Twin's "Classics" and manages to offer more cohesive rhythm constructions and even some hints of melody. You can also find clear connections to Autechre's masterpiece "Tri repetae", especially in the clinical style of the performance and the razor-sharp production. Loud volume is necessary to illuminate the music of "Osasto", but the results are uniquely compelling. "Uranokemia", obviously the counterpart to "Radiokemia" from the "Vakio" album, is the stand-out piece of this EP. Instead of crashing fully into the track, Pan Sonic create a fascinating, almost claustrophobic tension throughout the piece by carefully building up element by element- they've never done that before. The hard-hitting bass blasts, droning sequencers, and lashing digital drums have a distinctly spooky and oppressive feel to it - I remember saying someone, "never play this song to depressive people!". "Telako" is a more straighforward but rather simple piece, consisting of a fast-paced, undanceable rhythm which is joined by heavy electronic distortion towards the end of the track. "Parturi" takes a similar path as "Radiokemia", featuring a strong central beat while playing around with electronic signals, layers of polar static and siren-like tones. The ear-bashing "Murto" also manages to hold interest, at least for fans of hardcore dance tracks, with its relentless, pounding industrial rhythm that ends in a storm of crackling noise. For all this, "Osasto" does suffer a similarity to other Pan Sonic albums and EPs, in that some of the soundscapes are a little too repetitive. Even so, this EP must be considered as Pan Sonic's most accomplished and powerful effort, clear evidence of the band's enormous potential and their ability to create great electronic music out of the most unlikely of source material."
Masterpiece from finnish art
ouz ozso | istanbul | 12/27/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"like other pan(A)sonic works its minimalist style of creating music in its branch that noone ever reached (esp. in radiokemia,alku.pala and completely in (A)).......i am looking forward to see its new masterpiece.......and curious about the meaning of their finnish words........."
Short, but packed with energetic music.
Steward Willons | Illinois | 04/07/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The "Osasto EP" is typical of Pan Sonic's more beat-driven style, similar to the material on "Vaiko." If you know Pan Sonic, you have a good idea what to expect. For those unfamiliar, the music tends to have a driving beat, drenched in reverb and delay with some typically noisy electronic sounds. It's like a milder version of Merzbow with beats, but less harsh and definitely not digital.
Contrary to the Amazon editorial review, Pan Sonic actually do not use computers in their music. Mika Vainio has said that he would go crazy having to make music sitting in front of a computer "pushing the boring buttons." They instead use an array of synthesizers, samplers (for beats), and custom gear. They then record straight to DAT. To label this "computer music" is to do it a disservice because it's actually a lot more hands-on and a lot less "programmed."
If you're a fan of "Vaiko" or the first disc of "Kesto," you're going to love this. Pan Sonic really knows how to make a powerful track that just blows you away. "Uranokemia" is my personal favorite track on the album. It just keeps growing in intensity and practically demands to be turned up higher and higher.
Below are some extremely rough translations of the titles, minus the first track since I couldn't figure it out. Maybe it's a proper noun or something? If anyone has better translations, leave me a comment and I'll fix it.
1. Uranokemia (???)
2. Telako (Dock)
3. Parturi (Barber)
4. Murto (Crack)
Osasto is, of course, great music. I'm not sure if it's necessarily a required purchase for all fans because it's brief (23.5 min) and because it's similar to other work they've done. If you're a huge fan like me, you should definitely buy it. If you're more of a casual fan, I'd wait until you have the rest of the albums (at least Kesto, A, and Aaltopiiri) before picking this up. All in all, quite excellent."
Track Listings (4) - Disc #1