Promoters:

Those wishing to contact Pansonic can write to info@blastfirstpetite.com & we will forward it to them. There is no extensive Pansonic touring planned around the release of the new album. Small sequences of live dates in Europe are regularly organised by ecroci@infinito.it who can best advise you of their schedule, technical & financial needs. Information is often scarce about Pansonic live shows as they prefer to place their trust in the local promoter to advertise as they think fit. Therefore we are not going to even attempt to keep updated information on this site & we are unaware of any other site so equipped. Pansonic are playing a number of collaborative shows in late 2006 & early 2007 with Italian contemporary music ensemble Alter Ego (alteregogroup.it) under the title “Microwaves” including an appearance  on 26th November 06 at the prestigious Hudderfield Contemporary Music Festival ( hcmf.co.uk). In early 2007 they are also planning to record a soundtrack for documentary filmmaker Mika Taanila. Mika also has recording work with Keiji Haino, and a 20 minute piano piece with Oscar Pitto in Rome 17th March & from 26th May to 18th June he performs in Geneva, live music to a solo dance by Cindy Van Acker.

Journalists:

Should be aware of their reluctance to be interviewed by email. info@blastfirstpetite.com will however endeavour to provide answers to specific pertinent questions when so requested. All the previous Pansonic albums can be found via Blast First / Mute Records (mute.com), as can historical background information, but in these modern times, a quick Google & Wikipedia is going to reveal more than anyone would probably needs to know. “There is no theory for Pansonic. We have no plan. We just make the music.” Mika Vaino

Quotes:

”...techno in its darkest, most twisted form” (8/10) MIXMAG
“Probably the best fun you can have with your clothes on. Recommended” DJ MAGAZINE
“A hard record to listen to, certainly, but one that’s equally hard to take off.” THE WIRE
“An awesome but highly demanding sonic experience.” MUZIK
“...blisteringly acidic...” MELODY MAKER
“Enough ghostly shuffles here to spook out Richard James!”  iD
”Panasonic’s fantastic album mixes ultra-minimal electronic fuzz with brain-melting distortion overload” NME
“This record (is) as good, or as bad, as your own imagination will allow. AMAZON.COM

Technical overview:

Mika isn’t really into today’s “electronica” and its computer-driven sound, though Pan sonic have increasingly delved into modern sampler technology as of late. The group also has an “extra member” called Jari Lehtinen who’s responsible for building Pan sonic’s instruments, with which their extraordinary sounds have been created. Mika describes their custom equipment: “We have a synthesizer which is one big box that has twelve oscillators on it; you can connect them to each other and modulate them together. We also have this small synthesizer which is built to an old typewriter — we call it ‘Typewriter’. We have several drum modules to make rhythmic sounds which we are using with an 808. Jari Lehtinen is also building us this large synthesizer that will have eight oscillators and a cross connection board, like the early 70s, late 60s synthesizers.” Alongside Typewriter, also known as “Complex Sound Generator” there is also a self-built, approximately six-metre-long infrasonic tube, called “John Holmes”. Pan sonic also use samplers and a computer-based sequencer, MPC2000, so they can leave the “fishing box” back home (since it doesn’t travel well). Mika says he doesn’t really know anything about computers or MIDI-based music, nor does he want to. He is very much into sounds felt by the body and the effect of frequencies on the brain.