Panasonic Kulma Press Release Notes
| Image from the innersleeve of Kulma CD Digipak. |
Update
Panasonic release their second LP on Blast First, Kulma on Monday 27th January 1997.
Kulma (meaning "angle") is a major breakthrough in analogue technological entertainment, and a step forward from the debut Vakio. As previously hinted at in the extended play release Osasto of this summer, Kulma incorporates the cool electronic minimalism for which the group is renowned, but highlights and expands upon those with beats and textures second to none. Compelling and disturbing, the music of Panasonic crosses the boundaries between Techno, Industrial musicand Ambient soundscaping to produce a sound that is eternally new, but at the same time, fundamental to the rhythm of life.The one word track titles hint at microscopic imagery of day to day objects and experience, pointing the listener back to the manifesto of futurism, and forward to the sounds of the future. In a world where art and science become one, Panasonic are the documenters of choice.
History
Panasonic live in Turku, Finland. They are now two: ILPO VÄISÄNEN and MIKA VAINIO. The first recording by Panasonic was released as a 12" by Sähkö and sold out immediately. Panasonic were snapped up by Blast First when they played at Disobey New York at the beginning of 1995 and their Vakio LP was released in October of that year. They visited the UK to perform and DJ including memorable events at the Disobey club in London and Manchester.
They also broadcast a live session on Kiss FM, and a session was broadcast by John Peel. Panasonic performed at the end of last year in a car park in London's East End with an Audio Weapons Armoured Car System featuring a 5K turbo sound PA which was built and developed by Jimmy Cauty. The video for Urania from the LP was made by renowned photographer Brian Griffin (Echo + The Bunnymen, Depeche Mode, Margaret Thatcher and Coca Cola), featured a cone-headed dog, and was premiered at the Royal College of Art when Panasonic performed and also showed SÄHKÖ - The Movie, which was made by Sähkö label-mate Jimi Tenor. The Urania video was nominated for The Directors and Art Directors Guild Awards Of Excellence (1996) where it sat calmly alongside the new (and substantially more costly) Rolling Stones video. Mika Vainio also records under the name Ø for Sähkö. He has just remixed the tune "Headphones" for the new Björk remix LP, Telegram. Panasonic will be attending a playback of their new album on 6th December (Finnish Independence Day) at the Finnish Institute in London. Panasonic will be supporting SWANS throughout Europe in February and March 1997, and will be playing with Suicide... later.
Specifications
Translations of the LP track titles follows: teurastamo means slaughterhouse, luotain means sounder, vapina means tremble, puhdistus means cleansing, jakso means period, murtoneste translates into break liquid, kylmämassa means cold bulk,hahmo is guise, aines means matter, -25 means just that (-25), säätö means adjustment, kurnutus means croaking, rutina means crackle, and moottori means motor. (Alternative Finnish lesson over ).
It was recorded in their own studio, a small converted sauna in the warehouse district outside of Turku city, using partially home made or old analogue synths and drum machines.
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 first album mixes ultra-minimal electronic fuzz with brain-melting distortion overload." NME