Bleep

PAN continue a strong run of form with yet another crucial and bracing release from New York sound artist James Hoff. The follow-up to his 2011 one-tracker How Wheeling Feels When The Ground Walks Away, Blaster finds Hoff splicing noise, distortion and field recordings in more manageable but no less interesting doses. There's a spirited glee in the way sounds alluding to the noisier end of techno or glitch are torn to pieces and reassembled in unexpected shapes - the way 'Lasterb' gathers itself into a crisp, club stomp is as gratifying as the spasming 'Sterbla' or the tense, sparking 'Erblast'. It's challenging listen at points, but a playful one as well. Deciphering whether Hoff is getting at something deeper or simply trying to shatter any preconceived ideas about how electronic music should behave is only part of the pleasure involved in this vital listening experience.