Mika Vainio
| Pan Sonic | |
|---|---|
Pan Sonic in 2006
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Turku, Finland |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Electronics, samplers |
| Years active | 1993–2009 |
| Labels | Blast First |
| Associated acts | Alan Vega, Keiji Haino |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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| Notable instruments | |
| MPC2000 | |
| Pan Sonic discography | |
|---|---|
| Studio albums | 12 |
| Live albums | 8 |
| Compilation albums | 1 |
| Video albums | 1 |
| EPs | 8 |
Pan Sonic were a Finnish electronic music group founded in Turku in 1993. The group consisted of Mika Vainio, Ilpo Väisänen, and Sami Salo. Salo left in 1996 leaving Pan Sonic a duo. The group was originally named Panasonic until 1998. In December 2009, it was announced that Pan Sonic would disband after their December 2009 concerts. Their final album, Gravitoni, was released by Blast First Petite in May 2010.Oksastus, a live album recorded in 2009, was released in 2014.
Pan Sonic cite their main influences from the early 1980s, with industrial acts like Throbbing Gristle, Einstürzende Neubauten and Suicide to reggae, hip-hop and dub. Vainio often remarks that their music is a merger of these two schools of music, taking the harsh and pure sounds typical of industrial techno and spacing them out into longer, subdued soundscapes familiar to instrumental reggae and dub. The late outsider rockabilly artist Hasil Adkins is also cited, as well as country music star Johnny Cash.
Some of their equipment is made by third "extra" member Jari Lehtinen. These and other custom made instruments are responsible for creating the sounds typical to Pan Sonic's music. They also use samplers and an MPC2000 sequencer. Pan Sonic are great fans of experimentation and art performances and have done exhibitions and sound installations in museums. They have also made music for Rei Kawakubo's fashion shows.
In a musical form in which sequencing and recording music using computers is standard, the group is known for recording everything live, straight to DAT using home-made and modified synthesizers and effect units.
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Wikipedia