Pan Sonic & 灰野敬二

Pan Sonic的藝人檔案
by Sean Cooper
Finnish minimalist techno group Pan sonic are among the most active and well-known artists from that countrys tiny experimental techno underground, and the first to reach acclaim at an international level. Pursuing the jagged edges of minimal techno and hardcore, the group have earned an enduring association with industrial and noise music through their incorporation of antiseptic production techniques and power-tool electronics, landing them in 1995 on the English Mute labels experimental subsidiary Blast First! (most of their catalog to date has since appeared there). The affinity lay more at the surface, however, as Pan sonic are better understood as a collision between Jeff Mills and Mike Ink; dance-based electronic music with a maximum of impact, realized through a minimum of extraneous detail. Known for junking together studio equipment from spare parts and ancient analog debris, Pan sonics search for the untried in techno is their compositional M.O., placing them closer to the musics Detroit roots than is often understood.
Formed in Turku in the early 90s, Pan sonic began as the duo of Mika Vainio and Ilpo Väisänen. As with most Finnish techno groups, Pan sonics earliest beginnings lay with the Sahko/Puu imprint, the focus of the Northern European techno scene and home to such artists as Kirlian, Philus, Ø (Vainios solo guise), Mono Junk, and Jimi Tenor. Pan sonic released its self-titled debut single through Sahko in 1994 before being joined by third member Sami Salo and landing a contract with Blast First! the following year. The groups first BF! release, Vakio, was a full-length CD/triple-10 boxed set featuring the same brand of furtive, passively aggressive techno, though with a fuller, more thought-out sound. Soon after Vakios release in 1995, Salo left the group (apparently to join the Army), and Pan sonics subsequent releases — the Osasto EP and the groups 1997 sophomore long-player, Kulma — noted his absence by their comparatively harder, less subtle tone.
Pan sonic added live performance to their regular repertoire in 1996, playing a number of gigs throughout Europe and Japan, as well as touring with gothic rock group the Swans. Vainio moved to London in 1997, where, in addition to his continuing commitment to Pan sonic, he continues to record as Ø (his third full-length under that name, Olento, was issued on Sahko just prior to Kulmas release). He has also released work on Sahko, Puu, and Cheap as Tekonivel, Orchestra Guacamole (with Jaakko Salovaara), and Kosmos (with Jimi Tenor), as well as remixed tracks for Björk and Tactile. Pan sonic have also been featured on several compilation albums, including A Fault in the Nothing (Touch, 1996) and Funktion 1: Finnish Techno Collection (Function, 1996). By 1998, an inevitable confrontation with the Japanese manufacturing giant also known as Pan sonic had resulted in a name-change of sorts, to Pan sonic. The missing letter re-surfaced the following year, as the title of the duos third album. Vainio and Väisänen also recorded the Endless LP (as VVV) with the addition of Suicide vocalist Alan Vega. In 2001, Pan sonic returned with Aaltopiiri, toured the world, and then returned with a four-disc album, Kesto (234.48:4), in 2004.
灰野敬二是日本千葉縣人士，生于1952年(與紐約爵士天才John Zorn同年)。60年代后期，全球左派風潮流行時開始自錄作品，十八歲時組成第一支樂團“Lost Aaraaf”，并于山梨縣一個音樂節(jié)上演出。在1978年組成最重要樂團“不失者”前，也曾經(jīng)與早亡薩克斯風手阿部薰、鋼琴家竹田賢一等爵士、前衛(wèi)樂手合作，并多次與日本最重要搖滾樂團“裸身聚會”(Les Realizes Denudes，1967年組成，此團以迷幻搖滾為主，曾有“赤軍連”成員參加，此員1970年挾持民航機飛至朝鮮。1996年解散，團員仍然各自活躍于日本地下樂界。錄音極少，多為盜版或刻錄盤，在網(wǎng)路上極為搶手�！奥恪迸c灰野并列日本搖滾兩大傳奇，影響面相當廣。)同臺獻藝。1982年，灰野初次推出個人專輯《只有我》，更被譽為個人的經(jīng)典之作，知名度也逐漸傳到西方前衛(wèi)樂界。1995年組成的“拔祈羅”，以噪音包裝藍調與日本民謠。1998年的“哀秘謠”，則是探索日本通俗音樂史的樂團。他的演出與創(chuàng)作至今仍然十分活躍，合作對象包括John Zorn、Barre Philips(低音提琴)、等前衛(wèi)音樂大人物，以及日本國內各種風格的樂隊和藝人，包括后面將提到的鼓手吉田達也。
　　灰野以長年于各種音樂上的素養(yǎng)，融合泉涌般的創(chuàng)作力，建立出獨樹一格的“灰野流”，不僅受邀參加歐美大小現(xiàn)代音樂活動，更跨足了多種表演藝術配樂及詩作等領域。