Rating:
Genre:
Electronica
Release Date: 09/22/1998
Going back to
Panasonic's first albums after a few years, one finds they stand the test of time and understands why they were so influential and led to so many sound-alikes.
Kulma, for example, is a masterpiece of
experimental techno. The first half of the album gives a chance for
techno heads to stick around and follow the deconstruction.
"Teurastamo" and
"Vapina" are still suitable for the dancefloor, although they have clearly been tailored for the living room. But as one progresses from one track to the next, the atmosphere becomes colder, drier, and charged with electricity instead of
electro beats. Electrical hums, crackles, and
glitches fill the room. Loops occasionally provide rhythm but it sounds almost accidental. From
IDM, the music descends into
ambient techno,
experimental techno, and then simply
sound sculpting. By
"Kurnutus," the listener is completely confused about what is
techno music and what is
electro-acoustic music.
Mika Vainio and
Ilpo Väisänen's next album would be built over a similar framework, but
Kulma remains more seducing simply because it makes the transformation (let's not put anyone or any style down by using the term "evolution") crystal clear.
~François Couture, All Music Guide
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