mnml ssgs mx fnl - bill kouligas

Our penultimate ssg mix is from Bill Kouligas, the man behind Pan, one of the most interesting - and perhaps important - labels operating right now. Pan first appeared on my radar care of a ssg reader who strongly recommended I immediately get a hold of Keith Fullerton Whitman's Disingenuity / Disingenuousness. And so I did. Even though I have struggled to fully connect with it, I'd say this is arguably one of the most important releases to come out in the last 5 years. It seems to be bringing together some very important strands together, and is an incredibly well produced record in its own right. The label has flourished since then, with releases from a range of impressive newcomers (Heatsick), mid-career bloomers (NHKyx), and some seriously heavy hitters (SND, Peter Rehberg). Pan occupies a very interesting location, which is hard to fully identify but perhaps best described as existing on the boundary between experimental and techno, though I am not sure this description really does justice to what they are doing. The label has distinguished itself with an impressive combination of uncompromising sounds and beautifully packaged records, and is currently playing an important role in challenging and rewarding our collective tastes.

When we started doing mixes here, one of the original aims was to use them as a tool for discovering more about artists, sounds and labels that intrigued us. And this was certainly the intent with asking Bill for a mix. Pan has clearly been doing something very interesting, and our feeling was that we'd be interested to hear more from the person responsible. Now that we have the mix, I am not sure if I know that much more about Pan, but I certainly have learned something about Bill (I think). We honestly didn't know what we'd receive, and this mix confused what few expectations we had. And this is most definitely a good thing! Clocking in at 3 hours this is another lengthy, weighty mix that takes time and consideration. Like with our other big servings from Svreca and Morphosis this is also worth investing yourself in. Unsurprisingly it covers a fair amount of ground, but at its core I think I'd describe it as a house mix. Certainly not a normal one, however... It kind of reminds me of old Matthew Herbert at his best - classical perhaps, but a very bent, crooked and wandering form of house music. With those words, I will leave you to discover the rest.



We will have the tracklist next week. For more information on Pan, check the homepage and soundcloud. You can also follow Bill / Pan on twitter. The label has just released an excellent new EP from Heatsick (killer B side), and two others I am excited to check: one from Helm, and the ridiculous lineup of Mika Vainio, Lucio Capece, Kevin Drumm and Axel Dörner all on the same record. Big thanks to Bill for finishing this expansive mix during an incredibly busy period of time for him. Enjoy.