- Pangaea's new EP, Pob, is of a piece with Viaduct, the first release on his Hadal label. Its best tracks excel in the sparse atmospheres and percussive grooves that he always executes so well.
The title track is the highlight, on a par with some of Pangaea's best for Hessle Audio—"Game," "You & I" or even "Coiled." Not that the EP sounds much like his earlier material; it's to Pangaea's credit that seven or eight years in, he's moved with the times while keeping the hallmarks of his style in place. "Pob" steadily heats up into a tightly wound percussive workout with the title barked out as Pangaea adds slapping drums at every pass. "Ivy" is rather different. With its dreamy melodic figure and vocal refrain, it's enjoyable enough but feels rather sketch-like. "Mackerel" is more high-energy, all punishing kicks, tense basslines and little funky stabs. "Solvent" rounds off the EP, its swooning chords giving way to a fat, squelching bassline and densely packed drums, the subtlety of its tension and release making its nine minutes fly by.
TracklistA1 Pob
A2 Mackerel
B1 Ivy
B2 Solvent