Review Electronic music

Pan•American

The Patience Fader

Kranky • 2022

Kranky can already look forward to a strong year this year: the American label just released Earthen Sea’s »Ghost Poems«, which convinces wholeheartedly with its dubby, alienated introspections. Label colleague Pan•American, whose artistic name already implies the expansiveness of his music, follows a cleaner approach: Mark Nelson, as the man is really known, refrains from exuberant alienating effects, but instead relies on slow and intense electric guitar. This works wonderfully on »The Patience Fader«, but its urban melancholy, which is fuelled by tracks like »Outskirts, Dreamlit«, »The North Line« or »Baitshop«, makes everything else appear euphoric. Fortunately, those who buy Kranky records aren’t looking for that anyway, but rather a beautiful distraction than musical entertainment. And Pan American delivers this absolutely reliably. While the first three tracks still wander abstractly in the distance, in contrast, »The North Line« marks a concrete caesura, bringing up reverberating Americana. »Baitshop« already mentioned above reveals itself to be a 30-second field recording skit that contrasts the album’s sublime unison with an earthly note. Below the dominant organic sound generators waft soft expanses, the formula for the LP remains the same for the entire playtime, not necessarily innovative, but unquestionably beautiful.

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