Vitruvian Pan is everything that Hell is Invisible...Heaven is Her/e should have been, a tenacious countercultural document that tests boundaries, questions dogmatic truths, and embraces taboos. Largely spoken and occasionally shouted, the enchanting lyrical monologues and hypnotic tonal qualities of his/her voice hearken back not just to Time's Up, but to other high points in his/her recorded history.
Weirdo outsider grooves dominate these recordings, some unsubtly echoing sounds heard in on the streets and nightclubs of New York City, the place where Gen now rests his/her head. "Thee Nature Ov Control" and "Bee My Honey Bee" both grab hold of the boom-bap of hip-hop while mutating and mutilating it for the duo's purposes.
The shuffling minimal techno of "Thee Land Ov Do Do" would be almost danceable if not for Gen's intentionally garbled, heavily effected speech. Fortunately the accompanying booklet, part of the attractive and apparently eco-friendly package, features all of the lyrics. Essentially in exile, Gen-as-expatriate inevitably creeps into the lyrics, most noticeably on "Save Their Souls," with a slyly delivered declaration that he/she bears the distinction of "most evil man in Great Britain". Dall's eclecticism too shines through, from the sparse psychedelic dub of "Hey Baby!" to the dissonant possessed soundscapes of "Feel Strange."
While many of my fellow Throbbing Gristle fans might deem this outrageous, I anticipate that I will listen to this album far more than Part Two - The Endless Not in the months and even years to come. Where the latter arouses and provokes, Vitruvian Pan tries another tack by approaching the listener in a far more accessible manner.
(Gary Suarez, Brainwashed) Weirdo outsider grooves dominate these recordings, some unsubtly echoing sounds heard in on the streets and nightclubs of New York City, the place where Gen now rests his/her head. "Thee Nature Ov Control" and "Bee My Honey Bee" both grab hold of the boom-bap of hip-hop while mutating and mutilating it for the duo's purposes.
The shuffling minimal techno of "Thee Land Ov Do Do" would be almost danceable if not for Gen's intentionally garbled, heavily effected speech. Fortunately the accompanying booklet, part of the attractive and apparently eco-friendly package, features all of the lyrics. Essentially in exile, Gen-as-expatriate inevitably creeps into the lyrics, most noticeably on "Save Their Souls," with a slyly delivered declaration that he/she bears the distinction of "most evil man in Great Britain". Dall's eclecticism too shines through, from the sparse psychedelic dub of "Hey Baby!" to the dissonant possessed soundscapes of "Feel Strange."
While many of my fellow Throbbing Gristle fans might deem this outrageous, I anticipate that I will listen to this album far more than Part Two - The Endless Not in the months and even years to come. Where the latter arouses and provokes, Vitruvian Pan tries another tack by approaching the listener in a far more accessible manner.
Label: Blossoming Noise
Cat. #: BN023CD
Format: CD
Release date: 2007
Tracklisting:
01 - Hey Baby! (04:03)
02 - Embrace Thee Holy (06:18)
03 - Thee Nature Ov Control (03:27)
04 - # Thee Traveller (4th Sign Of The Apocalypse Mix) (01:27)
05 - Oh Yeah You Do! (04:44)
06 - Bee My Honey Bee (04:12)
07 - Save Their Souls (02:50)
08 - Feel Strange (05:57)
09 - Thee Land Ov Do Do (A Cautionary Tail) (07:52)
Links:
Thee Majesty
Blossoming Noise
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