Berlin giants Pan-Pot, exist at the forefront of contemporary techno. After 10 years of working together, with multiple EPs and their hefty 2007 album ‘Pan-O-Rama,’ the duo have shown the world that their output is some of the most forward-thinking music currently being written.

To celebrate the release of their upcoming album ‘The Other,’ Pan-Pot are heading to Australia next month. Playing the brown alley in Melbourne (Sept 11th), as well as a sold out 3-hour set at the Arthouse in Sydney (Sept 12th), one can only imagine the mayhem they will release, with brand new works from their upcoming album as well as other unreleased material fresh from the studio.

In mid July they released ‘The Other One,’ containing two massive tracks off their album, and if these are any indication of what is to come, we are seriously in for a treat. It was a pleasure to chat with the duo about their fast-approaching tour and album, the scene in Berlin, and their views on creating and performing some of the most innovative underground music currently in the field.

Words by Sydney producer Piecey who is signed to Stoney Roads Records.

SR: Your second album, “The Other” will be released on the 25th of September. Did you find that you approached this album differently from your other LP, 2007’s Pan-O-Rama? Did you have an idea of how you wanted this album to communicate your take on modern techno before you started?

Tassilo: Hi! Yes we had a totally different approach because the album “Pan-O-Rama” was a pure minimal-techno album. “The Other” has lots more varying sounds. We did not move away from Techno but you will hear that we adopted a more experimental approach. When we work on new music usually there is not a big plan behind it. We just love to make music in general and this is what we think you will hear in the album. It’s quite “playful”.

SR: What studio gear did you find most useful in writing this album?

Tassilo: My new X-Maschine Workstation, it’s an amazingly powerful Studio PC. It allows you to experiment a lot more with effect chains and intense processing applications. This computer is three times more powerful than the highest equipped Apple workstation but also costs 3 times less. I love it. I love working on a computer without thinking about processor resources. You can play around with all kinds of plugins and try out things without being afraid your computer could crash.

SR: Were there any key sources of inspiration for this album in terms of other artists or works?

Thomas: It is not really about key sources. Everything that surrounds us is inspiring. This can include other artists music but also cities, our friends, nature and everything else. Also sometimes we do start to work on our productions on our own and then come together to complete the work. So there are always two different poles of influence, which is quite helpful in the creative process.

SR: You feature a few collaborating artists on the album. How was it working with them? Were you able to discover and explore new ideas from this process?

Tassilo: Yes of course! It was fun working with them (L.O.U., Frankie. Kevin Knapp, ABBY). We know them from our studios (“Riverside”). We worked with them because they are amazing artists and close to us. There is always a great creative exchange. Anytime you work with other people new ideas come to the table and this is great, especially when you share the same musical vision.

SR: Working as a duo, did you both share the production and composition work equally in constructing this album? Or do you both have specific areas that you specialise in while creating music together?

Thomas: Yes, we do the whole tracks together but as mentioned before, sometimes we start to work on an idea separately and then come together and make our own specific sound. We are more flexible and creative like this while still keeping our own style.

SR: There is an ongoing debate over the importance of production vs. composition to make a track work. Do you believe one is more important than the other? Or are they both equally as important? What do you believe is key in a piece of music that makes it successful?

Tassilo: For our music both are equally important I think. With other genres people maybe don’t care that much about the production side but for us this is also very important and a key for good Techno.

SR: Over the course of your careers, how has the Berlin nightlife culture influenced your music? What was it like building a career in this style of music in one of the world’s most enthusiastic techno hubs?

Thomas: When we started about 10 years ago Berlin was a different place… Of course there was already a Techno scene and we were lucky to be in the right spot. This was one of the main reasons why we both moved to Berlin and got to know each other. Back then there were many new labels coming up (like Mobilee) and not so many DJs and producers like today and maybe it was a bit easier to find your way. On the other side today there are so many new opportunities for music professionals: more established labels, more clubs, more events and more artists coming up that keep the city alive and fun.

SR: Musicians often talk about how the audience and the performers both influence each other over the course of the set. What do you hope to see in an audience responding to your music in a live environment?

Thomas: It depends on the event. In clubs, where usually you are closer to the people, you can feel the vibe better and interact more: smile at people and they smile back.

Tassilo: We do truly love performing so it is very important to us that we can connect with the audience. It’s our goal for every single gig.

SR: You were last here in early 2014 with performances around Australia, including Rainbow Serpent Festival in Victoria. How did you find the Australian audience on that tour? 

Tassilo: Crazy and outgoing! It was special and a bit different than some other places: everybody was just so friendly and positive. That was amazing and also the reason why we wanted to come back to play soon.

SR: We are very excited for you guys to reach our shores again in September, what can we expect for your shows on this tour?

Thomas: Of course besides the music and sets you might already know from us, we will present our album and lots of tracks that nobody ever heard before. 😉

SR: Will we get a chance to hear much of your new material in your 3-hour set? What do you find are the benefits of performing these extended sets?

Tassilo: As Thomas said, yes of course, lots of new material. We love longer sets because they gives us more time to build it up, interact with the crowd and make it a truly unique night.

SR: Will there be any new elements to your shows that will make this tour stand out from your previous one?

Thomas: We try to make every tour or gig special and different by constantly adding new sounds and elements. We spend lots of time looking for new music besides making our own new tracks.

SR: A final message for your fans hanging out for your arrival?

Tassilo: Very much looking forward to be back in Asia and around. Please make it as great as last time!

Thomas: And also looking forward to the good food. 🙂

What to expect from the Berlin exports? Plenty of untzz!