Title: Throw Out Rite
Artist: Pankow
Genre: Electro/ Industrial/ New Wave
Release Date: 15th January 2016
Label: Artoffact Records
Album Review
This release is for die-hard fans only and a historical gem, as well. Italy doesn't have exactly a rich history in terms of EBM and Industrial acts, there are of course KIRLIAN CAMERA and lesser known acts like LIMBO or TEMPLEBEAT - and then there is of course PANKOW! Founded in 1982 in Florence, PANKOW gained quite some popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s thanks to their unique mix of straight EBM beats, more experimental tracks and weird and kinda sick, multi-languaged lyrics and vocals of Alex Spalck. In their own right, PANKOW were a pioneering band who had a pretty different approach to most other groups of their scene. Albums like 'Freiheit für die Sklaven' (1987) and 'Gisela' (1989) laid foundation for their foundation. When Alex Spalck left the band in the mid-90s things with a little downhill for PANKOW. Gianluca Becuzzi from LIMBO stepped into the breach as a singer for one album and tour in 1996, and after a five-year hiatus Alex Spalck even returned to PANKOW for more studio work and today he shares the vocal duties with Bram Declercq, who is also touring with the band.
'Throw Out Rite' was PANKOW's first release in 1983 on the Electric Eye record label, released on cassette only and featuring six tracks. The Artoffact label dug out the master tapes of this old gem to re-release it with four bonus tracks and a lovingly restored artwork by Maurizio Fasolo, available on CD and on black or white vinyl in strictly limited editions. Musically this embryonic version of PANKOW is of course miles away from their recent releases but there are many elements which hint at what was yet to come in 1983. Of course there are moments when the tracks sound like bedroom recordings, and most probably they were just that. Interestingly there is an early version of 'Das Wodkachaos', here titled 'Das Vodkalied'. This song become quite popular among fans and has been remixed or re-recorded several times, with the latest version on the 'Hogre' EP from 2012. 'Das Vodkalied' is also the most straightforward song on 'Throw Out Rite', the rest is rather experimental and often pretty weird stuff which breathes the spirit of early Industrial pioneers like THROBBING GRISTLE, early CABARET VOLTAIRE or even EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN. 'Rendez-Vous Dans Un Bois' and 'Spinnen' are mere sound collages, 'Destiny' is some sort of freak brother of KRAFTWERK's 'Hall Of Mirrors' while 'Wait And Search' could have been an EBM track if PANKOW didn't decide to destroy it and tear it apart. As I said, this release is rather for the die-hard fans and for collectors but it is also a great document of one of Italy's few ground-breaking alternative acts.
Tracklist
01. Das Vodkalied
02. Rendez-Vous Dans Un Bois
03. Wait & Search
04. ZzWalhalla
05. Destiny
06. I'm Food For You
07. Voce
08. Satellite
09. Spinnen
10. Senza Titolo
Line-up
Maurizio Fasolo - machines
Alessandro Cellai - machines
Alessandro Cimignani - drums
Alex Spalck - vocals
Website
http://www.pankow.co.uk / http://www.facebook.com/pankowband
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 7
Sound: 9
Total: 8 / 10
Comments powered by CComment