Pan Project
Neuma, 2021
9/10
A very cultured ensemble consisting of gamin (piri, saenghwang, taepyeongso), Jeff Roberts (guqin), Ned Rothenberg (shakuhachi, bass clarinet), Ying-Chieh Wang (erhu), Woonjung Sim (Korean percussion) and Sae-Yeon Jeong (vocals), as Pan Project they bring several East Asian traditions to their inimitable formula, where their native instruments illuminate their deep ties to Chinese, Korean and Japanese heritage.
“Kangwon” starts the listen with strategic percussive sounds as winds enter with much beauty, and, further into the track, well timed, plucked strings add much to the organic formula. “Yi Gu Ren” then follows and brings a bare delivery of strings and winds interacting with a very poetic approach.
Deeper into the listen, “Sugungga (Song Of The Sea Palace)” unfolds across 5 installments that welcome Jeong’s expressive storytelling to the often unpredictable and squealing moments, while “Si Xiang Gi” drones a bit with much ambience as a blurry, mysterious landscape unfolds.
The final track, “The Bell Runs Deep Blue”, textures twinkling percussion, soothing winds and subtle strings amid much cautious atmosphere, as the respective strengths of the players is quite appreciated.
‘Pan’ actually means ‘coming together’ in Korean, and that certainly applies to the vision here, as this cross cultural experience also unites improvisation with experimental ideas, effectively putting an entirely new spin on world music.
Travels well with: Richard Carr- Over The Ridge; Juraj Kojs- Imagine