May: 7 bass & club releases you need to hear this month

Various 'Mono No Aware' (PAN)

It’s surprising that a label known for making club rhythms out of jagged, dissonant sounds would release an incredibly strong ambient compilation. Pan, the Berlin imprint headed by Bill Kouligas, delve into various landscapes here, drifting between the earthly and the celestial, the harsh and the smooth. What usual Pan releases and ‘Mono No Aware’ have in common is the way the artists explore and use space, whether by stretching long phrases or creating claustrophobia. There are soft, sombre reflections (French producer Malibu’s track makes excellent use of gasps and string instruments) and loud, expanding statements (‘Justforu’, by Mexican artist Mya Gomez, rotates like glass in sunlight, glittering all the while). Also featuring notable Pan alumni such as Mesh and Yves Tumor, this comp pushes us to rethink what certain sounds mean in the context of the club.

9/10