潘PAN – Pan The Pansexual

You might already be familiar with 潘PAN from her appearance on Grimes’ 2015 album Art Angels, where she performed as Aristophanes on Scream. However, her 2024 EP Reborn saw the Taiwanese rapper officially lay that moniker to rest. No surprise then, that her debut LP engages heavily with issues of personal metamorphosis. These concerns surface early on Pansexual, in which metallic percussive jabs and loops of traditional Taiwanese folk instruments lend her voice a sense of urgency. FNGRMHRDR moves things in a rockier direction; a delirious tug of war between pleasure and unease that combines confident sexual expression with a deep-seated frustration at having to make herself heard.

Despite its suggestive title, 潘PAN’s debut isn’t driven by the thrust of the libido, but a disregard for the confines of both gender and genre, something exemplified on standout track Look Into The Fire. Performing in a mix of Mandarin and English, heavy bass beats and swirling drones clash with heavily processed vocals, transforming anxieties into a renewed sense of self. Teeming with ideas, and in a state of constant mutation, Pan The Pansexual can feel discombobulating, but its unpredictable structures and shape-shifting vocals make for an exhilarating listen. 

Listen to: Pansexual, Imperfect Poetry, Look Into The Fire