southern records

Expanding on the rhythmic intricacies of his debut self-titled album, 2000 saw the original release of 360 Business/360 Bypass, Pan American's second album on Kranky. Being the alter-ego of Mark Nelson, born in the summer of '97, he has since released several albums.

The latest, his sixth on Kranky, released earlier this year White Bird Release constitutes a further enrichment of the elegiac ambiance and noise for which this project has become known, offering a unique perspective on the spaces between moments, the drift of modern life taken out of time and examined in intimate detail. From back in the day when Nelson started to explore the possibilities of sampling and computer technology as well as activating his interest in dub and techno, and his release in early '98, Pan American, the dub influence was pervasive; the resulting sound cavernous with echoed percussion and resonant bass drones, Nelson's hushed vocals dwelling somewhere in the middle-ground.

Nelson continued to work with his long-term band Labradford alongside his project, accumulating Rob Mazurek from Chicago Underground Trio on coronet, and Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker of Low contributing vocals. This is when the record in question was in gestation, born in early 2000 360 Business/360 Bypass was hailed as "The first unassailably great album of the century" by Fred Mills of Magnet Magazine, "Nelson has a wraith-like quality; sometimes he lurks, but you always sense his presence, a deeply haunting one that's resonant on the purest of emotional levels." The result is a collection of tracks that are uniformly beautiful despite (or perhaps because of) their sparse feel. The subtle coalescence of melody, rhythm and ambience flows at its own unhurried pace, hinting at dub, minimalist techno and jazz.

Track Listing

1. Steel Stars
2. Code
3. Double Rail
4. Coastal
5. K Luminate
6. Both Ends Fixed

The album has been long out of print, so this is the perfect opportunity for anyone to fill in the gap in their collections. Nelson released several albums after 360 Business/360 Bypass, his third being The River Made No Sound in 2002 about which he commented "When I started I really had it in mind to make a more rhythmic record influenced by house music. I did the whole thing at home by myself, so I guess by the end my natural inclination towards ambience and peaceful textures won out." In late 2002 Mark Nelson prepared the fourth Pan American album. Returning to the use of organic instruments, as is his bent, and singing a few songs, Nelson entitled the new album Quiet City and this was released to critical acclaim.

360 Business/360 Bypass is available from the Southern webshop along with Quiet City, Pan American, and White Bird Release

Cheers!