Pan-Pot
Awakenings ADE 2023
There's always that one guy in a bucket hat who won't stop shouting 'Proper techno mate!' over a literal trance classic. Awakenings ADE 2023 is absolutely heaving with techno tourists who look like they've been awake since Wednesday. Watching them try to process a massive, emotional breakdown while chewing on a piece of gum like it owes them money is top-tier entertainment. The massive industrial space is a barrage of relentless strobe lighting, feeling like a high-speed wind tunnel of sheer, kinetic energy. This Pan-Pot live set is an absolute weapon, pushing the Techno boundary at a relentless 139.5 BPM.
The sonic profile is massively skewed towards the low-end, delivering a guttural, chest-rattling bass while the mids and highs are kept surprisingly sparse. They heavily dominate the 12A key, creating a dark, hypnotic tension that never fully resolves. The mixing is aggressive and fast, slamming heavy kicks together to keep the crowd on their toes. The crate-digging here is delightfully unpretentious, mixing punishing techno with absolute main-stage anthems. They drop Tiësto's 'Adagio for Strings' and Darude's 'Sandstorm', proving they aren't afraid to have a laugh and cause absolute scenes.
Slipping in the A.D.H.S. mix of 'When I Rock' is a proper nod to the underground. The Pan-Pot Awakenings ADE 2023 tracklist is a high-octane rollercoaster. After an 'Unknown' opening track, they waste no time getting to the heavy artillery. The undisputed peak is Lilly Palmer's devastating 'The Violator', before they completely flip the script with the closing track, the techno mix of Indila & BENNETT's 'Dernière danse'.