PAN makes its boldest step onto the dancefloor yet with a full-length offering from Berlin-based Objekt (née TJ Hertz), a techno auteur coming off a hot streak of twelves and a split EP with Dopplereffekt. Flatland is a fantastic collection, an album that breaks the flexible mode for PAN both aurally and visually.

Visually, mainly because the artwork is so “not-PAN”. We’ve become so used to the abstract geometry that overlays much of Bill Kouligas’s design work, that our jaws practically dropped when we saw the hi-res unraveling spool of tape on the cover of Flatland. The tape spool seems appropriate, however, considering how clearly Hertz demonstrates his influences on the disc.

“Ratchet” delivers a classic Drexciya homage, and leads into the sublime “Strays”, a killer fusion of kraut/motorik and frayed techno, all with an enviably delicate touch. Elsewhere, Objekt dips into Actress-like deformations (“Second Witness”) and a riff on Porter Ricks (“One Stitch Follows Another”). Really, the whole thing is a blast – there are plenty of other points of interest, and if you are into unlocking the techno labyrinth, I would suggest Flatland for your weekend listening.