Raw Cuts

Pan-Pot — the Berlin duo of Thomas Benedix and Tassilo Ippenberger — have always inhabited the space between minimal and full-frequency techno, and "Raw Cuts" sits squarely in that tension. The track has an unfinished quality that reads as intentional: elements feel exposed, as if the usual production polish has been stripped away to reveal the mechanism beneath. Percussion sits up in the mix with unusual clarity, each snare and clap retaining a dry, unprocessed quality that reads as honest rather than rough. The groove is tight but not rigid, with a slight swing in the hi-hat programming that keeps the track from feeling machine-stamped. A bassline operates in the lower register with purposeful restraint — present enough to ground the rhythm but never dominant enough to overwhelm the precision work happening in the mid and upper frequencies. Emotionally, this is techno that rewards focused listening rather than background presence; it has the character of a producer's demo tape, where every creative decision is slightly more visible than it would be on a finished commercial release. It belongs in the more discerning corners of the Berlin club scene, in the transitional hours when DJs are warming up a room and the aesthetic is one of insider knowledge rather than spectacle. "Raw Cuts" treats the dancefloor as an intelligent space.