The mysterious Hugh Betcha on Pan-Pot's newest single most likely takes his name from Canada's sketch comedy masterpiece 'SCTV.' Betcha hosts 'Night Gallery,' an apt name for the type of atmosphere that 'Charly' creates over its nine minutes. The track is a cocaine narrative that hits its first climax as Betcha's partially obscured pitched-down vocal clearly intones "Hits your brain like some kinda ego-driven train."
The train in question is undoubtedly the chugging melody, rising ever upward in its inexorable, entrancing loop. That ego? The steady hi-hat laden beat. Your brain? Your brain.
Label head Anja Schneider pops up on the B-side with her 'Tex Mex Mix,' which along with Kiki's recent 'Cowboy Mix' of 'Trust Me' should allow DJs to make a nice quick excursion to the Old West. It's a solid rework, but it doesn't touch the original's sense of foreboding atmosphere, offering little aside from more prominent hand drums. (As my old friend Hugh Betcha might say, "It's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.")
Pan-Pot, aka Tassilo Ippenberger and Thomas Benedix, have been steadily building their reputation on the Mobilee and Einmaleins Musik labels with ten singles and a host of remixes. It's been a rather stunning work rate, but it's also created an equally stunning body of work. 'Charly' may just be their best yet.
Tracklist: Pan-Pot - Charly
A Charly
B Charly (Anja Schneider's Tex Mex Mix) | 
