Pan-Pot are back with a new collaboration. The Berlin techno duo has released ‘Hornet‘, a track built alongside rising French producer Chloé Martinez, out now on their own imprint HUMAN.
The title is fitting. ‘Hornet’ runs on a relentless pulse, the kind of track meant for peak-time moments as the season shifts from festival season into the indoor club circuit. Pan-Pot and Martinez lock into a shared frequency here, taking the raw drive of peak-time techno and dressing it up in a tighter, more intricate production than either artist’s solo work typically leans toward.
The release timing isn’t random. It lands right before Pan-Pot’s return to Amsterdam Dance Event, where they’re bringing back the 50:HERTZ CLUB TRAIN for a second edition on October 24. This year’s version is being billed as an all-day affair dedicated entirely to HUMAN, the label and creative platform Pan-Pot built as a companion to their SECOND STATE imprint. The lineup for that day includes Martinez herself alongside Audio State, Kaufmann, and Lalena. Once the daytime portion wraps, the whole thing rolls into a HUMAN label takeover, with Pan-Pot playing an all-night-long closing set at Het Sieraad that runs into the early hours.
Pan-Pot — the duo of Tassilo Ippenberger and Thomas Benedix — has spent the better part of two decades building out a footprint that goes well beyond DJ bookings. Between SECOND STATE and HUMAN, they’ve turned what started as labels into full event series running across Europe and North America, with a release schedule that hasn’t really slowed down. Their sound has shifted over the years, but the throughline has always been a focus on physical, in-the-room club experiences rather than chasing trends.
Chloé Martinez brings her own trajectory to the collaboration. She made her debut on the French Riviera back in 2007 and has spent the years since building a sound that moves between melodic, peak-time, minimal, and house influences rather than sitting in one lane. She built her name on the Côte d’Azur before expanding into bookings across Russia, Spain, the Netherlands, and Italy, plus clubs throughout France, sharing bills with artists including Mark Reeve, DJ Hell, Jay Lumen, Nakadia, DJ Snake, Marcus Meinhardt, Nastia, Michelle Manetti, and BOHO.
HUMAN and SECOND STATE were built as an extension of where Pan-Pot’s sound has gone over the years — platforms meant to bridge straightforward techno energy with something more long-form, built around the idea that the dancefloor experience still carries weight beyond the music itself. ‘Hornet’ fits into that framework as a track that’s direct on the surface but layered underneath, and it gives a preview of the energy fans can expect when Pan-Pot and Martinez share a bill at ADE next month.
