Gold Panda – Good Luck And Do Your Best
Gold Panda’s latest instalment, Good Luck And Do Your Best, is a 60-minute trip on a synthesised magic carpet. The record is the fourth full-length studio release from the British electronic music producer and he is still mainlining the same vibrations that he brought with his debut album, Lucky Shiner, back in 2010.
Holding onto his hip-hop roots, world music and soft minimalist elements of dance music which come in different forms throughout each track; Gold Panda has really outdone himself. The second track on the album, In My Car, was either a conception or just pure luck because it really is a windows-down anthem, so damn cruisy. The follow up song, Chiba Nights, on the contrary has a very upbeat sort of oriental house vibe. This oriental influence has always held strong throughout Gold Panda’s music, with unique patches and specific soundscapes in mind, Good Luck And Do Your Best is no exception.
When it comes to composition, Gold Panda’s palate is second to none. Every ounce of percussion on the album is different, from complex fills and patches to straight-up bass and snare; the drums really lead each song in their own direction. I Am Real Punk is a really encapsulating song, conversation sort of just drifts off and you find yourself in deep thought with this track as theme music. The follow-up song, Autumn, also continues on with this inclination to day dream. He chose the best song to conclude the album (personally), when you listen to Your Good Times Are Just Beginning, all you can hear is Gold Panda, he absolutely nailed it.
There is abstractness about this album though, which there always is, let’s be serious. There’s obscure background static throughout certain tracks, let alone the second last track, Unthank, which is three minutes of uninterrupted ominous church organ. With so much positivity coming from this album, after a few listens, you sort of come to realise there are actually some pretty harrowing undertones. Which is good in a sense, depending on how you feel personally at any given time is going to influence what feelings you take back from these songs. For lovers of Ta-Ku, I strongly recommend.
Review by Travis Jordan.
