Gold Panda At Juno Download

Review: As an accompaniment to his wild and downright ace DJ Kicks mix, Gold Panda offers up this EP that takes his own "An Iceberg Hurled Northward Through Clouds" track and accompanying versions to shimmer under the microscope by itself. The original is a gloriously rich combination of ethnic instrumentation and awkward house groove, punctuated by a piano stab. "Through Clouds" distils a few of the key elements down to a short and punchy take, while Peaking Lights take an equally psychedelic stance on their two remixes. Of the two, the vocal cut wins out for pure stargazing loveliness.

Review: When it comes to Gold Panda releases, you never quite know what you're going to get. On one hand, it might be skittish, wonky and unusual; on the other, it may be a rush-inducing blast of electronic positivity. By and large, this second album delivers lashings of the latter, with his trademark shimmering electronics, darting synths and pleasing melodies riding waves of floor-friendly rhythms. There's a pleasing percussive intensity about the sun-bright goodness of "Junk City II" and "Brazil", while jack-era Chi-town drums underpin the picturesque rural imagery of "An English House". It's these kinds of unusual but brilliant combinations that make Half of Where You Live a particularly potent set.

Review: What's so striking about the tracklisting for Gold Panda's entry into the DJ Kicks canon is its diversity, erring towards a more stripped-down, experimental kind of techno but ranging across Drexciya, Zomby and Bok Bok. Despite this erraticism, the flow of the mix is relatively smooth to begin with, but around Christopher Rau's "Do Little", the mix drifts off into a strange and sparse minimal hinterland. By the time the wall of chords in Giuseppe Ielasi's "2" hits you, it's hard to remember where it all began. In that sense, Gold Panda has served up one of the most daring DJ Kicks compilations in a long time. Recommended.