I’m not gonna lie, panda bears are probably the cutest things in existence and anyone who thinks otherwise is dead inside. Are they black? Are they white? Are they naturally so freaking adorable? Or do they have a heightened sense of awareness that lets them know when people are watching so they can turn the cute on? There are so many questions that begin to swarm your mind, but after a while you can’t help but let these queries melt away as you are consumed by something so mesmerising. Am I still talking about pandas? A little bit. But if you love those cuddly critters as much as you should, then be prepared to be enveloped in the bear hug of electronica that is Panda Bear!
The strange, intricate, and sometimes confronting world of Panda Bear is any electro lover’s wet dream. Textured, layered synths, chilled beats and ambiguous vocal samples makes for a joyous listening experience.
Forced segues aside, Panda Bear is the solo effort Noah Lennox. Hailing from Lisbon, Portugal, Noah has had a decorated career in music both under his electro beat making alias and as a part of Animal Collective, of which he is a founding member. The world has known him as Panda Bear since the release of Young Prayer in 2004, but it was the success of 2007’s Person Pitch that saw Panda Bear get the attention he rightfully deserved, and since then has seen the steady release of two more albums over the years.
A 2014 draws to a close, Panda bear is gearing up for the release of his fifth album, Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper is set for a January 13 release. For a good taste of what’s to come be sure to check out the Mr. Noah EP that was released this year. The incredibly slick production remains a true highlight, the music sounding raw and polished simultaneously, giving Panda Bear such a distinguished personality within the realm of electronic music. The textures are rich, the beats are adventurous and the layered synths are very engaging, one moment swelling, and then bopping along frantically.
And if you haven’t seen it on the blogosphere as of yet, take a geeze at the brand new clip for Boys Latin.
Holy crap did you see that? This stands as a shining example as to how a film clip can help elevate a song to amazing new heights. By itself, Panda Bear’s music remains engrossingly chill, but married with a clip such as this takes on a whole new dynamic altogether. The track suddenly becomes more haunting and ambiguous, which brilliantly makes one question their thoughts on the piece. So often music is delivered at face value, which makes the unravelling nature of Panda Bear such a joy to experience.
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