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Hey buddy, this is America. There’s nothing that says you can’t call your hip-hop group Giant Panda.
And nothing says you can’t make a sophomore album that’s pretty darn enjoyable.
Similar to their 2005 debut, “Fly School Reunion,” Giant Panda – made up of four college buddies from California by way of Seattle – indulge a love of old-school hip-hop, when the beats and the raps were a little faster. Using low-key loops and beats that at times border on electro, they keep the tempo up and the music rolling.
“Ready to Fly” has a familiar melody, but is propelled by the tick-tock of a clock and a syncopated beat; “Speakers Pop” is bouncy and danceable and rides big synths, and “AIM” is barely hip-hop, using a loose jazz backdrop and scat-style verses as Panda drops a middle section using only words that begin with the letter “T”.
Giant Panda came up under the tutelage of People Under the Stairs’ Thes One, and the influence shows throughout ‘Electric Laser.’ Touches of late-‘80s hip-hop are blended with spare horn fills and modern touches to create an album that brings consistently high energy, whether the three-man crew is rapping about how they woo dates with a little late night-Cinemax (“Cinemax”), asking “Why you wanna hate me, Dad?” on “”Pops” or kicking verses in all Japanese (“Precise Calculator”).
Older hip-hop fans will appreciate the old-school touches that are all over ‘Electric Laser.’ Modern hip-hop fans will enjoy the Panda’s verbal skills and intricate wordplay. Generally speaking, the whole album is fun from front to back.
Hey buddy, this is America. There’s nothing that says you can’t call your hip-hop group Giant Panda.
And nothing says you can’t make a sophomore album that’s pretty darn enjoyable.
Similar to their 2005 debut, “Fly School Reunion,” Giant Panda – made up of four college buddies from California by way of Seattle – indulge a love of old-school hip-hop, when the beats and the raps were a little faster. Using low-key loops and beats that at times border on electro, they keep the tempo up and the music rolling.
“Ready to Fly” has a familiar melody, but is propelled by the tick-tock of a clock and a syncopated beat; “Speakers Pop” is bouncy and danceable and rides big synths, and “AIM” is barely hip-hop, using a loose jazz backdrop and scat-style verses as Panda drops a middle section using only words that begin with the letter “T”.
Giant Panda came up under the tutelage of People Under the Stairs’ Thes One, and the influence shows throughout ‘Electric Laser.’ Touches of late-‘80s hip-hop are blended with spare horn fills and modern touches to create an album that brings consistently high energy, whether the three-man crew is rapping about how they woo dates with a little late night-Cinemax (“Cinemax”), asking “Why you wanna hate me, Dad?” on “”Pops” or kicking verses in all Japanese (“Precise Calculator”).
Older hip-hop fans will appreciate the old-school touches that are all over ‘Electric Laser.’ Modern hip-hop fans will enjoy the Panda’s verbal skills and intricate wordplay. Generally speaking, the whole album is fun from front to back.
