Album: Giant Panda – Electric Laser

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What do you get when you put science fiction and Japanese pop culture in a blender, along with a healthy dose of hip hop? You get Electric Laser, the second studio album from energetic California-based group Giant Panda. This time around, the forward thinking trio of Newman, Maanumental and Japanese-born Chikaramanga cook up a potent release, think Phillip K. Dick meets Native Tongues.

The suitably electro-injected Speakers Pop is as feel-good a recorded moment as you are going to experience this year, as GP show love to the b-boys and girls. For some of that unadulterated hip hop flavour, look no further than Same Old Sh*t, which conjures up memories of cuts like ’93 Till Infinity by Souls of Mischief. With tongue firmly in cheek, Chikaramanga delivers an ode to mid-90s call and response hip hop choruses, playing up his Japanese ancestry to hilarious effect on the hook.

The futuristic b-boy style can be heard in full effect on joints like Ready To Fly, a combination of squelchy synthesizer and heavy percussion. Laser Ray is an equally fantastic marriage between sci-fi inspired motif and a raw boom-bap vibe. Taking a break from the intergalactic party, Giant Panda get a little personal on Pops, talking about their relationships with their fathers. This is indeed modern hip hop production at its finest.   

A logical progression from 2005’s Fly School Reunion, GP make strides in their creative and artistic development throughout Electric Laser, without losing too much sight of what brought them to the dance. With dynamic beats and rhymes, this Panda is in no danger of becoming extinct. True school freshness for ’08.

Available through Tres Records