IM // UR

BEFORE TODAY by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti

It doesn’t take much to make me feel stupid. Trying to find the words to describe the debut album of Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti at 4AD is just one of many examples I could give you. To me, ‘Before Today’ sounds like an album that Kevin Barnes could be recording if he loved goth bands more than funk ones. Or like the cold wave genre entering a multicoloured psychedelic stage instead of glazing at it's own depression. Don’t mind my threadbare examples; this is the album that will make it onto every interesting top 10 of the year and you don’t wanna miss it.

WE // R \\ WEARING

I can't resist (probably overpriced) basics-with-a-twist. My wardrobe, full of T by Wang, Oak, Bassike and yes, American Apparel is proof of this; and since in Australia, a new favourite has emerged in the form of Nathan Smith. His selection of supersoft tees, tanks and dresses have sucked me into buying multiples of a number of styles in different colourways. You just can't go wrong with these though! Addictively and endlessly wearable - and not in actual fact, overpriced in the slightlest - Nathan Smith is the way forward for your wardrobe.

WE // R \\ WATCHING

I don’t think any series will treat teenagers the same way that Freaks and Geeks did almost 10 years ago. Although relying on every teen American cliché they could, this series was the closest thing to reality you could get whilst still being something fun and interesting to watch – cause, you know, life is boring. With bands like The Who, The Clash and XTC being either part of episodes or the soundtrack, this 80’s based cult show was short-lived (only 18 episodes), but long enough to enrich the careers of some young actors (i.e. James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Busy Philipps and, erm, Linda Cardellini) and is greatly missed. Can we have a movie about them meeting again in the 00’s?

WE // R \\ GOING

Once, a friend of mine wanted to take me to this 'cheap Chinese restaurant', situated in the heart of Liberdade, a Japanese neighborhood in São Paulo. When we got there the place was packed, but because it looked cheesy and kinda poor, I didn't want to wait it out. It took another friend for me to go back there and fall in love with it. Now, every time the mood for some freshly made noodles (you can watch the chief making the noodle dough through a window) framed in some horribly painted pink walls takes me, I go for Rong He. Did I mention the food is also incredibly generous and cheap?

WE // R \\ READING

The ultimate in peeping tom into other, cooler, more fashionable, richer, quirkier and more-hipster-than-thou lives is Todd Selby's The Selby. Having previously been an internet only voyeur's dream, Todd has just last month released The Selby Is In Your Place, a book the coffee table tome full of twee drawings, colourful interiors and people showering. Half of the images in the books are favourites from the website and the other is stuff he hasn't published online yet. So go check it out, maybe buy it if you can to make your crappy coffee table in your crappy apartment that little bit cooler with pictures of someone else's cool stuff.

Posts tagged with gold_panda

Gold Panda // Interview

Monday // August 17, 2009 at 13:00 // filed under Music

Self Portrait by Gold Panda for IM//UR

The previously verbose Gold Panda answered a bunch of questions for us. Sadly, he was uncharacteristically reticent in comparison to prior interviews that I've read. Never mind though, the heartbreaking intimacy that you can feel from his music makes up for this. From all the tracks I've heard from Gold Panda, this strong silent type that answered my questions matches my image of the man behind the incredibly lush and atmospheric electronica that with it carries the grace of someone with a little more to say than whatever his press release says (which incidentally, is quite a lot in itself).

Originally an Essex boy, but having been a denizen of East London for quite a while, Gold Panda has spent some time behind the counters of both records stores and adult stores (which he found no less seedier than the other). The rest of his time he chose to create archives of electronic music into volumes of material. Choosing to then dip into remixing (cop a couple of mp3s at the end of the interview), he turned his attention to the likes of Little Boots, Telepathe, Bloc Party, Marina and the Diamonds and Simian Mobile Disco (who he's about to go on tour around the UK with) - not to even mention the beauty of Gold Panda's own tracks, which are just as, if not more, startling (grab 'Quitter's Raga' after the jump).

Full of glowing hope and a comforting static, Gold Panda tracks skip and jump on their musical journeys; reflecting a calm that belies an almost anxious frolic through a gorgeously rich landscape of sound. Very evident is Gold Panda's Japanese obsession; having spent two years studying at the School of Oriental and Asian Studies learning how to read and write Japanese. This comes through in the gentle precision in collating his extensive influences - from hip hop to minimal techno. Honestly, this is seriously glorious stuff.

Interview after the jump >>

› Read the rest of this entry

POSTED BY CHRISTEL ESCOSA

TAGS: Gold Panda // LINKS: Gold Panda

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Chrome's on Telepathe, The Shoes & Gold Panda

Tuesday // June 16, 2009 at 20:47 // filed under Music

Will we ever stop posting remixes for the Brooklyn duo Telepathe? Probably not - well, that is, of course, if they keep them coming as good as these two latest efforts. After Frankmusik, Mad Decent, The Mae Shi, The Big Pink, and much more, now it's time for the British producer Gold Panda and French duo The Shoes to give 'Chrome's On It' even more remix love.

The Shoes have two versions of the remix, one that plays with the lyrics and inserting a bullet noise whilst the girls sing they "can make a real bang bang", while the other has hip hop drums, dry synths and a constant change of sound that includes some disco tribal breaks. The Gold Panda remix is backed with some interesting synths - think Metronomy vs. Postal Service - ethereal drums and the full use of the original vocal. Less danceable than the Shoes remix, but far more interesting.

Flash Content

Telepathe - Chrome's On It (The Shoes Remix) [mp3]

Flash Content

Telepathe - Chrome's On It (Gold Panda Remix) [mp3]

Can we have another round of Telepathe remixes, please?

EDITED 29th June 2010: The Shoes have kindly informed us that their apparent remix above ISN'T one of theirs! Our bad...! No idea who actually did the track then - let us know if you do... x

POSTED BY RAPHAEL CAFFARENA

TAGS: The Shoes, Telepathe, Gold Panda // LINKS: Telepathe

COMMENTS // 1