BACK IN!! Gold Panda’s debut full-length, Lucky Shiner, arrives on Ghostly International (North America & Europe) on October 12th, and Gold Panda’s own label, Notown Recordings, in the UK on October 11th. “I didn’t want to write ‘beats,’” says Gold Panda, “I didn’t want bangers. I wanted songs with structure.” And yet, despite Gold Panda’s protests to the contrary, Lucky Shiner is full of bangers—of a kind. Decamping to an idyllic retreat means the album bears trademarks of a pastorally hued Englishness; GP’s two years spent studying Japanese culture, language, and history at the School of Oriental and Asian studies in Japan also find their way into the music. “Lots of factors affected the way it came together,” he explains, “touring, mixing, moving houses and splitting with a girlfriend. Family, friends, and lovers, places I‘ve never been.” It’s that mix of directness and emotion that characterizes Lucky Shiner, an album of sparkling, beat-driven electronic music that’s easy to fall in love with, and to. Originally hailing from Chelmsford, Essex, and having spent the early part of his career as remixer for the likes of Bloc Party, Health, Telepathe, Little Boots, and Simian Mobile Disco, Gold Panda has been steadily rising through the ranks from the outset. Gold Panda was chosen as one of the BBC’s Sound of 2010 nominees; he’s toured the world with Caribou, HEALTH, Simian Mobile Disco, and is set to hit the road in the UK and the US with Autolux; and his three sold-out EPs have garnered a raft of praise from the mouths that matter (Pitchfork, NME, and The Guardian amongst them). But all this only tells half the story. Tracklisting: A1. You A2. Vanilla Minus A3. Parents A4. Same Dream China A5. Snow & Taxis A6. Before We Talked B1. Marriage B2. I’m With You But I’m Lonely B3. After We Talked B4. India Lately B5. You