Gold Panda, Revolver, Melbourne

Originally known for remixing the likes of Simian Mobile Disco and Bloc Party, 2009’s Gold Panda has since come a long way. Late 2010 saw the release of the British producer’s debut LP ‘Lucky Shiner’ while early 2011 saw him ride his, well over due, wave of success all the way down to the Southern Hemisphere; Australia.

As a backdrop Melbourne’s Revolver is the perfect location; its dark industrial setting alight with an array of urban guerilla art including Shepard Fairy’s trademark Obey Giant. When the bouncing beats of ‘You’ start it’s head down and hood up. Something Gold Panda’s live shows have become known for. Though it seems with a little more than a year of live gigging under his belt the usually stage shy Derwin Panda is no more. While convulsing back and forth, eyes darting between levels and around knobs the Essex-born lad seems more confident on-stage; as if finally it feels comfortable.

Tonight both the EP and the LP are explored sans the vocals; instead it’s the instrumental, the synthetic and the vinyl crackles. The transition from the lofi folk strums in ‘Parents’, to the repetitiveness of a chiming glock in ‘Same Dream China’ stops time seeming almost instant. Such Eastern influences are a running theme throughout the show but not before ‘Snow and Taxis’ brings calm drenched in a glistening synth wash.

Though doleful and almost profound in sound Derwin still manages to bring a warm (synth) overlay to a tale of melancholy solo travel. Tracks such as ‘Long Vacation’ and ‘I’m With You But I’m Lonely’ in some respects do sound as lonely as their titles suggest and you would be forgiven for questioning the sanity of the dancing patrons. But there’s something hopeful that lingers. And tonight the whole front-room of Revolver is a sea of nodding heads; nodding with conviction. And it’s not over. An extra 30 minutes keep the crowd at ease and then ‘Quitters Raggers’ drops and so to do the inhibitions. It’s technically complex yet sonically simple allowing danceability and stammering, bass heavy beats to hold the floor.

Then there’s the encore. With nowhere to run and a room full of people saying otherwise, Gold Panda jumps back on stage and for his first but certainly not last time in Australia, fuses his fingers with the energetic, unpredictable Game-boy sounds of ‘Win San Western’. Right at this very moment it’s hard to imagine that this same unpredictable sonic trajectory can equally be appreciated in the home environment; when the light meets day. Tonight we let the light fall.

Revolver, 229 Chapel St, Prahran, Melbourne. revolverupstairs.com.au. Photo Credit: Buzzby Gray.