Derwin Schlecker, aka Gold Panda, has lived in Japan on and off for the last several years. His fascination with the country sprouted as an adolescent obsession with Japanese culture, before evolving into an academic passion at the University of London.
Schlecker did a wide-eyed semester abroad, and two years ago he made a long trip to gather field recordings and pictures for a documentary with the photographer Laura Lewis. The materials that make up his new album released in may 2016, Good Luck and Do Your Best, are directly inspired by his recent experiences, like the unfathomably beautiful pink and green light that rains down on Japan in certain months. The twilight hours, or the photographer’s “magic hour,” coalesce into a sonic approximation, seemingly extended to infinity for the album’s first single, “Time Eater.”
The raw materials Schlecker works with in “Time Eater” luxuriate in the same calming brightness of dusk. It’s atmospheric strings feel almost gaseous, evaporating into mist and then popping with color as percussion enters the frame. Even as the track quickens, slathering on heaps of rich sounds, it remains peaceful and meandering. It ends like the content sigh that one breathes after a long, fulfilling day, making it very apparent that “Timer Eater” is as thoughtful as Schlecker’s music has been in years.
This event is presented by Digital in Berlin. Check out our Facebook page to win tickets.
Gold Panda
Wednesday, 5 October 2016 | Door 20:00 | Start 21:00
Berghain | Am Wriezener Bahnhof | 10243 Berlin/Friedrichshain
iamgoldpanda.com | berghain.de
