Suburban Desert – Inner City Oasis drops May 2 at Underground Café
Delving into human emotion, anarchy, chaos and reverb-fuelled psychedelic acrobatics, Pandas in Japan have unleashed a video for their single “BLK 59”. The song comes in advance of their four song live EP Suburban Desert – Inner City Oasis cassette released through The Sound & Silence Collective label, which will be released on May 2 at Underground Café.
Containing footage from the riots in Vancouver circa along with the Kiev riots of 2013, the visuals are a violent and unsettling hubbub. “A riot is most often the result of anger caused by frustration, like when you corner an animal,” says guitarist Jonathan Walker. “The animal lashes back.”
Musically, “BLK 59” is a dense collage of skronk and teeth-gritting noise. But underlying throughout is a keen sense of pop, which is anchored by carbonated rhythms and that ubiquitous guitar hook that you can’t help but hum along to.
The other songs similarly tread across mucky prairies surf-pop realms. The vocals are often disorienting, propelling the trio into party-punk territory. Shuffle your feet, let your hair crest past your rouged eyes, and dance to the swells and ebbs.