Gold Panda

Gold Panda’s “Marriage”—the third single from the UK producer’s watershed full-length Lucky Shiner—further explores the artist’s dancefloor inclinations, with a twist. “Marriage” traffics in weightless forward momentum, placing dusty, Field-like micro-samples end to end until they forge into a seamless band across the horizon. An Asian instrument pings out a simple, contemplative melody; the roar of an overhead jet engine signals the song’s midpoint. As with Gold Panda’s best work, “Marriage”’s earthy source material transcends its origins, combining into a work of high-flying emotional art.

The “Marriage” single comes packaged with three very different remixes: UK producer Star Slinger cuts the track into a frantic halftime beat and drenches it in ecstatic synth pads; Los Angeles bedroom auteur Baths bakes the track into a honey-dripped analog confection, adding warm rhodes and wisps of his own falsetto vocals; and UK artist Forest Swords strips away everything but the melody, offering a slow-moving tribal rite—all gently plucked acoustic guitars, reverb’d drums, and eerily chanted vocals.

NOTE: The vinyl version is available April 16, 2011 for Record Store Day. Image 1 above is artwork for the 12” version. Image 2 is artwork for the digital version.