Gold Panda

Gold Panda usually takes his time, trafficking in expertly paced mid-tempo hip-hop beats and lush, synthetic/organic textures; so when the UK producer nods towards the dancefloor, the effects are exhilarating. “Snow & Taxis”, the first official single from Gold Panda’s multi-faceted debut Lucky Shiner, is one of the record’s tantalizingly few genuine club-leaning moments, a 4/4 symphony of pinging bells and sugar-sweetened strings. The track’s tone is hopeful yet melancholy, every bit as poignant as its namesake wintertime cab ride. It’s not an easy feat, but Gold Panda makes “Snow & Taxis” sound like the act of heading home.

The “Snow & Taxis” single is accompanied by two remixes. Cologne-based producer Glitterbug’s “Pink Snow Balls Remix” stretches Gold Panda’s original to nearly twice its length, expanding the track’s sense of time into nine minutes of luscious ambient twirls and swirls. UK producer Throwing Snow bumps the BPM to a near-frantic speed and stirs up a flurry of micro-samples that lend “Snow & Taxis” a giddy, disorienting rush.