Electric Laser

Giant Panda

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 20, 2008)
• Original Release Date: May 6, 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: TRES RECORDS
• ASIN: B0015U0OMI
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #228,056 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Giant Panda have returned! Their debut album, Fly School Reunion,
dropped in 2005 and was received by unsuspecting ears that caught
the raw sounds bursting forth. With their sophomore effort Giant Panda
has definitely graduated . Electric Laser is the name of the game, and
Giant Panda plays it well. The production is much like its predecessor,
yet still fresh and innovative. Drums are still bangin with snares and
kicks dominating the forefront, but the melodies, chops & loops are not
totally traditional jazzy or funky. Thick, electro-fused samples are laced
deep in the cuts of this record. Justin Case is a nice introduction to
newcomers (just in case you didn t know) and a grand introduction to
the new style of the album to established fans of Giant Panda.
The lyrical content makes this album stand ahead of what most are
used to from Giant Panda. Humor (see CinemaX and Do The Robot
In Cyberspace ) and more serious subject matter (see AIM and Let
it Go ) can be found throughout the album, showing another side of
this Panda s fur. Like a caged animal, Giant Panda rages with system
pumping tracks like Speakers Pop and Speakers Funk . The
album was recorded and mixed on analog tape giving it an
extra warmth and harmonic punch.
Electric Laser is a forward step for Giant Panda, but not so
forward to lose you if you re still in Fly School.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another solid album..., May 22, 2008

By	Adam Wroblewski (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Nice mic skills by all members, taking chances on some beats..expanding a little... [..]

This is the follow up to the groups excellent debut, "Fly School Reunion."
As was the case with their first album, I know I like "Electric Laser" immediately, and this is not the disposable crap raps you hear nearly everywhere else, but with all things good, it takes a few days or weeks to really grasp it all. It's not the most complicated album you'll hear, and they've used less wax samples and more keyboards in this affair, but again, this isn't the paperthin keyboard rap you hear on the radio/MTV. This is for people who love fresh hip hop, classic style hip hop, but without the dated sound.

I think "Fly School Reunion" is a 5-Star album, maybe 4 1/2. This one isn't far behind. The first song that grabbed my attention was "Speakers Pop" which gets your neck snappin'...but the song that grabbed me the most was "Pops"... For Maanumental to talk about that subject and deal with it on a track, it's about as real as it gets. I won't go into the subject matter, but it's a complicated, emotional issue... and combined with the beat and chorus, it all comes together. I'm not going to compare it to T.R.O.Y., but it reminded me of it because of the way the MC really is putting it all out there. Whatever, it's hard to explain, but those cats get mad props on that one.

The rest of the songs are jams, and although, overall, I think their debut hits a little harder, the electro-keys vibe is very consistent throughout, and this album is just in time for summer days and nights.

I highly recommend buying this album, or buying the download. (and their other stuff, if you're sleepin' on it.)