Berlin by way of Essex DJ/producer
Gold Panda
continues his exploration of soothing electronica and house beats on his second full-length album. Aside from a touch of vocal sampling (usually a single repeated phrase, for instance
Sofia Kourtesis
' looped voice saying "in this house" on "An English House"), the outing is quite similar to 2010's
Lucky Shiner
. The musical foundation tends to be built on warm, bubbly synth textures again, with the primary change being that
Derwin
's material tends to be a little more upbeat and world-oriented on this release. He quotes the films of
Takashi Miike
as the primary motivation for the Asian-styled "Enoshima," "Junk City II," "Flinton," and "My Father in Hong Kong 1961," while his travels to Sao Paulo provide the inspiration for "Reprise" (which borrows a sample from
Sergio Mendes
' "You Been Away Too Long") and "Brazil." In a few tracks,
takes a new, ambient approach by forgoing beats and chopping bells or synthesizer blips into a skittering, pulsing percussion line that feels hypnotic and mystical. While
Half of Where You Live
is a slightly more streamlined electronic album than his debut, it still manages to be a transporting work that is easy to enjoy as a hip, calming background mood piece, and stands as a nice, fitting addition to the
Ghostly International
catalog. ~ Jason Lymangrover