Who is Dizzy Panda? No idea, really. I can tell they’re a duo from Holland that’s been releasing a boat load of tracks since 2020. Scrolling through their catalog you’ll hear tones that remind you of Slide 5 or a jazz trio, or John McLaughlin and a drum machine. They’re jazzy, trippy, electric, experimental, groovy and definitely unique. Here’s our review of their latest track, “Crystal Crown.”
A dissonant and chromatic descending piano riff starts us off with a bass line that pushes the boundary of the key signature and hints at some potential atonality. A vocal pad comes in to cover the high end, followed by a simple beat and some tasty piano riffs. When the vocals come in - it resembles as much beat poetry as it does an old school jazz and blues melody. It’s punctuated by more intricate piano riffs, high pad strings and cool samples. There’s a female vocal overdub sample that adds to the mystique of the track with it’s title dropping placements and different eq’s. Structurally, it’s not what you expect. Aside from the four chord progression that guides the track, you won’t hear a verse / chorus / verse / chorus format. Yes, there are vocal sections that repeat but I wouldn’t call it a chorus as much as a recitation of the them as the whole track feels like an avant-garde piece of dissonant meditation.
A highlight of the track are the dissonant piano voicings of the 4-chord pattern, and the the fluid riffs that permeate the entire track. None of it sounds random, boring or computer generated. There’s a considerable amount of skill required to play at that level. Another highlight would be the mix and production itself. You would expect this, with its samples, instrumentation and back beat, to be a very slick production - but there’s some rough edges to the drums and vocal track that give it another unique quality. It sound more alive and raw, than slick and polished - and that’s a plus. This won’t be for everyone, but it’s definitely worthy of a spin - there’s a lot to learn from tracks like this.
Make sure you scroll down to catch their socials and other tracks. A favorite is definitely “Who Needs a Meniscus,” an EDM type track that you’d love to hear at a rave. Another one is “Turn Off the Light”, with it’s Billie Eilish type vocals, Brubeck sounding piano and trapped beats. In many respects, this project reminds me of a lot of the early EDM, trance-hop stuff coming out in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Sonically, nothing is off the table - there’s Art of Noise and Slide 5 influences here, as well as a host of acoustic ones. This is definitely an interesting band to put in your library - one that would definitely go over well in Europe, and in the States with the dance crowd. Good stuff!
