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A fleet of medieval ships flying across the world to invade New York and capture Manhattan? Yes....we said flying. Is this the plot for a new blockbuster movie? No...it's the story of Dutch Drum & Bass artist Panda's latest concept album, which is out now! Check inside now for more info, how to get a special discount on the album and how to win a copy as a DNBforum.com member!
�Early in the 17th century, a tiny country in Western Europe laid the foundations for what was to be the largest metropolis in the United States. This tiny country was the Netherlands and the city was called New Amsterdam. However, British troops spoiled the fun and invaded the town sixty years later. It was renamed New York City. The Dutch have waited all these years for the right time to strike back. Now exactly four-hundred years later, that time has come. Let�s retake Manhattan!�
Unlike you might expect, this is not the introduction to a fiction novel, it is in fact the theme of a new concept album written by Panda, one of Holland�s most prolific Drum & Bass producers. Panda takes Holland�s colonial history in present-day New York City and continues the story where historians have left it off.
Before arriving in New York City however, �Retake Manhattan� first takes its listeners on a trip around the world. The mode of transportation? A classic Dutch ship, a flying one that is! In less than 74 minutes, listeners pass 14 locations in the world, each being a musical track. This thematic approach creates an album where every track has its own musical story to tell, where the elements of towns and villages all around the world come back in the form of sound. Through this form, it shows the musical diversity possible in Drum & Bass and it occasionally stretches the boundaries of the genre.
The album features accessible tracks like the club stomper �Bermuda�, the trancey �Las Vegas� and horror-themed anthem �Transylvania�. Listeners might find the techno-induced melodies in �Moscow� and �Quebec� cooling them off a bit but the warm skies in �Casablanca� quickly come to rescue. When diving in deeper, listeners experience a Middle-Eastern soundscape in �Baghdad�, the musical melancholy of �Marseille� and the sounds of Spanish guitars and flamenco dancing in �Sevilla�. Finally, in the title track �Retake Manhattan� the ship arrives on the shores of New York City where a crewmember describes the battle in lyrical form over the music.
The album has received much radio airplay and has attracted widespread attention from many international club DJs. It has been played on BBC Radio One and BBC 1Xtra in the past year, the single �Baghdad� being an exclusive feature on BBC 1Xtra�s front page. Radio hosts like Bailey, L Double, Sappo and Flight have played the music in their shows, while many tracks have also regularly been heard on the Drum & Bass Arena podcast. In clubs and at festivals around the world, the sounds of the album �Retake Manhattan� have made dance floors shake, when DJs like Simon �Bassline� Smith, Unknown Error, Mutated Forms, XO, Skyver, Muffler, Paul B or A-Sides played it.
So what has been said about Panda's music.....
"IT WILL LEAVE YOU SLACKJAWED AND DROOLING" - Mary Anne Hobbs, BBC Radio One
"THIS ALBUM TAKES YOU ON A MUSICAL JOURNEY AND WHAT A FANTASTIC ONE" - Wayz, Dogs On Acid
"TIGHT, TIGHT ROLLING BUSINESS" - Sappo, BBC 1Xtra
"VERY SLICK INDEED" - L Double, BBC 1Xtra
"THIS ALBUM IS A REFLECTION OF PANDA HIMSELF: ECSTATIC, DIVERSE AND SWEET AT THE SAME TIME" - Adi-J, Bassground
"IS THIS AN ALBUM OR A SOUNDTRACK? BIG DANCEFLOOR TUNES, GOOD STUFF!" - Tyson, Sudden Def
You will get two free posters and a free 320 KBPS MP3 copy of the album when you order 'Retake Manhattan'.
'Retake Manhattan' by Panda can be ordered directly through Wildlife Direct and is also availabe in all good drum & bass record stores including Amazon UK, the Dogs On Acid Store, the Planet DNB shop and Intense Records.
For more information please contact [email protected], visit the the album website or Panda Drum & Bass. You can find Panda on YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, Bebo and Hyves.
PandaDNB.com
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