Panda Force - Panda Force

Dance is one of the more ubiquitous terms in pop music today, applied to bands as stylistically disparate as Major Lazer and Franz Ferdinand. Panda Force is certainly closer to the latter on the spectrum of dance-influenced music, but the group further reinforces the breadth of the term. Comprised of students David Munoz, Navid Nafissi, Matt Feinman and Aidan Stallworth, Panda Force uses the opaque label of “post-rock dance” to describe their sound on their Myspace, but a single listen sheds light on what this means.  

Based more on propulsion than melody, Panda Force relies heavily on Stallworth’s guitar and Nafissi’s persistent clatter. Opener “End of the World” actually treads near the territory of Franz Ferdinand, as a funky groove carries Stallworth’s rapid-fire verses. Elsewhere, “Nightmare” introduces a synth burble and a lyrical guitar riff to Panda Force’s aesthetic, and “New Riff” displays the band at its most melodic. Throughout, the album’s feel is relatively consistent—sonic flourishes are kept to a minimum, and Stallworth’s emotive voice is presented entirely without effects.

Panda Force doesn’t offer “dance music” in the traditional sense, like many of today’s bands who describe themselves as such. But their first record explores new dimensions of dance, in the process showing just how diverse the genre has become.