Moon Panda - “Falling”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 4

Pairs Well With…Mitski, Alt-J, Beach House

Last year was a benchmark year for Danish duo Moon Panda anchored by the releasee of their debut full-length What On Earth, a pensive, airy record that finds space within a chilled, indie-rock format. Impressively patient and constant in its cooled R&B grooves, What On Earth is natural, expressive, and still a little otherworldly, all instruments and production floating in tandem. While a series of slow and mid-tempo tracks, Moon Panda’s debut is subtly moving, never bursting but always heading in a natural direction. It seems like Moon Panda is eager to share some new material judging from recent social posts, so SXSW should be an amble opportunity to catch onto their consistent, hypnotic soul soundscapes. (Kevin McStravick) 

2022 Review: Danish ambient pop duo Moon Panda take a minimalist approach to their music, a swinging bassline and classic pop guitar patterns forming a precise core that connects the spacier atmospheres back to ground level. Airy, bedroom rock, but with slow eclecticism to their vibing melodies, Moon Panda’s style is just weird enough to not fall into a lull across the early singles from their upcoming full-length What On Earth. SXSW 2022 will be a bit of a full circle for Moon Panda - the lovely, R&B-grooved first single “Vacationer” was written after Covid took down the festival in 2020 and they were stranded with no way to travel internationally.