The Pier
5-27-09

Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad is not just the band with one of the biggest names in music, it is also a reggae roots dub band pushing the sonic frontiers of creative live music. Bassist and vocalist James Searl is here to introduce Pier readers into the Panda Squad’s world.

James: The players in Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad seek to create a sonic platform in which to establish a greater communication for thicker information intake for all beings present for the sound. That being said, it became clearly obvious at a certain point to all of us that the roots and dub reggae aesthetic created in Jamaica in the 1970's was one of the best and most accessible platforms for this information intake. We felt we had much in common with its musical goals. It has great signal, mass folk appeal, infinite freshness, a social group oriented meditational musical focus, and no boundaries for improvisation.

Soundscape creation and improvisation are elements to Giant Panda music that have existed from day one in all of our musical beginnings, and the players all respect and understand the power of a simple and beautiful song as a root for some serious improvisation. Often I think it sounds like going through a wormhole and having that feeling that you know you need not worry.

We play vintage instruments: Hammond Organs, Clavinets, Fender Rhodes, Guitars, Melodica, and Drums. We all sing for the most part. We were all influenced by popular music of all types from Nirvana, to Bunny Wailer, to King Sunny Ade, to the Beatles, to Radiohead. Good music is good music and we all listened to a lot of it and still do.

James: We have started working on several follow ups to Slow Down. We hope to speed up and release many soon.

James: The songs that made it on Slow Down (released 2006), made it on for no particular reason. They happened to be what we were playing in 2005 and working on. Before and since then probably over 50 songs have been written. We took to touring relentlessly and didn't get too many chances over the past few years to get into the studio and get them out as they were happening. Music moves very fast and it is interesting to see what songs have come and gone already, probably only to be back again. We hope to release our entire song catalog someday in the future.

James: The music has gelled and we've gelled together as a group - the sound has taken on its own essence. Slow Down really does not have the Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad that is here today present on the record. We love it and it represents a certain time in our lives.

It was created before Rachel (Orke) or Aaron (Lipp) were playing keys in the band (though Rachel came to the studio and played melodica so beautifully). The music has been through lifetimes of change over the past three years and it seems more important to document it as it goes on then to try to get better and better. Listening to show recordings from two years ago, we realize that we were relentless in pushing our style to the brink. It sounds great. Today's stuff sounds totally different and equally wonderful. Not so much up and up but round and round.

James: We have never spent as much time in a studio as we would like. The creative process is really a fluid and respectful one in general. We are probably all our favorite players to play with, and by now, if you write a song you trust the other players to make it sound like their personalities. It’s all love, so it really works out.

We spent the past three years really feeling out the live universe. It was a goal and I think that we have accomplished a lot towards understanding that atmosphere. Now, we seek to spend much more future time in the studio, and understand the depths of that space. In truth, most reggae and dub comes from that side of the sound board and we feel prepared to dive into it and see where it takes us.

James: There are so many many many. Recently, we played Cervantes in Denver. The crowd was so nice and friendly and the vibes so high that it fueled some very serious deep space meditations in dub that seem to have lasted quite a while. I remember looking out into the crowd and really feeling that we were all in the same space with the music, and that the communication and information thing we desire so much was really taking place. It was really something and a moment I will remember.

The Pier: Sweet. Besides the shows themselves, can you share with us any highlights/stories from being on the road or even better any disasters?

James: Our life on the road is highly mystical and bizarre. We meet the strangest and best people at the most specific moments and places. It is very surreal and ancient feeling. One time we spent all night on a beach in SoCal howling at the moon until it disappeared into the blackest night any of us have ever seen. We were sure Armageddon was upon us. When the morning light came, the sky was still thick and black and we were sure we were losing our minds and burning in hell. We then realized that California was on fire five miles away from us in the biggest San Diego fire they had seen yet. Epic for sure. Our publicist Curtis and our spiritual advisor AVK were there to see it too.

The Pier: You got to play in Jamaica for a few weeks. What was that like?

James: That was amazing, eye opening and forever inspirational. We felt like broke Jamaican musicians playing for tourists most of the time, but everything else was Live Up essential. We hope to return and share more music someday in the future.

James: We would very much like to go to South America and Japan. That would seem very huge to us. Africa as well.

The Pier: What else have you got planned for 2009 in terms of touring and releases?

James: We have been compiling live material for over a year. We plan on releasing most of it. It is amazing to hear how the sound changes from night to night and how the versions grow and move from place to place. We will be releasing a live album or two, as well as a new album recorded to tape, and some DVDs of live situations.

We will continue relentless touring. We are very honored to be playing Reggae On The Rocks at Red Rocks this summer with Lee Perry, Israel Vibrations, Steel Pulse, The English Beat, and Fishbone. We are psyched to perform at Rothbury Festival in Michigan, Wakarusa in Arkansas, as well as many other great places.

The Pier: Fun last question. How do most people react when you tell them the name of your band?

James: They usually tell us it’s a long name and that they love it. Or they say that they have never heard of us and they came out to the show because "they just had to see it...with a name like that.” People love it or hate it. Rarely is there no reaction. Some tell us to change it.

Call it whatever you want. That's the point. We make music. Having a name is secondary. No one ever forgets it after they see us play. Guerilla Panda Dub Squad Giant is fine by us. Dub Guerilla Giant Panda Squad. Or you can just call it Panda. Or Squad....we want to give you all some freedom. It’s for the ADD generation. The creative ones.

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