The Pier: International Mother Dub is a very sweet dub track. Have you been playing it a lot at your shows?
GPGDS: We have been playing International Mother Dub for a bit over a year. It is a composition by Rachel Orke and it seems to provide a very unique physiological effect on the audience when it is performed. This track is usually an initiation into the deep meditation of a set.
The Pier: The sound quality for a live recording is top notch, who captured this live performance?
GPGDS: Joel Scanlon is the ninja sound engineer who is responsible for capturing these live sound events. We linked up with him in Colorado a few years ago and he has been recording our shows in high grade quality since. He recently came on board as our full time sound engineer and dub specialist and is killing the competition.
The Pier: I understand the band is planning on releasing a live album this summer, what can you tell us about it at this stage?
GPGDS: LIVE UP! is the title of our new live record, scheduled to be released on August 25. We searched very hard through Mr. Scanlon’s recordings to find the perfect fit of performances that represents the sound we have been creating live since we released Slow Down three years ago. In many ways it is our own compilation of Giant Panda past.
The Pier: What else have you got planned for 2009?
GPGDS: 2009 will keep moving rock steady and fine with a performance at Reggae On The Rocks, a West Coast tour with Israel Vibration, as well as about 20 dates with our good brothers Rebelution. Beyond that, we look forward to finishing lots of work in the studio to release a new record for the earwaves.
The Pier: Nice. What are some of your favorite compilation albums?
GPGDS: I got to discover some of my favorite music through compilations. My favorite compilation album has to be Ghana Soundz, which features 70’s funk from Ghana, West Africa right around the time that they were first getting down to James Brown. Every track is Pure Fire!
