Lucky Shiner Notown ****

Gold Panda is on record as saying he had no interest in making beats or bangers, but it's a different matter when it comes to dreamy textures and thrilling soundscapes. The London producer's debut album shimmers with often lush, occasionally glitchy and always enthralling ambience from top to toe. What's immediately clear from You, Snow  & Taxisand Vanilla Minusis that Gold Panda has finessed the intricate, intense pull of the tracks without losing the listener in a ream of samples and unnecessary add-ons. Instead, with the aid of hypnotic oriental chimes (used sparingly but effectively à la Susumu Yokota), mesmerising tugs of sounds, occasional sampled chants (see the sepia-tinged swings on India Lately) and soft, simple washes of synth, Gold Panda expertly arranges the sonic furniture around each track to pull the entire room together. A subtle, delectable, smart affair. See myspace.com/goldpanda

Download tracks: You, Snow Taxis, Vanilla Minus