Born in Peckham, London and raised in Chelmsford, Essex, records and performs under the name Gold Panda. He lived in Japan for a period and studied at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, experiences that would leave a lasting imprint on the warmth and wandering quality of his music. Gold Panda began writing beats and collaborating in the late 2000s, first drawing attention through a series of instantaneously praised remixes that attracted the interest of labels, blogs, and tastemakers, leading to commissions to rework tracks from artists including Telepathe, Bloc Party, Simian Mobile Disco, and The Field. After releasing several small-issue 7-inch records and singles in 2009, he signed with Ghostly International in 2010 to release his debut full-length, Lucky Shiner.
The album went on to win the Guardian's prestigious First Album Award for 2010, and saw Gold Panda nominated in the BBC's Sound of 2010 list. Critically acclaimed for its intricate layering of melodic samples, field recordings, and glitchy electronics, it established him as one of the most distinctive voices in British electronic music.
Subsequent albums followed Half of Where You Live in 2013, Good Luck and Do Your Best in 2016, and most recently The Work in November 2022, his sixth studio album, released on City Slang. Each record has seen him evolve: from the hazy, sample-driven warmth of his debut to explorations of techno, ambient, and IDM territory.
Live, Gold Panda is a compelling and energetic presence, performing with hands-on electronic equipment rather than a conventional DJ setup, manipulating and sequencing music in real time. He has appeared at major festivals including Glastonbury, Primavera, Sonar, and Roskilde, cementing his reputation as an artist who consistently bridges the gap between the dancefloor and the deeply personal.
