Gold Panda Collaborates With Laura Lewis On New Book

Following the recent release of Gold Panda's "Good Luck And Do Your Best" the producer has announced the forthcoming release of a samely titled book featuring photographs from himself and collaborator Laura Lewis. The pair captured photographs from time spent in Japan drawing particular focus to the moods and colours of the suburban environment in which they travelled. Gold Panda describes the experience: 

"In 2014 I was introduced to Laura through a mutual friend and we decided to see – through sound recording and photography – if we could capture what I liked about the places I visit on my trips to Japan. We didn't have a set plan but rather than find tourist spots or even places off the beaten track, we decided to explore suburbia. Places that might be considered mundane and boring by the people living there.
 
Laura’s photos inspired me to make another record. I pinned some images up in my studio and got to work. Happily, a couple of Laura’s photos became the artwork for the album but it became clear that in order to let each photo breathe, we would need a better medium. 
 
So that is the way this book came together. Put simply, it is a document of our time in our favourite place. A place that inspired some music and made some memories. Seeing what we saw and how we saw it. Small things, normal things, everyday things that to us, with the time to pause and look in from the outside, showed the most beauty and gave us happiness.”

Laura Lewis is a Scottish photographer who has worked on numerous projects with record labels, artists and everything in between. She reflects upon the process of shooting and compiling the book:

"I photographed absolutely everything I could using quite a few cameras, including my trusty Canon AE1 and Mamiya 7ii. We came back to the UK with a huge body of work. In time some of the images would turn into cover artwork for Derwin's album and singles, and the idea for a book was born. Good Luck and Do Your Best shares its name with Derwin's album – the title came from a Hiroshima taxi driver's parting words to us. People doing their best and trying hard is one of the underlying themes in a lot of the photography we collated, so a continuation under the same name seemed very apt. The GLADYB project encompassed music, travel and photography, and was a really wonderful thing to to have been part of. It was an inspiring process and I know I will always look back on the experience, Japan, our travels there, and the work we produced together, extremely fondly. In essence, I feel the book is a representation of my first-time eyes on the country so loved by my guide, his fondness for its rich culture, quirks and design realised through the photography we collated together. I hope you enjoy the book.”

Buy the book HERE.