Mixel Pixel Rainbow Panda

• Words: Sean O'Neal
• Label: Mental Monkey

On their third album, NYC trio Mixel Pixel unloads trippy electro-folk that plunges mercilessly into your bewildered brain with schizophrenic emotion. From happy, bubbly Japanese-style pop ditties to nervous, livid meat grinders, Rainbow Panda nonetheless flows with tasteful shrewdness; that is, when Mixel Pixel isn't taking pride in being charmingly annoying. Most tracks mix the blips and bleeps of familiar '80s videogames with a psychedelic landscape of folk rock, quirky guitar changes, lo-fi electronic beats and goofy lyrics. Think the punk of Joy Division fused with the haunting oddness of Roller Skate Skinny or Mercury Rev. Then add some LSD and Nintendo to the mix. Ka-blam!