Alien Panda Jury & Shorbanoor Offer Abstract Concept Sequel 'Nothing Pictures II: The Arcade'

Lahore's Shehzad Noor Butt aka Shorbanoor and Karachi's Daniel Panjwaneey aka Alien Panda Jury just released 'Nothing Pictures II: The Arcade', a follow-up to their 2022 collaborative work 'Nothing Pictures'.

With 4 tracks written over a couple of nights, the intuitive compositions may seem lacklusterly abstract at the outset with Panjwaneey's warm synth tones underscoring Shorbanoor's morphed singing of descriptive and poetic lyrics. However, the EP's emotional effectiveness starts to come into view with some focus on lyrics and its surrounding story of a kid so deeply immersed in a video game that they come face to face with the divine.

'Nothing Pictures II: The Arcade' is one of those rare instances where having a tying concept not just elevates the work but is essential for it to stand as its compositions, like the conceptual work of 70s prog rock, tell a cohesive story while also providing outlets of standalone emotions. It doesn't just justify the minimal movement of the arpeggios of 'Mouthful of Static' and the dramatic vocal performance on 'Round 1' but showcases them as the perfect choices for this short and eventful narrative.

Listen to the EP below and follow Alien Panda Jury and Shorbanoor for more information.

Artwork by Jazib Ali and Sana Nasir