On the heels of his recent “go with the fire” and its accompanying music video, Josh Pan returns to 88rising for “Float.” His third release of 2021 following his hit collaboration “Supersonic (My Existence)” with Skrillex, Josh Pan’s “Float” is available worldwide. “Float” also features an accompanying music video, and serves as the second and final installation of Josh Pan’s 2-part video series.
A producer, songwriter, vocalist, DJ and multi-instrumentalist, Josh Pan is a jack-of-all-trades. Never sticking to any singular genre or conventional style, Josh Pan constantly reinvents the wheel of what artistic breadth can and should be. His latest single “float” is a unique reflection of just that. Exploring universally felt motifs of loss and desperation, Josh Pan’s “float” chronicles grief and reconciliation. Textural synth patterns best characterize the single swathed in Pan’s elegant vocal charm. Buoyant lyrical performance, reminiscent of the tracks title, carries the 3-minute and 42-second track to fruition. A sonic display of Josh Pan’s diverse musical talents and songwriting skills, “float” is the exciting follow-up to Pan’s “go with the fire.”
“While it’s lyrics present obvious meaning, with feelings of loss and desperation, mourning the end of a relationship, ‘float’ is to be left up to the interpretation of the listeners,” explains Josh Pan on his latest single. “The feelings and ideas portrayed through the lyrics can be applied to any situation and any relationship whether romantic, platonic, familial, or even a relationship with a substance or addictive behavior. Apply the lyrics and feelings of this song to the context of your own life and tell me what it means to you.”
“Float” is Josh Pan’s third release since his summer 2021 coalescence with Skrillex, Dylan Brady, and Noisia for “Supersonic (My Existence),” where Pan performed vocals for the collaborative effort. The single quickly rose to critical acclaim, garnering 25 million+ streams across DSPs since its release. His latest solo release was the sultry “go with the fire,” which recently received an adrenaline-pumping heist-oriented music video accompaniment. “Float” is the second half of a 2-part short film series created by Pan, following his “go with the fire.”
Whether in the recording studio, at the club, or onstage at leading music festivals like Coachella, Josh Pan has one thing in mind: deliver the unexpected. The U.S.-born, Taiwan-raised producer, songwriter, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and DJ is unburdened by genre, style or convention. Naturally eclectic, he is also a designer and fine artist.
Recently taking part in Asia Rising Forever, an online festival hosted by 88rising, Pan is working with the music label on his next, yet-untitled album due this fall. With Pan in the producer and vocalist seats, his next collection of works will be preceded by its first single, “Go with the Fire,” a somber dance track that has a haunting hook. It’s an ideal symbol for Josh Pan: diving into the unknown and “going with the fire.”
Born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the son of Taiwanese parents who came to the U.S. for grad school and remained for two decades, Pan soaked up a musical childhood with classical piano and voice lessons. Then at age six his parents brought him to Taiwan, where the still-developing nation induced a sudden culture shock. Pan soon discovered his musical path: creating hip-hop beats, beatboxing, breakdancing and making graffiti art. His sonic world cracked further open when a friend introduced him to Kanye West, Alicia Keys, The Beatles and other artists. Despite pressure to hew an academic path, he knew that he wanted to be a creator and a performer; his smooth, expressive voice gave him initial confidence to become a finalist on a prominent Taiwanese singing competition.
With his parents encouraging college, Pan moved back to the U.S. to attend Penn State, where he graduated with a marketing degree while dipping his toes into music production and DJ work. After graduation he moved to New York City and as a grad student at Parsons School of Design. With “a lot of time to think” and the strengthening allure of music production, Josh Pan found his identity.
As a songwriter and performer, Pan first established a presence on Soundcloud with such hits as “Touch the Sky,” “Rock with You” and “Bubble,” a hybrid tune fusing trap, club and melody. In December 2014 he released his first EP, Pandora’s Box. With his steady musical output and marketing savvy, he began to fuel rumors that “Josh Pan” was actually a collective of 20-odd producers, graphic designers and photographers.
Discovered by 88rising’s Sean Miyashiro, who became his first manager, Pan was also noticed by Skrillex, who signed him to his music label Owsla in 2015. Pan soon began his rise with the dark EDM hit “Platinum” (ft. X&G), which Skrillex named among “Fave Songs of the Moment” published by Entertainment Weekly. The eight-time Grammy winner called Josh Pan “one of my favorite producers coming up right now, ever. He’s doing incredible things with sound and songwriting. He does all his own vocals. He’s one of the smartest people I know.”
Pan continued his trajectory with such eclectic projects as “Give It to Ya” (ft. ABRA), “Banned from the Motherland” (ft. Jay Park, Simon Dominic and G2), the 14-minute “It G Ma Opus”(ft. Anderson .Paak) and his breakout 2017 hit with X&G,“nowhere.” His 2018 album The World Within delivered a genre-bending mix of electronic, dance, hip-hop and pop, including the bouncy pop track “Undefeated.” He followed with the 2019 pop rock album This Car Needs Some Wheels, an album exclusively voiced by Pan, written and produced with Dylan Brady of 100 Gecs. A heartfelt look at modern life and its apocalyptic signs, the 11-track album yielded the pensive single “Save the World.”
Pan’s shape-shifting diversity is seen in the breadth of festivals where he’s performed: from Coachella and Hard Summer in Southern California, to Shambhala in British Columbia, to the electronic Ultra Music Festival in Korea and Singapore. Surprising live audiences, he says, goes to the heart of his personal mission as an artist, akin to his drive to continually write different kinds of songs. Putting thoughtful creative effort – and genuine soul – into music isn’t just a work ethos; it’s the essence of Josh Pan.
Josh will be performing at Head In the Clouds Festival at the Rose Bowl this November.
