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Ginger Juice

I met Matt and Chris O’Brian in 1993. The relationship was musical right from the start, centering around Nirvana, Jane’s Addiction, Bob Marley, etc. The influences deepened and widened with age and we were always making music around each other or together. It was always original. We were constantly writing songs. Bombsquad made the transition into Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad shortly after Matt Goodwin and I split to Ghana for a spring. In West Africa, my admiration for reggae mysticism was confirmed and firmly rooted by the time I left. To our worldly significance, Matt and Chris had coincidentally met a man from Mali named Moussa who was giving them an African education of sorts in Rochester, NY while we were getting our own on continent. Moussa taught them, and through them us, how to make ginger juice, while reggae was teaching us about servicing your body if you want it to function. It was health education like we had never received it, outrageously in fact, in suburban America. Maybe the reggae helped us learn to listen. Moussa introduced us to Aimee Brown and told Chris he should make children with her. It was a laughable comment at the time. Maybe even a bit awkward.

Well, here we are: 13 years later. Many seeds have been planted. The garden is growing. We are sowing. We are reaping. Chris and Aimee have two kids. We are still singing about fruits and vegetables and reminding ourselves to stay strong. Thanks Rasta. We overstand your English. Peace.

This song is a favorite off of Giant Panda’s very first direct intention of an album SLOW DOWN. Matt and Rachel continue to write some of the greatest songs ever written with THUNDER BODY. The present is love. Love is now. It is always right now. It is always love.

Special thanks to Mike Martinez for making this beautifully documented sweet hang happen.

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Bass player and songwriter for Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, James feels, plays and lives the music. Lucky for us he also has the knack for remembering what happened and writing it down in his own voice.

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