Behind this convoluted name lies the prolific Michael Paradinas. This artist began playing the piano at the age of six, and was later influenced by pop and new wave music from his homeland through bands like the Beatles, New Order and Depeche Mode. In his teens he played in several bands, and from the ashes of one of them he formed the duo µ-ziq with bassist Francis Naughton. After Naughton’s departure, he remained on his own to continue the adventure. Spotted by Aphex Twin, he was given the opportunity to set up his own label and opened for Björk on the Homogenic tour. Under this pseudonym he has released some fifteen albums.
Although Michael Paradinas’ music has evolved since the 90s, fans of intelligent dance music will not be disoriented by this album, which takes us back to the productions of Aphex Twin or Autechre. That said, as most of the tracks were composed during a tour, the aim of playing them live is never far away. It’s as if Asian Dub Fondation had remixed their music in an ambient way. Supporting the melodies and layers of synthesiser, the omnipresent rhythm is rich, complex and sensual without ever being aggressive. It really is the tour de force of this opus. µ-ziq’s artistic talent is unquestionable, and he has produced a perfectly produced album that, like many of his contemporaries, will delight audiophiles with wide-bandwidth systems. Depending on the track, bass and sub-bass are more or less present, and many frequencies are used to embellish the rhythm. Without ever playing on saturation, the sound remains soft for this kind of music, even when the hi-hat is synthesised. The soundstage, though artificial, is also very appealing.
