mu-Ziq Planet Mu Listening Club

[Guest]

The majority of the Somerset tracks are really good. It's strange to think that these were possibly the rejected tracks when curating tracks for releases in the 90s. Did they sound too weird at the time compared to the more straightforward tracks that ended up being on releases? There are great pop hooks on Somerset with proper melodic changes that work very well! The mixes and the chosen sound palettes sound a lot more worked on too. It's by far his best work, imo.

[Extralife]

The majority of the Somerset tracks are really good. It's strange to think that these were possibly the rejected tracks when curating tracks for releases in the 90s. Did they sound too weird at the time compared to the more straightforward tracks that ended up being on releases? There are great pop hooks on Somerset with proper melodic changes that work very well! The mixes and the chosen sound palettes sound a lot more worked on too. It's by far his best work, imo.

+1

[KovalainenFanBoy]

ZIQ122
µ-Ziq
RY30 Trax
Released 13-05-2016


Planet Mu site: https://planet.mu/releases/ry30-trax/
Bleepstore: https://planetmu.bleepstores.com/release/73092-ziq-ry30-trax
Bandcamp: https://mikeparadinas.bandcamp.com/album/ry30-trax
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/7a31EH7ZJ2FqCuSnChL0wf?si=TmVE_VNLR0-cmWFaQddC7g

Tracklist:

1. Mydrovip 08:47
2. Dustar 3 06:29
3. Fortuna 07:35
4. Rubbish & Crumbs 03:52
5. Jaz Norton 03:53
6. Cumblin 07:12
7. Sinusoidal 05:41
8. Bombadub 06:53
9. Adenoidal 04:19
10. Rydeeno 03:51
11. Me & My Hoss 04:23
12. Smooth & Creamy 05:42
13. Misopyl 04:57
14. Lime Crumble 06:19

About the album:

RY30 Trax were made in 1995 while µ-Ziq aka Mike Paradinas was recording Jake Slazenger material for Warp. They were always intended to belong together as an album and now we’re proud to make them available to you twenty years later.

 

WARPCD42
Jake Slazenger
Das Ist Ein Groovybeat, Ja
Released 08-07-1996


Bleepstore: https://bleep.com/release/2809-jake-slazenger-das-ist-ein-groovybeat-ja
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0mgTI1tWCwhA2RkTQvqrXV?si=0eacp6PGSM-HahaB3mdwag

Tracklist:

1. Hung Like A Bull 6:50
2. Supafunk 5:19
3. The Big Easy 5:25
4. Lumpback Raider 5:46
5. Nautilus 6:20
6. King Of The Beats 6:09
7. Gratuit 7:27
8. Choin 7:16
9. Sabbaf 5:20
10. Hot Fumes 3:13
11. Come On You Slaz 6:19
12. Slowdance 7:49

About the album:

Classic Mike 'Mu-ziq' Paradinas production on Warp!

WAP 75
Jake Slazenger
Nautilus
Released 10-06-1996


Bleepstore: https://bleep.com/release/7957-jake-slazenger-nautilus
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4VznzaA8mI2hOz3ozQ9VIe?si=NRSB7JHRSCWsh63e1FIUuw

Tracklist:

1. Nautilus 6:19
2. Slas Thing 6:08
3. The Penultimate 4:35
4. Marks Made In China 9:05

About the album:

Single from back in the day - 1996 to be exact with Jake Slazenger, aka Mike Paradinas aka mr Planet Mu, rocking down the house with some lush lo-fi jazzy electronic funk fun.

[Soloman Tump]

So EKT is probably the earliest Mike P work I am familiar with.  I jumped on board with him at Royal Astronomy and have never really explored much of the earlier work.

[Extralife]

So EKT is probably the earliest Mike P work I am familiar with. I jumped on board with him at Royal Astronomy and have never really explored much of the earlier work.

Start with Somerset Ave.

[KovalainenFanBoy]

RY30 continues the trend of these archival releases being better than the albums he put back in the day I'd say. I like the emphasis (and I'm gonna contradict myself on what I said about tango n vectif) on subdued groovy tracks over the earlier, over the top superdistorted tracks he seemed to favor in the early days; there's no "Toy Gun #2" or "Metal Thing #1" here fortunately. Highlights for me are Mydrovip (though maybe it didnt need to be 9 minutes long), Fortuna, Sinusoidal (very good track this one) and Bombadub - absolute low point would be Adenoidal with the cheesy trance melody or whatever the hell that is, and the rest of the tracks range from quite good from good enough. Overall a pleasant listen, nothing really mindblowing but not as derivatively boring as say, spatula freak

 

and then theres the jake slazenger album which uuuh... not really my thing, felt like muzak for most of its runtime to me. Not a fun of... muziq-fied 80s electro? Is that what it is?

 

 

So EKT is probably the earliest Mike P work I am familiar with. I jumped on board with him at Royal Astronomy and have never really explored much of the earlier work.

Start with Somerset Ave.

 

 

+1

[KovalainenFanBoy]

PLUD3
µ-Ziq
Urmur Bile Trax
Released 27-01-1997

Tracklist:

Volume 1
1. Urmur Bile 9:07
2. Let Let 7:10
3. M5 Saabtone 10:09
4. Fine Tuning 6:12
Volume 2
1. The Hydrozone 6:18
2. 1 Hip 007* 12:53
3. Hornet 8:40
4. The Phonic Socks 7:07

 

SSR 171
Gary Moscheles
Shaped To Make Your Life Easier
Released sometime in 96

Tracklist:

1. Mamborama 6:40
2. Play It Again, Sonny 4:11
3. Mamblues 2:33
4. Plot Thickener 4:36
5. Surprise Horn Pt.2 3:37
6. Funk Yo Ass 6:24
7. Walk It Like This 4:51
8. Gary's Groove 1:51
9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 3:30
10. Johnny Hates Jazz 3:30
11. Good Bye Jazz People 2:37
12. Gary's House 5:45

[Hugh Mughnus]

Both wicked albums.

[YangYing]

urmur bile is very wet

[Rubin Farr]

Both wicked albums.

[KovalainenFanBoy]

urmur bile was pretty fun, wasn't expecting it to be as much of a conventional DnB record as it is. Pretty good, pretty stripped back (was expecting mike to instantly go balls to the wall at this point)

same with the gary moscheles one, more enjoyable than Groovybeat

[KovalainenFanBoy]

CDPU5 / PULP5
µ-Ziq
Lunatic Harness
Released 30-06-1997


Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5Rc5G86a4zX96HlyHYeGsX?si=dj5-q0mNSKSImZumVLE88Q

Tracklist:

1. Brace Yourself Jason 6:22
2. Hasty Boom Alert 5:15
3. Mushroom Compost 3:19
4. Blainville 3:41
5. Lunatic Harness 6:05
6. Approaching Menace 7:01
7. My Little Beautiful 5:39
8. Secret Stair Pt. 1 4:16
9. Secret Stair Pt. 2 4:59
10. Wannabe 6:49
11. Catkin And Teasel 4:36
12. London 6:11
13. Midwinter Log 6:40

 

PLUD4 / ASW 6235
µ-Ziq
My Little Beautiful / Brace Yourself
Released June 97 / May 98

Tracklist:

My Little Beautiful:
1. My Little Beautiful 5:38
2. Hanky Pokery 5:25
3. Jiggery Panky 5:39
4. Worcester 5:04
Brace Yourself:
1. Brace Yourself (Remix) 5:56
2. Kubba 4:38
3. Vaken Bolt 2:08
4. Losers March 4:42
5. Summer Living 4:03
6. Intellitag 3:43
7. Abmoit 4:48
8. Brace Yourself (Reprise) 3:18

[BaggerMcGuirk]

Probably just the nostalgia talking, but I feel like Lunatic Harness is absolutely unbeatable.  I was in college when this came out, and my discman consistently had this, Hard Normal Daddy and Tally Ho for a good 8 month period.  Tango n'Vectif consistently wars with this as my favorite mike p release ever.

[YangYing]

fuck yeah.. all of those.. love em to bits

[Rubin Farr]

fuck yeah.. all of those.. love em to bits

[Guest]

Lunatic Harness is absolutely unbeatable.

[Extralife]

 

Lunatic Harness is absolutely unbeatable.

[auxien]

I totally haven't been keeping up but I listened to Lunatic Harness this morning and it's not bad at all. First two tracks were very good but a bit in the Aphex domain, and the title track annoyed me but otherwise I liked the album. It felt very much tied to the times in ways, hearing something 'new' (i'm pretty sure i've heard some stuff from this album at some point) from that era does have a touch of that dated feeling, but overall it wasn't bad. The songs worked despite any of that, for the most part. I've never been too keen on the constant DNB/amen breaks style stuff really, but this worked nonetheless. I sound like I'm whining more than praising, but it was enjoyable. Midwinter Log was lovely, Catkin and Teasel was pretty unique to my ears, Wannabe was about 6 minutes too long. :P

[Hugh Mughnus]

Catkin and Teasel is in my top 10 Mike P tracks tbh. 

 

Beautiful unmatched melodies where the track breaks down towards the end.

[KovalainenFanBoy]

I totally haven't been keeping up but I listened to Lunatic Harness this morning and it's not bad at all. First two tracks were very good but a bit in the Aphex domain, and the title track annoyed me but otherwise I liked the album. It felt very much tied to the times in ways, hearing something 'new' (i'm pretty sure i've heard some stuff from this album at some point) from that era does have a touch of that dated feeling, but overall it wasn't bad. The songs worked despite any of that, for the most part. I've never been too keen on the constant DNB/amen breaks style stuff really, but this worked nonetheless. I sound like I'm whining more than praising, but it was enjoyable. Midwinter Log was lovely, Catkin and Teasel was pretty unique to my ears, Wannabe was about 6 minutes too long. :P

agree with pretty much everything you said... listening to these albums many years after having discovered idm I'm not as completely wowed by it, but it is a good album. Everyone seems to agree melodies are mike's stronger suit, but I didn't quite feel it until this album with Brace Yourself Jason, Secret Stair... As with all ziq albums it could've done with some fat trimming - Approaching Menace didn't need to be 7 mins long, Wannabe could've been shorter too (and not so distorted), could've just removed London entirely. But overall, good album; sadly doesn't outshine any of his peers from that time in any particular aspect, but still enjoyable.

 

Nothing noteworthy on the b-sides imo - just more of the same throwaways, for better and worse. Nothing offensive (besides Worcester sounding like 2 diff tracks playing at once) but nothing great either

[KovalainenFanBoy]

ZIQ188
µ-Ziq
Aberystwyth Marine
Released 04-02-2016


Planet Mu site: https://planet.mu/releases/aberystwyth-marine/
Bleepstore: https://planetmu.bleepstores.com/release/72199
Bandcamp: https://mikeparadinas.bandcamp.com/album/aberystwyth-marine
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5MrZ3HcaGZvzlYXzhoxfw0

About the album:

Abersytwyth Marine is a long lost µ-Ziq album whose tracks were written in the period 1996 to 1998, between Lunatic Harness and Royal Astronomy.

Tracklist:

1. Fucked Off Again 03:10
2. Petronas Hardstep 05:26
3. Unbutton My Coat 06:36
4. Die Tomorrow 03:18
5. To The Light 04:53
6. The Cut Of My Jib 03:41
7. Hanky Pokery 05:02
8. Air 3 03:45
9. Jiggery Panky 05:20
10. Yumm 06:09
11. Ice Nine Pt.2 02:05
12. Millennium Hand & Shrimp 05:15
13. Piriton 03:54
14. Tosser 03:38
15. You Could Smell It 06:32
16. Soft Pipes Play On 04:06
17. Plinky Plonky 05:02

the last of the muziq albums before we get started with planet mu proper

[hello spiral]

thank FUCK

[KovalainenFanBoy]

was expecting some kind of evolution from Lunatic, but instead it's almost a return to the pre-jungle releases, bar a few tracks. Even the distorted as fuck beats make a return on Ice Nine. This album really is all over the place... dunno if it was ever supposed to be a proper album, or if this is just a compilation of sorts or what. It's kind of weird, chronologically speaking. I hear some RDJ Album / MfM influence on some tracks (Die Tomorrow), which is funny. Fucked Off Again sounds to my ears very similar to what VSnares would be doing a few years later, probably my favorite track in this, shame it's the only one in this style in the whole album. There's a couple tracks in this that remind me of MfM / RDJAlbum, like Die Tomorrow. Liked Plinky Plonky too, good closer... I can't deal with the vocal samples in any of the tracks tbh, besides Fucked Off, especially You Could Smell It, the only offensively bad track on the album. The rest is either Lunacy outtakes or too derivative from his earlier lps to mention, which is not to say they're bad, just hit or miss like most muziq

[KovalainenFanBoy]

ZIQ000
Various Artists
Mealtime
Released 10-11-1997


Planet Mu site: https://planet.mu/releases/various-artists-mealtime/
Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/master/view/3325

About the album:

Legendary compilation from the birth of the Planet Mu label. Featuring tracks from Luke Vibert, Aphex Twin, Wafta, Jega and µ-Ziq among others.

Tracklist:

1. Jega - D.M.C. (Live Version) 5:29
2. Red Snapper - Get Some Sleep Tiger (Plaid Remix) 6:47
3. Wafta - Morpeth Issot 5:05
4. Point Blank - Eternally (µ-ziq Mix) 5:15
5. AFX - Bummy 3:12
6. Horse Opera - Utility Fog 5:45
7. Animals On Wheels - Sved Buttock 6:38
8. Mould - Fluffy Effort 4:29
9. Elton Fastbrook - Switch Hardflip 4:25
10. Plug - Argos 6:22
11. µ-ziq - Mr. Angry (Remix) 7:49
12. µ-ziq - Brace Yourself (Remix) 5:57

Merry Christmas

[Extralife]

 

 

ZIQ000

Various Artists

Mealtime

Released 10-11-1997

 

Planet Mu site: https://planet.mu/releases/various-artists-mealtime/

Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/master/view/3325

About the album:

Legendary compilation from the birth of the Planet Mu label. Featuring tracks from Luke Vibert, Aphex Twin, Wafta, Jega and µ-Ziq among others.

Tracklist:

 

1. Jega - D.M.C. (Live Version) 5:29

2. Red Snapper - Get Some Sleep Tiger (Plaid Remix) 6:47

3. Wafta - Morpeth Issot 5:05

4. Point Blank - Eternally (µ-ziq Mix) 5:15

5. AFX - Bummy 3:12

6. Horse Opera - Utility Fog 5:45

7. Animals On Wheels - Sved Buttock 6:38

8. Mould - Fluffy Effort 4:29

9. Elton Fastbrook - Switch Hardflip 4:25

10. Plug - Argos 6:22

11. µ-ziq - Mr. Angry (Remix) 7:49

12. µ-ziq - Brace Yourself (Remix) 5:57

 

 

Merry Christmas

Great classic comp. Each track is great.