Although he was born in Wimbledon and raised around
London, Mike Paradinas has always been associated with
the “Cornish” scene, mainly due to his friendship with
Richard D. James and Luke Vibert. Despite the multitude
of aliases he has used, it is under his µ-ziq
guise that he is better known, and has gained recognition,
both from critics and music fans. While he is currently
working on the follow-up to 1999’s Royal Astronomy,
Rephlex is re-issuing the first µ-ziq album, Tango
N’ Vectif, on CD, with a few extra tracks until
now only available on the LP version and on the Phi*1700
[u/v] EP thrown in for good measure.
Released in the aftermath of the IDM explosion in the
UK and Europe, Tango N’ Vectif is one
of the defining records of the post acid area, alongside
Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Work 85-92, Black
Dog’s Bytes and Autechre’s
Incunabula. Already bearing the intrinsic qualities
of Paradinas’s later work, this album is a vibrant collection
of dirty beats, bottomless ambient waves and crystal
clear melodies. Rooted deep in the early stages of techno,
electro and hip-hop, Tango N’ Vectif was, more
than any other albums records released at the same time,
at the epicentre of IDM. From here, Paradinas went on
to develop his highly unique style, based as much on
the exploration of sound as on making his experimentations
accessible by a clever use of melodies. If a good beat
is important in Paradinas’s music, it is not the sole
element. Here, the man juxtaposes upbeat and chilled
sections of tracks to impressive effect. This edition
follows the flow of the original vinyl album, and introduces
the tracks left out of the CD as they were meant to
be played. The addition of the Phi*1700 [u/v]
EP doesn’t disturb the equilibrium of the album, and,
if anything, complete the original µ-ziq equation.
Eight years after its first release, Tango N’ Vectif
still is a pioneering piece of work, and, if Mike Paradninas
went on to explore other soundscapes, he has rarely
displayed as much exhilarating innocence and non-respect
of the conventions as on this album.
5/5 |
