Ok folks, heres the beta version of the ZiqFaq. If you have any
corrections, additions, or comments, reply to me here at fluid@hyperreal.com.
Thanks to anyone to sent me info to be included.
[begin ziqfaq]
_ __ _________ _ _____
_| | _| | _| | _| |_ | |_____
| _| | | (______ __| | _| | __ |
| |_ | _| __ ,/ ,/ |_ |_ | | |_ |
| | | | (__) ,/ ,/ _| | | | | |
| |___| |_ __ / /____ | | |_ | __| |
| _________) (_ |_ |_ | _| |_| __|
| |_ |___________) |___| |_____ |__
|___) |_____)
--Everything you ever wanted to know about Mu-Ziq (but were afraid to ask)--
[BIG thanks to TeeP, IDM, Ben Middleton, and Rephlex Records]
:::Mu-Ziq Manifesto (Tango N' Vectif linear notes)
No longer valid is the old music-hall joke about the man who, on being
asked what musical instrument he plays, replies, "the gramophone"!
Here, you will find a group of recordings actually composed for, as well
as played by, the gramophone - "Electronic Music" is what the initiates
call it.
On this occasion, the capable pushers of switches are Mu-Ziq, an
imaginative young duo, one of whom plays the Double Bass. The other is a
noted arranger and conductor, although in this project he prefers to
direct an ensemble composed of a sine-wave generator, square wave
generator, saw-tooth generator, pulse generator, noise generator,
multi-vibrator, band-pass filter and a ring modulator, with the
occasional percussive obligato produced with the aid of some small metal
bars and a piano.
Mu-Ziq, aided by The Phantom Muon - an expert electronics technician -
employ these ingredients with a good deal of ingenuity and, with the help
cassette recorders, they gather the electronic sounds, chop them about,
tone them down, tone them up, alter their pitch, alter their speed and
pile them in layers. The result, surprisingly enough, is not an essay in
austere and advanced music-making from which all emotion and melody have
been scrupulously drained. It is not, though the equipment involved might
make it seem so, music to listen to while visiting the far side of the
moon. With the hand of Mu-Ziq at the controls, electronic music turns out
to be not at all frightening but gay and lively and delightfully tuneful
and so strongly rhythmical that you can dance to it.
The sounds extracted from the array of generators are not so divorced
from those of everyday musical instruments as to leave the listener
hopelessly lost - generators, it transpires, can make an extremely rich
sound, like the wailing of twenty or thirty saxophones or the wheezing of
a positive platoon of bassoons. Nevertheless, the music has a distintive
colour and an individuality which proves that Mu-Ziq are exploring new
musical territories whose possibilities are immense.
The cheerful melodies they have composed are served up with an
accompaniment that is a fascinating stream of tapping sounds, hisses,
bubbles, bumps, rattles, squeaks, whistles, moans, sighs, twitters,
clanks, muffled explosions and unmuffled explosions. This may appear to
be a cosy little chaos, but these works are in fact as highly organised
as anything conceived by Schonberg.
:::Frequently Asked Questions
~Who is Mu-ziq?
Mu-Ziq is a 22-year-old from south London named Michael Paradinas.
~But isn't Mu-Ziq two people?
Yes and no. Francis Naughton is effects pedal guitarist man - he
contributed towards some of the tunes on both Rephlex albums, but he
doesn't actually write or produce any of the music. In a taped interview
I have with Michael Paradinas, he mentions this misconception and states
that people wrongly refer to him as a they.
~What has Mu-Ziq released so far?
To date, there have been two full-length releases on Rephlex and an EP
on R&S. The second full-length, Bluff Limbo, had a limited release of
1000 and will be given a full release at a later date.
~Who is The Phantom Muon?
No-one, its just made up.
~What is that on the cover of the Tango N' Vectif vinyl full-length?
Its the Lloyds Building in London. The picture was taken by Richard James.
~Who's that boy leaning against the fence inside the vinyl Tango N' Vectif?
That's Michael Paradinas at 8-years-old.
~What else can we expect from Mu-Ziq in the future?
By the end of this year, Bluff Limbo is scheduled to be given a full
release, perhaps with added tracks. Rumours of a possible collaboration
with Richard James have also been heard.
~What are the track names for Bluff Limbo?
The track names are unavailable at this time.
~Are the CD and vinyl versions on Tango N' Vectif different?
Yes, considerably. See the discography below.
~What gear does Mu-Ziq use?
The list on the back of the vinyl Tango N' Vectif list the following:
Yamaha DX11, Roland D50, Aleses HR16, Fostex 280 4-track recorder, ART
Multiverb LTX, Boss delay pedal, Sony Betamax VCR. It also says
"performed by Cubeat and Atari 1040 ST"
:::Mu-Ziq Discography:
~Title: Mu-Ziq: Tango N' Vectif (vinyl)
Label: Rephlex Cat 013
Format: 2x12"
Release: 1993
Tracks: Tango N' Vectif
Swan Vesta
Burnt Sienna
Iesope
Mu-Ziq Theme
Auqueam
Vibes
Ad Misericordiam
Beatnik #2
Die Zweite Heimat
The Sonic Fox
Caesium
Phi*1700 [u/v]
4 Time Egg
Phragmal Synthesis Part 1
Phragmal Synthesis Part 2
Phragmal Synthesis Part 3
~Title: Mu-Ziq: Tango N' Vectif (CD)
Label: Rephlex Cat 013CD
Format: CD
Release: 1994
Tracks: Tango N' Vectif
Swan Vesta
Burnt Sienna
Iesope
Auqeam
Mu-Ziq Theme
The Sonic Fox
Amenida
Whale Soup
Xenith Filigree Anus (edit)
Die Zweite Heimat
Phragmal Synthesis Pt. 2
PHI*1700 [u/v]
Beatnik #2
~Title: Mu-Ziq: Bluff Limbo
Label: Rephlex Cat 018i
Format: 2x12" vinyl promo - 1000 pressed
Release: 1994 (to be rereleased)
Tracks: 16 tracks (titles unknown)
~Title: Mu-Ziq: PHI*1700 [u/v]
Label: R&S RS94048
Format: 12"
Release: 1994
Tracks: PHI*1700 [u/v]
Glink
Paco
Xolbe II
:::Remixes:
Aphex Twin - On (Mu-Ziq Mix)
Diesel - M is for Multiple (Mango N' Vectif)
:::Tango N' Vectif Linear Notes:
This is a compact, portable, integrated, dependable, rugged and
supremely flexible project designed for musicians, teachers and
composers. If you own one, congratulations - if not, commiserations!
Analysing the twenty pieces featured on both the analogue and digital
versions of this electronic sampler, we can see that TANGO N' VECTIF
fires off in a Latin American style - very fetching, with a bright
melody and a brisk rhythmical accompaniment. Now and again there are
smudges of sounds, and whooshes akin to those of rockets taking off.
The melody, however, triumphs over these oppositions and the piece ends
in a merry fashion.
THE SONIC FOX, also the possessor of a highly attractive tune, begins
with an accompaniment which mingles elements of a steam laundry with
those of a science laboratory given over to destructive experiments with
acids. This presently dissolves into twanging sounds, as of taut wires
being cut, and into gurgling sounds, as of bottles being emptied, and
also into a variety of metallic clangs. Again the melody (in
conjunction with the laundry) emerges triumphant, and the piece ends
with three sharp ejections of steam.
SWAN VESTA, a lively piece altogether, confronts us with exciting
jungle noises contrasted, somewhat unexpectedly, with those of a steel
foundry which is staffed, equally unexpectedly, with the aforementioned
platoon of bassoonists. There is a dizzy fragment of melody, to which
the piece owes its title, and the music culminates in an electronic
version of a cymbal crash.
BURNT SIENNA is more mysterious, a visit to some Arctic outpost past,
where the wind sighs softly across the snow and where there are
shimmering effects of sunlight and mist. Had Debussy or Ravel composed
electronic music, they would surely have come up with something like
this, a wonderful kaleidoscope of impressionist colours.
IESOPE: this choral song of the Mantebu was recorded in Wimbledon. The
Mantebu are a warrior race of South London. Their art and pottery are
unusually fine and their choral arrangements are among the best in
Europe.
VIBES: continuous background music can be very distracting if the
action it accompanies is busy - if the tape is slowly faded out when the
atmosphere has been well established and brought back in again at the
end of a long scene, the audience will hardly notice its disappearance
and will be more able to concentrate on what is going on.
4-TIME EGG is a delicious new food for your palette that makes a
versatile alternative to conventional Western dishes. It is also ideal
for all the family. It has a succulent texture and a light savoury
taste which absorbs and combines readily with other songs. It is quick
and easy to mix with no wastage during preparation or shrinkage during
cooking. Simply add straight from the sleeve (chilled or frozen) to
your own favourite recipes. Because it comes from a tiny bedroom, this
track is full of dietary fibre and is virtually fat-free, but there is
nothing artificial about it.
DIE ZWEITE HEIMAT: banging on a trash-can lid generates a horrible
racket by mechanical means. The racket is a very complicated sound but
no matter how complicated it gets, it can be reproduced by a single long
and complicated wiggle in the phonograph recording.
PHRAGMAL SYNTHESIS: Young girl with roses in her eyes,
Hugs Close the dark and cries,
The words she hears are weak,
Her lover's not asleep - he's dead...
The sounds in BEATNIK #2 have resulted from an obstinate theme - a
dramatic struggle is fought between "piano" and "forte", between
"treble" and "bass" and between "light" and "dark" sounds. The
possibilities inherent in electronic music such as this are enormous.
One composer has based his piece on nothing more than the sounds made by
a single drop of water. There is a composition based on the sound of a
growing blade of grass. Electronic music is not intended to replace the
live musician, rather it is another instrument which the performer has
at his command.
XENITH FILIGREE ANUS: firstly, it penetrates all known grease, then it
lifts it clean away. Lastly, it prevents the return of bacteria that
can permanently affect he performance of your equipment.
AD MISERICORDIAM has been heralded as an important component of this
release. Full details are not contained anywhere in this booklet.
CAESIUM, generally speaking, results in one of the most severe high
frequency trackability tests that we have found, even when its
fundamental tones are not overwhelming (even at levels exceeding 6.65).
The energy generated by the harmonics is so intense that the stylus is
wrenched about in a fantastically wild freeform "dance". Stylus
velocities at level 7 exceed 25 m/sec. at 1,000,000 Hz!
The u-ZIQ THEME is an uptempo, lively extravaganza and the signature
tune of this dynamic duo. It is always guaranteed to bring a
sentimental tear to the listener as they anticipate the advent of the
central melody, and is sure to become a worthy addition to the
collection of any self-respecting hi-fi enthusiast.
WHALE SOUP: currently, there is an expanding awareness of the
importance of sea-fishing in our lives and of the interest and fun to be
gained from the study of it. Because of the increase in the amount of
leisure time and opportunities for beach-combing, there is a growing
number of people who are waking up to the delightful world of
marine-based cuisine. This track was designed with this group in mind
and would indeed prove to be a fitting epitaph to the legacy of Jacques
Cousteau, the globally acclaimed maritime pioneer.
PHI*1700 {u/v} is harmonically infused and subtly percussive, giving
you that 4-in-the-morning, last-push-before-sunrise feeling of which we
are all oh-so-well-aware. Containing a vital degree of
romantically-influenced cosmic madness for good measure, this sonic
delight is ideal as a stimulant for all forms of homeward-bound-travel.
Watch out! AMENIDA will stop you in your tracks. It's simply
astounding. Notice the chunky patterns and the purposeful curves of its
body. Feel the smooth texture of the rhythm and watch as its
superficial impression is removed to reveal a climactic crescendo. (Not
a song for shrinking violets but for those who want to paint the town
red.)
Lastly, but not for one fleeting moment least, comes AUQEAM in this
constitutive schedule. Its precise components are a closely guarded
secret but we can wholeheartedly assure you that it will protect against
all the known effects of "free-radicals" with its light texture,
enhancing tints and hydrating diffusers. This allergy-tested formula
will provide a congenial atmosphere for every environment in all your
remaining years.
Enjoy!
:::Mu-Ziq Press:
From The Times, Friday April 29 1994.
_UP TO SOMETHING IN THE BEDROOM_
They're hot in the clubs, but low in social skills. David Toop meets
techno's bores with attitude.
[excerpt on Mu-ziq]
The [Aphex] Twin's comments about the musicians signed to Rephlex
could be construed as less than flattering. "They've all got these strange
personalities you've never seen in the pop stardom world," he says. "The
people on our label are in their bedrooms all day long. They make four
tracks a day. They are people you can't hold a conversation with, people
like me, bedroom bores, coming into the public eye. That's quite amusing."
In the Twin's view, Michael Paradinas is a particularly amusing member
of the Rephlex roster. The more active half of a techno duo known as
Mu-ziq, Paradinas has released a well-received album entitled Tango
n'Vectif. "He doesn't know the art of conversation," says the Twin. "He's
just really introverted."
This seems a fair judgement of a man whose follow-up album, Bluff
Limbo, has been leaked onto the market four months before its official
release in a limited edition vinyl package entirely lacking in helpful
information. True to form, Paradinas in person is painfully reserved.
Barely a flicker of reaction crosses his features when I tell him about
the bedroom bores. This is a technological revolution and, as with all
revolutionaries, those on the barricades are scornful of those stubborn
souls who fight to maintain the old order.
Affordable prices for digital recording and computer software have
unleashed a hungry host of musicians who might otherwise have taken to
train-spotting rather than brave the rigours of working in close
proximity to music business professionals. For Paradinas, the notion of
working in a proper recording studio is a nightmare. "You can't distort,"
he shudders. A 22-year-old former architecture student, he lives in south
London with his mother, who insists that he uses headphones. "When she
goes out to the shops, I can hear what it sounds like on loudspeakers,
which is another sad aspect," he admits.
The first sad aspect, Paradinas says, is the prospect of never leaving
the bedroom. "There's something to be said for working with other
musicians, but not in your bedroom," he says. "Playing live is good
because you can learn a lot. I think I have, probably because I've played
in bands since I was about nine."
In case this should be interpreted as faint-hearted humanism, he makes
a stronger case for the loneliness of the long-distance computer
musician. "I prefer working on my own", he says, "because I can do what I
want instead of having to say: `Do you think it sounds good?' I just put
it in, even if it sounds cheesy. I can do a track in an hour, whereas if
you're with someone else it can take four hours."
Some people might find such ruthless isolationism depressing, I
suggest. "You get more time for other things," he says. "I dont miss
Neighbours because I can do a track before it comes on."
With his combination of violently distorted drum machine sounds and
disturbingly bland melodies, Paradinas sits on the cutting edge of
techno.
:::Mu-Ziq Reviews
[G.L.Eden@newcastle.ac.uk]
Mu-Ziq live
..Kosmik Kommando had been on for about an hour, maybe more, when there
started to be some activity around the keyboards. This immediately caught
my interest!
I get into a good spot to see what was going on (a couple of metres away
from the equipment, exactly where I had been to watch CJ Bolland do his
stuff live a few months before). A tall, thin, long haired, bespectacled
guy with a 303 tshirt has installed himself behind the ST and keyboards.
At this point I have no idea who he is. After a few nervous scratchings
with a mouse and a couple of prods at various bits of equipment he's
off. Within a few milliseconds I identify him as mu-ziq. A whole hour
later he was simply God. Absofuckinglutely brilliant.
This guy played live. Really live. There were mistakes, but nobody noticed
or cared. I'll say now I'm still not totally certain of which tracks he
played, I was so involved I didn't really notice. Which is a bit odd really.
Any how, I think he started with _tango 'n vectif_ which sounded a bit
different to the album version, but then all the tracks did. This *was*
live. What I thought was really amazing is that he played a lot of the
keyboard chords live, which really added to the emotion of it all.
At one point he was playing these beautiful stringy chords with one hand,
blind, whilst frantically thrashing about with the mouse, looking at the
monitor screen (presumably to sequence other bits and bobs (?) AND
fiddling with this other unidentifed drum machine thing. All the time
wearing this slightly manic nervous look and constant wincing when things
were just slightly 'out'. Stunningly involved performance. Other stuff I
recognised in that far to short hour were _swan vesta_ _Burnt sienna_
_iesope_ _phi* 1700_ and i think _auqeam_ and _Phragmal synthesis part 3_.
AND of course he played _mu-ziq theme_ which was a high point in a whole
set of highs.
The only critism I have, is that he didn't play any of the stuff with those
stunning sub bass lines or Die Zweite Heimat or Sonic Fox. But you can't
have everything. He did play quite a bit of stuff I didn't recognise, so
there was some new material. All excellent naturally. I noticed that RDJ
seemed to perk up out of his semi slumber during this set. I guess he thinks
it's good stuff too :)
[fluid@hyperreal.com]
PHI*1700 [u/v] (R&S Records RS94048)
Michael Paradinas (aka Mu-Ziq) makes his R&S debut and remember, the
keyword is MAD. The first track is lifted straight from his Tango N
Vectif album released on Rephlex records so I'll focus on the others, not
to say of course that its not worthy of attention. Glink opens with harsh
beats creating a somewhat hostile sound, but then all of a sudden - here
comes the funk. MAD. The effect created by having that short jazzy riff
amongst the electronic noise attack in the background is nothing short of
incredible. I love it, I just wish it was longer. The silver side opens
at a much more subdued pass with a slightly darker track backed by those
filtered drums which seem to be the Mu-ziq signature. The last track,
Xolbe II, begins with what sounds like the drone of a vacuum cleaner or
perhaps just white noise, which continues througout its entirety creating
a sureal backdrop. Eery chime-like notes join the noise and are
occasionly accompanied by a short burst of drums before the bass finally
kicks in. A rather spooky, but no less brilliant, track.
[fluid@hyperreal.com]
Bluff Limbo (Rephlex Records CAT 018i)
Another hard review. Its really hard to know what to say when what
you're hearing defies everything you've heard before. If any one word
came close to describing Mu-Ziq, it would be MAD. Though not complete
madness, as this madness has a certain logic behind it - making it a sort
of organised chaos. I think this excerpt from Tango N' Vectif fits nicely,
part of the Mu-Ziq manifesto:
"The cheerful melodies they have composed are served up with an
accompaniment that is a fascinating stream of tapping sounds, hisses,
bubbles, bumps, rattles, squeaks, whistles, moans, sighs, twitters,
clanks, muffled explosions and unmuffled explosions. This may appear to
be a cosy littlee chaos, but these works are in fact as highly organised
as anything conceived by Schonberg"
The best I can do, is to tell you what I can hear. I think the main
appeal of his releases so far is that they span such a huge bag of
influences - from jazz, to funk, to ambient, to breaks, to raw noise.
In other words, this is *not* your standard 303/909 workout. Mu-Ziq uses
the sounds of trombones, guitars, and basic percussion within his
compositions and somehow makes it all fit together so beautifully.
However, the feeling throughout is still electric - some of it incredibly
raw. It is, therefore, the perfect sequel to Tango N' Vectif - taking off
immediately where we departed last time. A few tracks that particularly
stand out are the first one on A1 which utilises huge amounts of attack
and distortion, similar to that used to Auqeam on the previous release.
Another track begins with what sounds like my 15 year-old brother
attempting to play the bass guitar - only to be surrounded by cosmic
noises and bubbles forming a surreal ambient sound.
Trust me - you haven't heard anything quite like this before. If you
liked Tango, then you'll like this. If you weren't so sure, then it may
be just a little to weird. We'll end with another excerpt from the Mu-Ziq
manifesto:
"On this occasion, the capable pushers of switches are Mu-Ziq, an
imaginative young duo, one of whom plays the Double Bass. The other is a
noted arranger and conductor, although in this project he prefers to
direct an ensemble composed of a sine-wave generator, square wave
generator, saw-tooth generator, pulse generator, noise generator,
multi-vibrator, band-pass filter, and a ring modulator, with the
occasional percussive obligato produced with the aid of some small metal
bars and a piano"
If anything exemplifies Rephlex's mission of breaking the monotony and
putting out music you won't hear anywhere else, its this. Mu-Ziq makes
Richard James seem almost sane.
[marmoset@garnet.msen.com]
PHI*1700 [u/v] (R&S Records RS94048)
I can't do the title track justice. Really -- gorgeous
make-you-wanna-kiss-your-mommy chimes glide and
flow over a punishing hip-hop-electro-distorto rhythm
track. The other three cuts don't do as much for me
but then any painting you hang next to Picasso's
"Guernica" is going to look a little less interesting,
right?
[that was my original review... since then, I've become convinced that
the last track on the EP ("Xolbe II" -- the "vacuum cleaner" one) is
godly as well]
[gordon@otax.tky.hut.fi]
Tango N' Vectif (Rephlex Records CAT 013)
I first stumbled upon this weird phenomenon called u-Zig on Richard
James' interview on The Face (Volume 2, Number 66, 1994, by David Toop). I
became intrigued, as would have most of those circulating around the
electronic music scene. And, thanks to David Steinhart (EAR/Rational
Music), I got hold of `Tango N' Vectif'. I was flabbergasted, speechless
and quite mixed up for a while after listening to these two vinyls for a
while (actually nothing but u-Zig for four days). The sleeve text compares
the music to Schoenberg's, and some of u-Zig's really match up to the free
atonality/dodecaphonic style of the '30s Berlin composers (Schoenberg,
Webern and Berg), but I wouldn't speak of structure similar to theirs.
Structurally, I would begin to compare Philip Glass' `Songs From Liquid
Days' and this album, as `Songs From Liquid Days' is not as minimalistic as
most of Glass' music (compare, `Dance, Nos. 1-5', which brings more light
to some songs on `United Frequencies Of Trance', on MFS; the similarity is
quite astonishing). Beautifully built, smoothly alternating between layers
of rhythm and melody (reminding me of Eno/Moebius/Roedelius' `After The
Heat'). Yet, u-Zig possesses originality, despite the similarity of sound
and structure. I can't put my finger exactly on what it is, that elevates
the originality of the album, but it has something to do with the integrity
of the music, the closeness of classical and new composing styles
intermixing with new technology.
I would still claim that Michael Paradinas could've been influenced by
people such as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Haruomi Hosono, Isao Tomita and the lot
listed above. Nevertheless, I would recommend this album to anyone with a
taste in original electronic music, never mind how much it sounds
influenced.
[gordon@otax.tky.hut.fi]
Bluff Limbo (Rephlex Records CAT 018i)
After my initiation to u-Zig's music with `Tango N' Vectif', I began to
crave for more. I lurked around in IDM, UK-Dance, alt.rave and
alt.music.techno to see if someone had come across other releases by this
group of steadily growing fame amongst the disciples of electronic music.
At last, someone mentioned of `Bluff Limbo' (I think it was Alan Parry, I
can't remember, really). I thought, "great, I'll go and get it soon." Then,
I learned that this was a pre-release, and was quite depressed as my copy
of `Tango N' Vectif' had been spinning on my turntables for quite a while,
and I wanted something new. Well, I took things into my own hands, wrote to
RePHLeX and got the new album in the return mail. I was ecstatic.
What can I say? The u-Zig style is quite unimitable, so `Bluff Limbo'
sounds very similar to the previous album. Almost too similar, to the point
where I could not differentiate between which album I was listening to
(just kidding :-). This second album has more ambience in it, and very
rightly so. I think Mr. Paradinas' best sides come out when he does tracks
like `Iesope' (on `Tango N' Vectif') and track A4 and D3 on `Bluff Limbo'.
You can't imagine the interleaving of sound and rhythm on these albums,
you have to listen to them until you can have an impression of the
genius-like touch that Michael Paradinas has. Where would I be without
these albums? ..Perhaps listening to YMO, Tomita, Eno and Schoenberg.