On 30 Apr 1997 18:52 +0100 (-0400), chall@leonardo.net wrote to me:
quoted 1 line Any reviews of Muziq's Urmer Bile CD?
> Any reviews of Muziq's Urmer Bile CD?
This was published in the april issue of Fix (los angeles mag I write for)
It's probably the closest thing i had to warmth up here in Toronto. :)
µ-Ziq - Urmur Bile Trax (Astralwerks)
Infectiously groovy, sometimes chunky, and even grimacingly cheesy, Mike
Paradinas and his bandwagon of pseudonyms have long been a staple in
experimental techno since it's eruption in the early nineties. Names like
Jake Slazenger, Gary Moscheles, Kid Spatula and Tusken Raiders were all
once pet projects from the desk of Paradinas. But his most ambitious and
sonically challenging work has risen from the µ-Ziq project. And it's no
wonder, considering the eclectically wacky sequencing and dense layering
of foot-friendly charm that made his debut, Tango'n Vectif, (Rephlex) and
subsequent follow-up, Bluff Limbo, (Rephlex) some of the greatest
electronic music ever produced. Unfortunately, his musicianship is not
without flaws. Last year's Das ist ein Groovy Beat, Ja? (Warp) under the
Jake Slazenger pseudonym was a failed attempt of reviving old school
funk (putting to shame the previous year's Makesaracket, (Clear) showing
that even Paradinas can run out of fresh ideas). Now with most artists
already latched onto the drum'n bass bandwagon, the humble listener has
been waiting for signs of a return from the Paradinas camp.
Enter Urmur Bile Trax, a collection of 8 extensive and thorough
excursions in drum'n bass. Standing at over 65 minutes long, Urmur may
not be the comeback that many had hoped for, but is still both listenable
and very entertaining. µ-Ziq fans will especially relish the familiarity
of tracks like "1 Hip 007*" and "The Phonic Socks," both colossal ("1 Hip
007" is 13 minutes long!!) drum'n bass reworkings of Tango'n Vectif
tracks "*phi 1700 [u/v]" and "The Sonic Fox." By far the best track on
Urmur is "Let Let," a wallowing bassy tune, drenched in jazzy juice and
squeaky cartoon breaks. Where Urmur fails however is on tracks like "Fine
Tuning" and "The Hydrozone," where Paradinas spends far too long fussing
and tweaking something that's quite bland and dull to start. Released at
midprice, Urmur should not be heralded as Paradinas's return, but instead
marks the promising signs of a comeback.
Lame Thread Prevention in Effect: Aaron Michelson
---------------------------------------------------------------------
aw-teck'r (autechre) "Everything you Know is Wrong"
For reviews, interviews, art & trash
http://www.on-it.net/~aaron/
aaron@defiant.on-it.net