µ-ziq, "bilious paths"
After several years of collaborative and one-off solo projects, Mike Paradinas finally returns to the moniker that he is most recognized for. Threatened to be his final µ-ziq album, Bilious Paths offers 53 thrilling minutes of eclectic electronics, including bits of hardcore, funk, hip-hop, 2-step, rave and, of course, drill n bass.
Apparently the other artists on his Planet Mu roster have been influential to Paradinas, embedding their essence in this project with highly enjoyable results. The single-worthy "Johnny Mastricht" opens the album with an explosive garage blast that compels the human body to writhe and shake uncontrollably. (That means DANCE.) This is the new "My Red Hot Car," with warped distant voices carrying a sparse melody over the thick bassy mix. "On/Off" combines Prince funk with David Bowie swagger to create the next makeout track for geeks in love. Taking cues from the mash-up and hardcore sampling trends, Paradinas delivers a hip hop gem in "Silk Ties". Here, a sampled MC's old school rhyming plays over a smorgasborg of rhythms, from trippy urban grooves to delerious gabber and breakcore. Like with most eclectic releases, there is always the occasional dud. "Fall Of Antioch," a sleepy but grim interlude, reminds far too much of the orchestral style prevalent on that mixed bag Royal Astronomy. Despite this misstep, the rest of the disc is golden, and surpasses the current output from his contemporaries like Aphex Twin and Autechre considerably. Once again, µ-ziq proves himself as a force to be reckoned with in the IDM scene, and all these pimple-faced bedroom producers should grab this album for a goddamn education. 
