Hello, .
Today's Artist is better known by his stage name μ-Ziq (pronounced "mu-sic" or mew-zeek), an English electronic musician from Wimbledon, London. He is one of the pioneering IDM electronic music acts during the 90's, alongside Aphex Twin, Autechre, and The Orb. He is also the founder of the record label Planet Mu. .......N'Joy
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One of the premier names in the field of electronic home-listening music, Mike Paradinas' recordings retain the abrasive flavor of early techno pioneers and explore the periphery of experimental electronica even while coddling to his unusual ear for melody, the occasional piece of vintage synthesizer gear, and distorted beatbox rhythms. While his side projects -- including Diesel M, Jake Slazenger, Gary Moscheles, Kid Spatula, and Tusken Raiders -- have often emphasized (or satirized) his debts to jazz, funk, and electro, Paradinas reserves his most original and exciting work for major album releases as µ-Ziq. Early µ-Ziq LPs were based around the most ear-splitting buzz-saw percussion ever heard (in a musical environment or otherwise), with fast-moving though deceptively fragile synthesizer melodies running over the top. As Paradinas began weaving his various influences into a convincing whole, his work became more fully developed, a fluid blend of breakbeat hip-hop and drum'n'bass with industrial effects and the same brittle melodies from his earlier work. Later works have reflected his interest in other forward-thinking electronic styles such Chicago's juke/footwork scene, while also looking back to his formative influences such as the British rave scene and Detroit techno.
Born in Wimbledon (though he grew up in several other spots around London), Paradinas began playing keyboards during the early '80s and listened to new wave bands like Human League and New Order. He joined a few bands in the mid-'80s, then spent eight years on keyboards for the group Blue Innocence. During that time, however, Paradinas had been recording on his own as well with synthesizers and a four-track recorder. When Blue Innocence disintegrated in 1992, he and bass player Francis Naughton bought sequencing software and re-recorded some of Paradinas' old material. After the material was played for Mark Pritchard and Tom Middleton -- the duo behind Global Communication and Reload as well as being the heads of Evolution Records -- they wanted to release it; recording commitments later forced Pritchard and Middleton to withdraw their agreement, though by that time Richard D. James (aka Aphex Twin) had also heard the tracks and agreed to release a double album for his label, Rephlex Records.
The debut album for µ-Ziq (paraphrased from the side of a blank tape and pronounced "mew-zeek") was 1993's Tango n' Vectif. The LP set the template for most of Paradinas' later work, with at times shattering metal-cage percussion underpinning a collection of rather beautiful melodies. The Rephlex label was just beginning to flourish, with added journalistic attention paid to Aphex Twin's recent Selected Ambient Works 85-92, and though James began to feature less in label doings than co-founder Grant Wilson Claridge, later Rephlex work by Cylob, Luke Vibert (aka Wagon Christ), Seefeel, and Squarepusher made it among the cream of electronic home-listening labels.
When Naughton began taking college more seriously (something Paradinas had attempted briefly, from 1990 through 1992), he officially bowed out of µ-Ziq. Second album Bluff Limbo was scheduled to be released in mid-1994, though only 1,000 copies made it out of the gate. (It was officially issued by Rephlex in 1996 after Paradinas served papers on the label.) Paradinas' first major-label release came later in 1994, after he undertook a remix project for Virgin Records. The EP µ-Ziq vs. the Auteurs was one of the most high-profile examples of the remix-by-obliteration movement, a burgeoning hobby for many electronica producers in which the reworking of a pop song would bear no resemblance to -- or trace of -- the original.
Though the EP was hardly a prime mover in the sales category, Virgin signed Paradinas to a hefty contract and gave him his own Planet Mu sublabel to release his own work as well as develop similar-minded artists. Written into his own contract was a provision for unlimited recording under different names, and during 1995 Paradinas definitely took it to task: he unveiled three aliases and released as many albums in less than a year's time. The nu-skool electro label Clear released his debut single as Tusken Raiders early in the year; it mined the fascination with Star Wars and electro music shared by producers like Global Communication, Aphex Twin, and James Lavelle, head of Mo' Wax Records. Clear also released the first Paradinas alias full-length, Jake Slazenger's MakesARacket, later in 1995. Although they were still audible, the LP downplayed his electro influences in favor of some rather cheesy synthesizer figures and a previously unheard debt to jazz-funk.
The distortion reappeared on Paradinas' second LP of the year, Spatula Freak by Kid Spatula. The first American-only release of a Paradinas album (it appeared on Jonah Sharp's San Francisco-based Reflective Records), its sound had the metallic feel of the first two µ-Ziq LPs but with a less-dense production job. Just one month after Spatula Freak, Paradinas released his first proper µ-Ziq LP for a major label, In Pine Effect. The album included tracks recorded from 1993 to 1995, and though it was quite a varied album, the distance appeared to give it quite a disjointed feel.
Paradinas spent 1996 releasing a second Jake Slazenger album (Das Ist Groovy Beat Ja? for Warp) and his first as Gary Moscheles (Shaped to Make Your Life Easier for Belgium's SSR/Crammed Discs). Both LPs journeyed further down the queasy-listening route of the first Slazenger record, with departures into '80s-style party funk and surprisingly straight-ahead soul-jazz. He also owned a half-share in the Rephlex-released Expert Knob Twiddlers (credited as Mike & Rich), the fruit of Paradinas' 1994 recordings with the Aphex Twin.
Paradinas entered 1997 ready to undertake the most ambitious style makeover in his career: the fusion of his home-listening techno with the hypertensive rhythms of street-level drum'n'bass. One year earlier, Aphex Twin had released a single of schizophrenic jungle noodlings ("Hangable Auto Bulb"), and Tom Jenkinson's Squarepusher project had provided the first convincing headphone drum'n'bass act. Paradinas waded into the pool with Urmur Bile Trax, Vols. 1-2, a double EP also released as one full-length compact disc. Though the changeover wasn't completely convincing, the next µ-Ziq full-length more than made up for expectations. Lunatic Harness presented a complete synthesis of the many elements in Paradinas' career, from synth-jazz-funk and beatbox electro through to ambient techno and jungle.
Paradinas and µ-Ziq were introduced to many rock fans after he toured America as the support act for Björk. This tour influenced 1999's Royal Astronomy, which focused on acid techno and hip-hop influences. Issued in 2003, Bilious Paths became the first µ-Ziq release to arrive on Paradinas' own Planet Mu label. The dissolution of his relationship inspired his unrelentingly dark 2007 album Duntisbourne Abbots Soulmate Devastation Technique. Paradinas' Planet Mu duties and his Heterotic project with wife Lara Rix-Martin -- whose debut album, Love & Devotion, arrived in early 2013 -- were among the reasons µ-Ziq took a break until the release of the juke-influenced XTEP and rave-inspired full-length Chewed Corners, both of which arrived in 2013. That year's Somerset Avenue Tracks (1992-1995) compilation celebrated µ-Ziq's 20 years of recording, and collected unreleased tracks from the beginning of his career. Rediffusion appeared in 2014, and XTLP, compiling both XTEP and Rediffusion, followed in 2015. Two digital collections of rare or unreleased recordings, RY30 Trax and Aberystwyth Marine, both appeared in 2016. Following in this vein, Challenge Me Foolish, a collection of tracks dating from the late '90s, was released in 2018, this time on CD and vinyl.
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A surprisingly varied collection of new-school electro-funk. Paradinas' Slazenger sound is sparser, with funky machine breaks and goofy synth melodies dominating. Material splits pretty cleanly between dancefloor fare and more armchair-oriented tunes, and its the latter direction, not surprisingly, that proves most interesting. Makesaracket feels like Paradinas having some fun with making music and letting the bouncy ideas flow like fine wine. There is some truly playful tunes on here that remind me of the Mike & Rich collaboration, Expert Knob Twiddlers. Get Up A for instance. Stupid Wanker is an extremely class track and I was expecting something menacing and loud like Mr. Angry but instead got a sweet track with awesome driving percussion against more emotional synth lines and electronic blurbs that turned out excellently. Megaphonk sounds like an extended intro for a children's TV show in the 90's. Definitely a great addition to any µ-Ziq fan's list.
Jake Slazenger - Makesaracket (flac 430mb)
01 Megaphonk 7:00
02 Get Up R 5:57
03 Stupid Wanker 5:32
04 Gary's Birthday 6:04
05 Daytime Kiss 7:55
06 Erp 5:35
07 Wyatt 5:31
08 Flod 7:24
09 Bolus 5:31
10 Feet 6:46
11 Five Alive 5:43
12 Lux 7:44
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Michael Paradinas' second album under the Jake Slazenger alias is much more subdued than the usual techno-racket µ-Ziq is known for. Most of the first Slazenger album explored early-'80s electro -- that's all here as well (and it sounds just as dated) -- but several of the tracks go much farther back in time as a springboard for some mad keyboard vamps. "Supafunk" could have been lifted from a Jimmy Smith album of the '60s and "Hot Fumes" keys off blaxploitation funk. It makes one wonder whether an artist can be experimental and enjoyable when using all this cringe-worthy synth, but in the end, Paradinas pulls it off.
Jake Slazenger - Das Ist Ein Groovybeat, Ja (flac 432mb)
01 Hung Like A Bull 6:50
02 Supafunk 5:19
03 The Big Easy 5:25
04 Lumpback Raider 5:46
05 Nautilus 6:20
06 King Of The Beats 6:09
07 Gratuit 7:27
08 Choin 7:16
09 Sabbaf 5:20
10 Hot Fumes 3:13
11 Come On You Slaz 6:19
12 Slowdance 7:49
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Mike Paradinas was wise to release Nautilus under his Jake Slazenger alias, as three of the four songs are in the vein of the funky work he featured on the Jake Slazenger Makesaracket album. The title track is one of the standout tracks from the second Slazenger album Das Ist Ein Groovybeat, Ja?. While The track follows the light, airy style of the Gary Moscheles one-off Shaped to Make Your Life Easier, it benefits from a stronger arrangement and fuller production. Clear, chirping sounds and wobbly bass pour out of the song with great energy. Where the Moscheles album settled on lo-fi, albeit fun, repetition, "Nautilus" rockets out of the gate. "Slaz Thing" is more controlled brilliance, as clanging robotic sounds and throbbing, distorted bass mingle with fuzzy synthesized organ sounds and a comical, whiny fake saxophone. If it gets a bit grating, that's part of the Slazenger attack. "The Penultimate" introduces an entertaining rap sample of "this is the ultimate/I can't go for it." The song's down-tempo grooves, laid back tone, and wacky wah-wah style suggest a hip-hop score to an old Atari 2600 game. "Marks Made in China" is rather uncharacteristic of a Slazenger creation. The song's dark sonic sludge and ominous pounding crunch would seem better fitted to Bluff Limbo or the first Kid Spatula album, Spatula Freak. Nautilus certainly doesn't represent Paradinas' best work, but it's wild exuberance and eclectic charms make it a worthwhile EP.
Jake Slazenger - Megaphonk, Nautilus (flac 302mb)
01 Megaphonk (Alternate Version) 5:20
02 Hyperjunk 8:59
03 Muddy Tractor 5:15
04 Nautilus 6:17
05 Slaz Thing 6:07
06 The Penultimate 4:34
07 Marks Made In China 9:05
08 Pewter Dragon 4:26
09 On The Street 3:55
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First things first, there is no Gary Moscheles. Gary Moscheles is actually Mike Paradinas operating under a pseudonym, but isn't Paradinas always operating under a pseudonym, as µ-ziq, Kid Spatula, Jake Slazenger, or a variety of other alter egos? Gary Moscheles presents an extremely funky side to Paradinas' electronic trickery. Sounding like warped, comic jazz pieces and full of goofy samples, Gary Moscheles' music suggests he's wearing a leisure suit while he's manning his analog gadgets. Xylophones and piano feature on "Mamborama," suggesting a '70s tropical paradise. Other songs focus on grooves that approach disco, swing, and bossa nova. Some of the tracks never really get going, but that's probably Paradinas's intention. "Mamblues" is one such song; it implodes whenever the energy gets too high, acting out power loss effects. The overall feel of the album is quite witty. One gets the impression these songs were meant to be played as the score to some sort of cantina scene in an extremely low-budget, sci-fi movie. Most of the tracks utilize a great deal of repetition in their samples and sounds; on µ-ziq albums, Paradinas uses repetition toward later emotional epiphanies. Here, the repetition might seem grating, unless a listener is expecting wacky, dance music. "Gary's Groove" displays this repetition with nearly two minutes of a drum sample play repeatedly with little variation in the surrounding music. The track that really explains Paradinas' motive as Gary Moscheles is "Good Bye Jazz People." The song has Paradinas talk-singing via heavy voice processing, as he thanks his friends, family, and God in strange, hilarious style over funky electronic grooves. It takes an astute, patient listener to find the joy in such vibe-heavy electronica. Even then, it takes a sense of humor to completely enjoy Paradinas's cool cacophony. Shaped to Make Your Life Easier is a funny, jazzy pleasure; the repetitive nature of the music simply means most listeners won't give the album frequent enough spins.
Gary Moscheles - Shaped to Make Your Life Easier (flac 274mb)
01 Mamborama 6:40
02 Play It Again, Sonny 4:11
03 Mamblues 2:33
04 Plot Thickener 4:36
05 Surprise Horn Pt.2 3:37
06 Funk Yo Ass 6:24
07 Walk It Like This 4:51
08 Gary's Groove 1:51
09 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
Gary Moscheles - Shaped to Make Your Life Easier (ogg 103mb)
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Today's Artist is better known by his stage name μ-Ziq (pronounced "mu-sic" or mew-zeek), an English electronic musician from Wimbledon, London. He is one of the pioneering IDM electronic music acts during the 90's, alongside Aphex Twin, Autechre, and The Orb. He is also the founder of the record label Planet Mu. .......N'Joy
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
One of the premier names in the field of electronic home-listening music, Mike Paradinas' recordings retain the abrasive flavor of early techno pioneers and explore the periphery of experimental electronica even while coddling to his unusual ear for melody, the occasional piece of vintage synthesizer gear, and distorted beatbox rhythms. While his side projects -- including Diesel M, Jake Slazenger, Gary Moscheles, Kid Spatula, and Tusken Raiders -- have often emphasized (or satirized) his debts to jazz, funk, and electro, Paradinas reserves his most original and exciting work for major album releases as µ-Ziq. Early µ-Ziq LPs were based around the most ear-splitting buzz-saw percussion ever heard (in a musical environment or otherwise), with fast-moving though deceptively fragile synthesizer melodies running over the top. As Paradinas began weaving his various influences into a convincing whole, his work became more fully developed, a fluid blend of breakbeat hip-hop and drum'n'bass with industrial effects and the same brittle melodies from his earlier work. Later works have reflected his interest in other forward-thinking electronic styles such Chicago's juke/footwork scene, while also looking back to his formative influences such as the British rave scene and Detroit techno.
Born in Wimbledon (though he grew up in several other spots around London), Paradinas began playing keyboards during the early '80s and listened to new wave bands like Human League and New Order. He joined a few bands in the mid-'80s, then spent eight years on keyboards for the group Blue Innocence. During that time, however, Paradinas had been recording on his own as well with synthesizers and a four-track recorder. When Blue Innocence disintegrated in 1992, he and bass player Francis Naughton bought sequencing software and re-recorded some of Paradinas' old material. After the material was played for Mark Pritchard and Tom Middleton -- the duo behind Global Communication and Reload as well as being the heads of Evolution Records -- they wanted to release it; recording commitments later forced Pritchard and Middleton to withdraw their agreement, though by that time Richard D. James (aka Aphex Twin) had also heard the tracks and agreed to release a double album for his label, Rephlex Records.
The debut album for µ-Ziq (paraphrased from the side of a blank tape and pronounced "mew-zeek") was 1993's Tango n' Vectif. The LP set the template for most of Paradinas' later work, with at times shattering metal-cage percussion underpinning a collection of rather beautiful melodies. The Rephlex label was just beginning to flourish, with added journalistic attention paid to Aphex Twin's recent Selected Ambient Works 85-92, and though James began to feature less in label doings than co-founder Grant Wilson Claridge, later Rephlex work by Cylob, Luke Vibert (aka Wagon Christ), Seefeel, and Squarepusher made it among the cream of electronic home-listening labels.
When Naughton began taking college more seriously (something Paradinas had attempted briefly, from 1990 through 1992), he officially bowed out of µ-Ziq. Second album Bluff Limbo was scheduled to be released in mid-1994, though only 1,000 copies made it out of the gate. (It was officially issued by Rephlex in 1996 after Paradinas served papers on the label.) Paradinas' first major-label release came later in 1994, after he undertook a remix project for Virgin Records. The EP µ-Ziq vs. the Auteurs was one of the most high-profile examples of the remix-by-obliteration movement, a burgeoning hobby for many electronica producers in which the reworking of a pop song would bear no resemblance to -- or trace of -- the original.
Though the EP was hardly a prime mover in the sales category, Virgin signed Paradinas to a hefty contract and gave him his own Planet Mu sublabel to release his own work as well as develop similar-minded artists. Written into his own contract was a provision for unlimited recording under different names, and during 1995 Paradinas definitely took it to task: he unveiled three aliases and released as many albums in less than a year's time. The nu-skool electro label Clear released his debut single as Tusken Raiders early in the year; it mined the fascination with Star Wars and electro music shared by producers like Global Communication, Aphex Twin, and James Lavelle, head of Mo' Wax Records. Clear also released the first Paradinas alias full-length, Jake Slazenger's MakesARacket, later in 1995. Although they were still audible, the LP downplayed his electro influences in favor of some rather cheesy synthesizer figures and a previously unheard debt to jazz-funk.
The distortion reappeared on Paradinas' second LP of the year, Spatula Freak by Kid Spatula. The first American-only release of a Paradinas album (it appeared on Jonah Sharp's San Francisco-based Reflective Records), its sound had the metallic feel of the first two µ-Ziq LPs but with a less-dense production job. Just one month after Spatula Freak, Paradinas released his first proper µ-Ziq LP for a major label, In Pine Effect. The album included tracks recorded from 1993 to 1995, and though it was quite a varied album, the distance appeared to give it quite a disjointed feel.
Paradinas spent 1996 releasing a second Jake Slazenger album (Das Ist Groovy Beat Ja? for Warp) and his first as Gary Moscheles (Shaped to Make Your Life Easier for Belgium's SSR/Crammed Discs). Both LPs journeyed further down the queasy-listening route of the first Slazenger record, with departures into '80s-style party funk and surprisingly straight-ahead soul-jazz. He also owned a half-share in the Rephlex-released Expert Knob Twiddlers (credited as Mike & Rich), the fruit of Paradinas' 1994 recordings with the Aphex Twin.
Paradinas entered 1997 ready to undertake the most ambitious style makeover in his career: the fusion of his home-listening techno with the hypertensive rhythms of street-level drum'n'bass. One year earlier, Aphex Twin had released a single of schizophrenic jungle noodlings ("Hangable Auto Bulb"), and Tom Jenkinson's Squarepusher project had provided the first convincing headphone drum'n'bass act. Paradinas waded into the pool with Urmur Bile Trax, Vols. 1-2, a double EP also released as one full-length compact disc. Though the changeover wasn't completely convincing, the next µ-Ziq full-length more than made up for expectations. Lunatic Harness presented a complete synthesis of the many elements in Paradinas' career, from synth-jazz-funk and beatbox electro through to ambient techno and jungle.
Paradinas and µ-Ziq were introduced to many rock fans after he toured America as the support act for Björk. This tour influenced 1999's Royal Astronomy, which focused on acid techno and hip-hop influences. Issued in 2003, Bilious Paths became the first µ-Ziq release to arrive on Paradinas' own Planet Mu label. The dissolution of his relationship inspired his unrelentingly dark 2007 album Duntisbourne Abbots Soulmate Devastation Technique. Paradinas' Planet Mu duties and his Heterotic project with wife Lara Rix-Martin -- whose debut album, Love & Devotion, arrived in early 2013 -- were among the reasons µ-Ziq took a break until the release of the juke-influenced XTEP and rave-inspired full-length Chewed Corners, both of which arrived in 2013. That year's Somerset Avenue Tracks (1992-1995) compilation celebrated µ-Ziq's 20 years of recording, and collected unreleased tracks from the beginning of his career. Rediffusion appeared in 2014, and XTLP, compiling both XTEP and Rediffusion, followed in 2015. Two digital collections of rare or unreleased recordings, RY30 Trax and Aberystwyth Marine, both appeared in 2016. Following in this vein, Challenge Me Foolish, a collection of tracks dating from the late '90s, was released in 2018, this time on CD and vinyl.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
A surprisingly varied collection of new-school electro-funk. Paradinas' Slazenger sound is sparser, with funky machine breaks and goofy synth melodies dominating. Material splits pretty cleanly between dancefloor fare and more armchair-oriented tunes, and its the latter direction, not surprisingly, that proves most interesting. Makesaracket feels like Paradinas having some fun with making music and letting the bouncy ideas flow like fine wine. There is some truly playful tunes on here that remind me of the Mike & Rich collaboration, Expert Knob Twiddlers. Get Up A for instance. Stupid Wanker is an extremely class track and I was expecting something menacing and loud like Mr. Angry but instead got a sweet track with awesome driving percussion against more emotional synth lines and electronic blurbs that turned out excellently. Megaphonk sounds like an extended intro for a children's TV show in the 90's. Definitely a great addition to any µ-Ziq fan's list.
Jake Slazenger - Makesaracket (flac 430mb)
01 Megaphonk 7:00
02 Get Up R 5:57
03 Stupid Wanker 5:32
04 Gary's Birthday 6:04
05 Daytime Kiss 7:55
06 Erp 5:35
07 Wyatt 5:31
08 Flod 7:24
09 Bolus 5:31
10 Feet 6:46
11 Five Alive 5:43
12 Lux 7:44
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Michael Paradinas' second album under the Jake Slazenger alias is much more subdued than the usual techno-racket µ-Ziq is known for. Most of the first Slazenger album explored early-'80s electro -- that's all here as well (and it sounds just as dated) -- but several of the tracks go much farther back in time as a springboard for some mad keyboard vamps. "Supafunk" could have been lifted from a Jimmy Smith album of the '60s and "Hot Fumes" keys off blaxploitation funk. It makes one wonder whether an artist can be experimental and enjoyable when using all this cringe-worthy synth, but in the end, Paradinas pulls it off.
Jake Slazenger - Das Ist Ein Groovybeat, Ja (flac 432mb)
01 Hung Like A Bull 6:50
02 Supafunk 5:19
03 The Big Easy 5:25
04 Lumpback Raider 5:46
05 Nautilus 6:20
06 King Of The Beats 6:09
07 Gratuit 7:27
08 Choin 7:16
09 Sabbaf 5:20
10 Hot Fumes 3:13
11 Come On You Slaz 6:19
12 Slowdance 7:49
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Mike Paradinas was wise to release Nautilus under his Jake Slazenger alias, as three of the four songs are in the vein of the funky work he featured on the Jake Slazenger Makesaracket album. The title track is one of the standout tracks from the second Slazenger album Das Ist Ein Groovybeat, Ja?. While The track follows the light, airy style of the Gary Moscheles one-off Shaped to Make Your Life Easier, it benefits from a stronger arrangement and fuller production. Clear, chirping sounds and wobbly bass pour out of the song with great energy. Where the Moscheles album settled on lo-fi, albeit fun, repetition, "Nautilus" rockets out of the gate. "Slaz Thing" is more controlled brilliance, as clanging robotic sounds and throbbing, distorted bass mingle with fuzzy synthesized organ sounds and a comical, whiny fake saxophone. If it gets a bit grating, that's part of the Slazenger attack. "The Penultimate" introduces an entertaining rap sample of "this is the ultimate/I can't go for it." The song's down-tempo grooves, laid back tone, and wacky wah-wah style suggest a hip-hop score to an old Atari 2600 game. "Marks Made in China" is rather uncharacteristic of a Slazenger creation. The song's dark sonic sludge and ominous pounding crunch would seem better fitted to Bluff Limbo or the first Kid Spatula album, Spatula Freak. Nautilus certainly doesn't represent Paradinas' best work, but it's wild exuberance and eclectic charms make it a worthwhile EP.
Jake Slazenger - Megaphonk, Nautilus (flac 302mb)
01 Megaphonk (Alternate Version) 5:20
02 Hyperjunk 8:59
03 Muddy Tractor 5:15
04 Nautilus 6:17
05 Slaz Thing 6:07
06 The Penultimate 4:34
07 Marks Made In China 9:05
08 Pewter Dragon 4:26
09 On The Street 3:55
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
First things first, there is no Gary Moscheles. Gary Moscheles is actually Mike Paradinas operating under a pseudonym, but isn't Paradinas always operating under a pseudonym, as µ-ziq, Kid Spatula, Jake Slazenger, or a variety of other alter egos? Gary Moscheles presents an extremely funky side to Paradinas' electronic trickery. Sounding like warped, comic jazz pieces and full of goofy samples, Gary Moscheles' music suggests he's wearing a leisure suit while he's manning his analog gadgets. Xylophones and piano feature on "Mamborama," suggesting a '70s tropical paradise. Other songs focus on grooves that approach disco, swing, and bossa nova. Some of the tracks never really get going, but that's probably Paradinas's intention. "Mamblues" is one such song; it implodes whenever the energy gets too high, acting out power loss effects. The overall feel of the album is quite witty. One gets the impression these songs were meant to be played as the score to some sort of cantina scene in an extremely low-budget, sci-fi movie. Most of the tracks utilize a great deal of repetition in their samples and sounds; on µ-ziq albums, Paradinas uses repetition toward later emotional epiphanies. Here, the repetition might seem grating, unless a listener is expecting wacky, dance music. "Gary's Groove" displays this repetition with nearly two minutes of a drum sample play repeatedly with little variation in the surrounding music. The track that really explains Paradinas' motive as Gary Moscheles is "Good Bye Jazz People." The song has Paradinas talk-singing via heavy voice processing, as he thanks his friends, family, and God in strange, hilarious style over funky electronic grooves. It takes an astute, patient listener to find the joy in such vibe-heavy electronica. Even then, it takes a sense of humor to completely enjoy Paradinas's cool cacophony. Shaped to Make Your Life Easier is a funny, jazzy pleasure; the repetitive nature of the music simply means most listeners won't give the album frequent enough spins.
Gary Moscheles - Shaped to Make Your Life Easier (flac 274mb)
01 Mamborama 6:40
02 Play It Again, Sonny 4:11
03 Mamblues 2:33
04 Plot Thickener 4:36
05 Surprise Horn Pt.2 3:37
06 Funk Yo Ass 6:24
07 Walk It Like This 4:51
08 Gary's Groove 1:51
09 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
Gary Moscheles - Shaped to Make Your Life Easier (ogg 103mb)
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