With the amount of hype the world is currently throwing at anyone who hasn't released a new album in more than four years you'd have to agree that μ-Ziq is being overlooked. Mike Paradinas is one of the fathers of modern IDM and in the 90s his name was mentioned in the same sentences as Aphex Twin, Squarepusher or Autechre. His more imagery focused 90s colleagues Boards Of Canada have already made a big splash this year with their brilliant comeback in Tomorrow's Harvest. For someone who is supposed to set the trends, μ-Ziq's first album in six years certainly feels like a disappointment behind the times.
Whether he's dealing with 90s pad ambiance or his more recent obsession with footwork, μ-Ziq mostly brings something to the table that makes his music immediately cinematic. Listening to some of Paradinas' works you'll start wondering why isn't he making soundtracks for steampunk blockbusters. But in the last six years many things have changed and on his long awaited return μ-Ziq doesn't really sound like a leader anymore. He's certainly no bandwagon jumper as this isn't first or second time he's dealing with these sounds. But among all the bedroom producers out there, Chewed Corners lacks that special something that would help it to transcend one thing that unites that young and the old, nostalgia.
Planet Mu themselves are suddenly sounding like a close minded bunch who are lately focusing on the records that sound exclusively old and dusty. Chewed Corners is stuck somewhere between footwork and 90s IDM experiments with a touch of 80s neon glazed silver screen. This clash of old and new doesn't really help the record as it feels unfashionably dated which isn't exactly easy to do these days. The closest comparisons to this record are a couple of other Planet Mu releases that uses the big, shiny textures peppered with tinny percussion. Ital Tek's and Kuedo's solo records from the last two years definitely come to mind but while Kuedo has released an album that is as pure as it is melodic, μ-Ziq is closer to Ital Tek's Nebula Dance, a electronic head's album that has its past influences at hand but failing to create something truly cinematic with them.
There has been way too many producers toying with these nostalgic sounds since μ-Ziq has released his previous record. It's hard to see the fourteen tracks on Chewed Corners as anything remotely experimental. This is a rare time when Paradinas is playing with the rules that are currently popular. As such, we can judge his songwriting skills which honestly aren't always up to scratch. Tracks like Melting Bas or Twangle Melkas are melodic without really resigning to offering an obvious hook. They're pieces to look at and think about but nothing more. On the other hand, the weirdest moments come in the form of a track like Houzz 10 which believe it or not is a straight up house banger. With a title like that it's fully possible that this is some uncalled stab at irony but at the end, it's a flat track that has very little to offer for the legs or for the mind.
Houzz 10 also rats out the rest of the album when it comes to the production. Until that point you'll find yourself mesmerised by the pads to the point where you won't pay much attention to the songwriting which is too abstract considering that some of these rhythms are quite strong. Houzz 10 is an ear opener simply because it offers very little. Step back and you'll realise that's the case with all of this album. Majority of the tracks are made of percussion, single pad and and one or two leads. Add the fact that all of them bite that Vangelis "Blade Runner" sound that Kuedo brought back and you'll be left with a record that feels like a lesser version of Severant, not as immersive, not as fulfilling, not as expansive and definitely nowhere near as entertaining.
