For this album Paradinas unleashes his own brand of breaks infused electronic music with an assortment of influences from ragga to gabba, all with a healthy dose of experimentalism familiar to fans of Planet Mu.
Opening with “Johnny Maastricht”, Paradinas introduces the album with a fusion of early 90’s style melodic tendencies and huge ragga breaks and vocal samples. “Meinheld” then takes up the baton and increases the pace to breakneck gabba speed but again mixes the beats with old skool melodies from a previous µ-Ziq incarnation. Then there is a brace of tracks entitled “Siege of Antioch” the “Fall of Antioch”, the former being an abstract mix of frantic beats and processed samples over a flowing background of almost orchestral synth washes, the latter a completely serene piece full of melody and doleful sweeping reflection with a sort of medieval feeling. “Octelcogopod” has distinct influences of old skool µ-Ziq that builds in urgency throughout. “On/Off” is an altogether more amusing affair with Mike Dykehouse’s manipulated vocal fitting perfectly with Paradinas’ own twisted take on the recent electroclash trend. We’re then treated to four crazed beat onslaughts before “Mouse Bums” slows things down with ghostly melodies, a bassy backing and chilled percussive beats. This change of pace continues through “Fall of Antioch” to the album closer “My Mengegus” with it’s precise punchy beats, fluid orchestral qualities and melodic keyboards.
Bilious Paths is an accomplished album that mixes Rephlex era µ-Ziq influences with new Planet Mu sensibilities and should please fans of both, balancing the two forms quite nicely and even fusing the two on a number of occasions.
Bilious Paths is OUT NOW on Planet-Mu.
