Bleep

Rounding out a killer year for Planet Mu and culminating his Magic Pony Ride era, Mike Paradinas gathers tracks and edits on a celebratory mix for Bleep that touches all bases and aliases of his prolific career. With new µ-Ziq on the way, Paradinas released the “stopgap” Galope EP of live and archived tracks in November, and this mix goes even further with remixes from his Magic Pony Ride and Lunatic Harness eras, as well as some Tusken Raiders cuts and more unreleased goodies.

The A side starts on a note of serenity, before glistening piano keys are thrown into the deep bass frequencies as vigorous hardcore rhythms meet light, sugary textures. We take an extended acidic break with a Tusken Raiders remix of Aphex classic ‘Isoprophlex’, expounding on the rave rigour of the original’s laser storm. Further Tusken Raiders tracks include detuned plucks and rubberband plunks, hip hop rhythms and techno cowbells, muted synths and lurching creature cries, while a hard breakbeat froths under ripples of icy keys and right-angled synth melodies on ‘Auntie Daddy’, as strings and µ-Ziq’s signature vocal synth wisp emotively.

The ‘Mann Egerton’ duo opens the B side on an immediate club note, as elastic acid synths and jungle-flavoured bass hits colour the Tusken Raiders remix while the vocals pitch back down to the original’s deftly sliced drum and bass rhythms. Harps frolic and drums gallop into the ascending spirals of ‘Imperial Crescent’, snapping to trilling minimal beats and bustling breaks. Closing out the mix, ‘Metaphonk’ riffs on the 1995 Jake Slazenger cut ‘Megaphonk’, guiding twinkling electronica palettes and epic guitar solo synths with shuffling reggaeton rhythms, and ‘Hasty Boom Alert (Remake)’ refilters ticking and purring beats before coursing breaks are rerouted through starry ambience.