µ-Ziq

Hailing from Raynes Park in South West London, Mike Paradinas began operating under the name μ-Ziq whilst studying Architecture at Kingston University in 1991. He eventually left the degree to concentrate all efforts towards his music on a full-time basis. His early recordings first emerged on the Rephlex label with the now classic ‘Tango N’Vectif’ back in 1993, followed a few months later by a second, ‘Bluff Limbo’ – on it’s initial promo run of 1000 copies, it rapidly gained a noteriety out of all proportion to it’s availability, even entering the NME top 50 albums of 1994.

In March 1995, Mike signed to the major label Virgin Records and released the ‘Salsa With Mesquite’ EP and the album ‘In Pine Effect’ (“the difference is that where the Aphex Twin’s topographical doodles suggest undiscovered, unpeopled planets, μ-Ziq’s approach is a good deal more emotional, attempting to tap into the inner, surfing the soul… This is ‘techno’ elevated above the mere functionalism of the dancefloor, lighting fires in the heart and painting pictures for the mind’s eye.” – Melody Maker). This year also saw the genesis of ‘Jake Slazenger’, one of Mike’s numerous pseudonyms with the acclaimed future-past casio jazz-funk of the ‘Makesaracket’ album on Clear. 1996 saw Paradinas join forces with Richard James for Aphex’s one and only collaboration album ‘Mike and Rich’ on Rephlex; it was also the year that Mike signed to Warp for his second Jake Slazenger album and indie chart number 1: ‘Das Ist Ein Groovy Beat, Ja’.