µ-Ziq - Lunatic Harness [Double-Fudge Ice Cream with Crack Sprinkles and Espresso Drizzle =P].

Hello. I was sick yesterday so I will be doing yesterday’s review today. It is for a classic album by Mike Paradinas, called Lunatic Harness.

 

Album: Lunatic Harness

Artist: μ-Ziq

Released: June 30, 1997

Genres: Drill n Bass, Ambient, IDM
Obtained: 8 months ago, ripped off YouTube via youtube-mp3.org

EXCEPT: Secret Stair pts. 1+2, purchased on iTunes

OVERVIEW

This album seems like a psychotic mess of cartoons and crack at first listen, especially to someone who is not used to experimental electronica. In fact, around the time this album was released, the world wasn’t really ready for much electronica, and rock and pop bands still dominated the radio, but that’s another subject.

The low melodies of “Brace Yourself Jason” (who’s Jason, btw?) ease the listener into the album, but also helps “brace” the listener for the twisted ride they’ve just embarked on, by introducing slightly chaotic breaks, which would get harsher, louder and crazier as the album continues. Following  is the highly emotive track, “Hasty Boom Alert”. With a heartstring-tugging harmonies and a super fast mixed up set of breakbeats, it just get every sensation flowing at once, from the intro all the way to the sudden tempo switch at the end.

From there, we have a pretty good idea of what to expect in the tracks to follow, yet are still taken by surprise in nearly every one. For example, “Blainville” downshifts the speed considerably and sounds like little children skipping to the ice cream store rather than the usual “junkie-convulsing-in-a-field-of-sunflowers” feeling prevalent in most of the album; the beats in “Lunatic Harness” are completely made of voice samples by rapper Darren Robinson (aka Buffy, The Human Beatbox); “Approaching Menace” turns the mood into an ominous and aggressive one;  and nothing could prepare you for the deranged, distorted dementia that imakes up tracks like “Wannabe” and “London”.

It make take a few listens, or even a few dozen, but once you accept and embrace the manic-depressive thrill ride that is Lunatic Harness, I almost guarantee you will grow to love it as I did.

Thank you for reading, and have a great weekend. =)

Favorite Tracks:

1. Hasty Boom Alert

2. Secret Stair, pt. 1

3. Midwinter Log

4. Mushroom Compost

5. Approaching Menace