µ-Ziq - 1979

A Closer Listen

There is a certain nostalgia inherent to the more ambient compositions of the first major IDM artists. Mike Paradinas, under his most well known alias µ-Ziq, is one of these artists, who (alongside contemporaries like Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, and Boards of Canada) helped to revolutionize electronic music in the 90s. Of course, the nostalgic element to this music is heightened when one listens to it now, thirty years later. 1979 is unabashedly retro. Using sounds and techniques that were cutting-edge at the beginning of his career, µ-Ziq takes listeners back to the golden age of electronica. The result is a double-nostalgia effect, wherein the artist explores his childhood through the vintage sound of his young adulthood.

“Majadahonda at Dawn” begins with what sound like haunted, wordless female vocalizations. When the unmistakable fuzzy synths kick in about halfway through, one is instantly transported to a past era. Majadahonda is a town in Spain where Paradinas’s family is originally from, and where the artist spent time as a child. “Clari 1” starts out on the more melodic side of ambient and grows in complexity and dissonance as it progresses, mirroring the emotional trajectory of adolescence. 

The album’s title is not subtle in suggesting its own theme. To drive home the point that time and the past are important concepts here, it’s worth mentioning that 1979 comes two years after µ-Ziq’s LP 1977. The new release appears to be a followup to the last one; in fact, it’s an extension of it. “Pillowy” was a standout track on 1977. On 1979, we have “Billowy,” a slightly darker variation of the melodic theme shared by its rhyming predecessor. Whereas 1977 focused on Paradinas’s childhood memories of the UK, 1979 branches into recollections of the time he spent in Spain. The former includes the track “Marmite,” and the latter replaces the classic British pantry staple with a Spanish one–  “Galletas,” or biscuits. “Floatation,” sunny and buoyant, drifts from atmospheric to ebullient like a weekend getaway on the Mediterranean coast. 

“Houzz 14” (a sequel to 1977’s “Houzz 13”) is true to its name as a super catchy, danceable house tune. Positioned at the midway point of the record, it serves as an interlude, juxtaposing reminiscence with living in the moment. Another sequel, “Clari 2” is bolder and more mature than the first “Clari,” as the album nears its end. The final few tracks sound resolute rather than wistful. Rather than yearning for simpler times, the artist appreciates memories gone by, in and of themselves. 1979 succeeds as a companion to 1977, and also as a standalone work. Paradinas manages to capture the past in a way that feels comforting but not stagnant, as if to say: the value of nostalgia lies not in escapism, but in how it deepens the present. (Maya Merberg)