μ-ZIQ

Kuboraum presents the third episode of its Digital Sound Residency inviting the legendary Mike
Paradinas, otherwise known as μ-Ziq, founder of the label Planet Mu and leading voice in the
British electronic music over the last 25 years.

In μ-Ziq’s own music, a sharp sound synthesis melts into melodic arrangements mixed with
infectious rhythms and a passion for far-reaching, yet accessible experimentalism.
From hardcore and breakcore to spacey, moody sounds of dubstep, he is devoted to progressive
sounds that generate an effect on society in the way we perceive and dance music – while being at
the same time influenced by society. In an attempt to tap into the inner soul of the listener, μ-Ziq
elevates techno above the mere functionalism of the dancefloor, lighting fires in the heart and
painting pictures for the mind’s eye.

In the pre-Planet Mu days, Paradinas collaborated with Aphex Twin on Expert Knob Twiddlers, a
joint album issued in 1994 under the name Mike & Rich. Part of the same ecosystem, the two IDM
pioneers were trying to create an electronic music that the UK could be proud of, rather than just
making pure dancefloor tracks or Detroit techno facsimiles.

In 1998, Paradinas launched his own independent record label Planet Mu and started releasing
material by ground-breaking artists as Jega, Venetian Snares, Vex’d, Luke Vibert and FaltyDL,
including some of his own projects ‘Kid Spatula’ & the ‘Slag Boom Van Loon’ collaboration with
Jochem Paap (aka Speedy J). Since then, despite seismic industry shifts and musical evolutions, he
never lost his crucial position at the fringes of electronic music—from IDM to dubstep, grime to
footwork. With over 400 releases, Planet Mu has become established as one of the mainstays of
the electronic music scene, alongside Ninjatune and Warp, being always innovative and forward-
thinking.