The Fear

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µ-Ziq's The Fear EP sees electronic musician Mike Paradinas in a relatively lighthearted mood. "The Fear" shows up in two forms. The first version is identical to the one that appears on his Royal Astronomy album. It's one of that album's more easygoing moments, combining a touching melody, sampled horns, and Kazumi's fragile, abstract vocals. "Houzz 8" is a jazzy, faster-paced B-side. It's fun background music, but it doesn't really stand out against Paradinas' more experimental, emotional back catalog. Comprising mostly high-pitched electronics, there's not really much to wrap one's mind around. "Morning Frolic" is perhaps slightly more interesting, if only because there's a bit of suspense built into its core; under swelling strings and synth textures, it appears the song will burst its seams and turn into a classical composition at any moment. The second appearance of the title track is sequenced last, as "the fear remix." The title of the track says it all; it's a more sprightly, less effective replay of the original. Where the album version hints at melancholy and sadness, the remix affects a stop-start shuffle, and Kazumi's vocals are distorted, making for a less compelling rendition. µ-Ziq is capable of creating deeply emotional music. When he's simply playing around in the studio, as he appears to be doing on this EP, his music is worthwhile, but not vital. That's not to say that Full Sunken Breaks, released in close proximity to The Fear (under Paradinas' Kid Spatula alias), isn't immensely enjoyable; on that album, Paradinas went all out in his creation of bass-heavy funk. On The Fear, it sounds too much like Astralwerks told him submit to a couple of B-sides.

© Tim DiGravina /TiVo