Mike Paradinas, aka µ-Ziq, unleashes 1979, today on Balmat. The British electronic pioneer has shaped the underground electronic scene since 1993, when his IDM tracks reached critical success with their experimental edge and catchy melodies. Founding Planet Mu turned him into a kingmaker for underground sounds—breakcore’s fractured pulses, and dubstep’s seismic lows—all amplified through a catalog that stays current. Paradina’ s aliases, from Jake Slazenger to Kid Spatula and Tusken Raiders, fill out his discography, yet Lunatic Harness in 1997 remains the benchmark: a masterclass in turning captured isolated sound into sonic artwork.
1979 leans into the groundwork from Lunatic Harness, mapping a landscape of thick synth layers—open skies of soft glow, sudden drops into shadow, and coiled psychedelic lines that unwind slowly. The album sketches distinct moods: ‘Majadahonda at Dawn‘ inspires an air of mystery, ‘Clari‘ slipping in light-fingered hooks and ‘Houzz 14‘ erupting into breakbeat drive, a sharp reminder of his dancefloor DNA. The album weaves in braindance’s sly glitches, isolationist ambient’s sparse reach, and IDM’s tight-wire balance, and subtle patterns emerge across each play.
1979 dodges easy nostalgia for something sharper: a detour into uncharted space, sketched solely from Paradinas’ vantage. 
Stream 1979:
