https://mikeparadinas.bandcamp.com/album/secret-garden

In Spring 2021, Mike Paradinas (µ-Ziq and the owner of Planet Mu) spoke to long time friend and past label signing Hannah Davidson (Mrs Jynx) about the therapeutic power of writing music when times are tough. Both had recently been dealing with the loss of a parent due to cancer, and fresh from writing Scurlage, Paradinas suggested a collaboration.

“I’ve always thought Hannah’s melodic sensibilities chime well with my own," says Paradinas, "and I've wanted to collaborate with her for a long time, since [her 2010 album] 'Shark Carousel' in fact, because she'd written some melodies that I wish I had.”

In a matter of weeks the two collaborated online, sending stems back and forth, each encouraging the other and fitting perfectly together. 

“After about ten days we had ten tracks we were happy with." adds Davidson, "It was exciting to hear what Mike would do with the stems I sent, and equally exciting to see what he thought of my additions to his stems.”

Overall the result is an opus of deeply personal moments of grief, depicted in a feeling of serene, misty tranquility that makes it easy to get lost in. Davidson and Paradinas settled on the title 'Secret Garden' due to the melodic vista which unexpectedly opened up before them on the final track. The album truly is a melodic exploration that is so often missed in this genre. 

There are twists and turns in mood, from the pastoral loveliness of 'Jynxiq' and 'Unheard Melodies' which fall away to the dubby beats of 'Hi Jynx'; the sadness of 'Loss' leading into the beatless forlorn 'The Ballad of Darth Vader. The album ups the pace with the muffled kicks and warm atmosphere of 'Afternoon Sunshine', which sets the tone for the happier mood of the second half. This all leads up to the album's denoeument in final track 'Secret Garden' whose naïve meandering synth melodies, orchestral accompaniment and glockenspiel end the album in happy resolution.

µ-Ziq & Mrs Jynx - The Secret Garden

Whatever The Weather

36°C

Springtime in Croatia

Quiet nap

“Echoes of Eternia” continues the saga begun in "Legends Beyond the Stars", carrying the listener through gates forgotten, crowns fallen, and dawns reborn. From the epic force of Ashes of Eternity to the reflective calm of Aurora’s Path, each track feels like a chapter in a roleplaying adventure.

The journey ends with Epilogue: The Gates of Eternia — but as in every legend, there are many ways a story can close. Two alternate epilogues, the Twilight Version and the Alternate Ending, reveal other possible destinies, leaving Eternia shrouded in mystery even as the gates open wide.*



Aurora’s Path

A BUILDING IN GAZA

From the 1996 album '(Ch-Vox)' reissued on Warp in 2021. 
Purchase 'Rupt & Flex' now; a reissued collection of LPs and EPs spanning 1994-'96 + formerly unreleased archive tracks. Available now on Warp Records. Purchase here: seefeel.warp.net/94-96-reissues

(CH-Vox)

A track from the album 'UV Sea' out 02/13/16 on Constellation Tatsu.

Forest Walker - Desert Lighthouse

B2 - Kuniyuki Takahashi -  Sakura No Mizu (10:12)

Artist: Masayoshi Fujita & Jan Jelinek
Album: Bird, Lake, Objects
Label#: faitiche03
Format: LP/DL

Vinyl repress of faitiche03 & 13 available on July 17th 2020!

Queried on his favourite word in the German language, Masayoshi Fujita will pick ‘getragen’ – without a sliver of hesitation. Further questioning will reveal that he loves the term’s semantic signifiers, its inherent sense of “expansive, deep, quiet and sombre.” And yet, ‘getragen’ leaves plenty of room for interpretation: depending on context, it might also indicate wearing apparel or the state of being carried – two more mundane interpretations that I would rather keep from him.
Does Masayoshi’s own definition, however, apply to Bird, Lake, Objects? Only to a limited extent. Compared to previous Faitiche releases, Bird, Lake, Objects is certainly the most ‘getragen’ of them all. Nevertheless, this is by far not the first association that comes to mind. From a distance, these tracks seem rather introspective, cautious even – and reflect the recording situation: deliberately pared down, reduced to a single microphone in space and a separate track for all other instruments, each movement and action is chronicled by the treacherous mike. This confronted me with some unexpected and unfamiliar problems. For example, we had to swap out the seating in the studio as my favoured chair had a characteristic creak. Other, external influences proved to be beyond our control: fire engine klaxons, street noise and footfall became part of the recordings and their improvisatory nature. Each movement required careful orchestration, fully aware of its irrevocable nature. Space itself was always present and an audible entity, except on "Stripped to RM" (recorded without a microphone or vibraphone track). After extensive deliberations, we decided to forgo the vibes on this piece – a very similar version had already been released in 2008 (on the compilation Enjoy The Silence, Mule Electronic, 2008).

Masayoshi Fujita & Jan Jelinek:  I'll Change Your Life

PLEASE DON'T SEND DEMOS, thanks...

Webshop: https://www.musicfrommemory.com

Amsterdam based record label releasing visionary electronic music from both past and present.

Sublabel: @secondcircle

B2 - Kuniyuki Takahashi - Sakura No Mizu (10:12)

Music From Memory

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