Based on Franco Battiato's L'Egitto Prima Della Sabbia

L'Egitto dopo La Cicala

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

Fortuna is the 5th track of the upcoming 'Slo Mo' cassette by Milan W. (JJ005)

Music by Milan Warmoeskerken
Published by Jj funhouse, 2014
www.jjfunhouse.com/catalogue/jj005
©All rights reserved

Milan W. - Fortuna (JJ005)

House

braventh

Early Saturday

A1 from 'Envelope' released on Ekster 2018
BUY: https://eksterlabel.bandcamp.com/album/envelope

Slope

"Closed Space" is the first single from CFCF's forthcoming album Liquid Colours

Montreal’s earnest-kitsch-explorer CFCF (aka Mike Silver) has been honing gentle revisions and updates on the outmoded luxuries of pop and new age music for years now. Now he returns with a ‘spiritual sequel’ to his much-loved 2015 ambient opus ’The Colours of Life’, refitted with an eye towards the bygone future: oxygen lounges, chill- out rooms, luminescent spas, and breakbeats. Told in 15 movements, ‘Liquid Colours’ is a 42-minute new age jungle odyssey, perfect for a journey into a dreamworld of pure consumerism. Like all of CFCF’s work, it’s as sincerely and painstakingly composed as it is gently sardonic.

Liquid Colours

Closed Space (Single Edit)

Vinyl Edition available now via Second Thoughts Records:
https://secondthoughtsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-turntable-guitars-sampled-instruments

Recorded and produced by Chuck Blazevic, Summer 2017 - Fall 2019.
Mastered by Stephan Mathieu at Schwebung Mastering.
Graphic Design by Simone at Studio-Noi.
Co-released by Second Thoughts Records and Reliable Effects

L'Egitto dopo La Cicala

Andrew Pekler