Grush

Description

Mike Paradinas, veteran producer and Planet Mu label owner has written a new album called Grush and its full of weird bangers that reclaim the dance part of the woeful term IDM. A back-to-first-principles record, inspired in part by the group of artists IDM was coined for; melodic dance music that didnt come out of urban scenes, but interpreted them from a distance. The tracks on Grush are all road-tested live favorites developed with feedback from Mikes touring partner and visuals guy Mora (Jan Moravec). Its a detailed and energetic journey which replicates the flow of a live gig. A lot of the tracks have been made in hotel rooms in response to shows, Imperial Crescent is named after a Japanese Hotel, as is Belvedere in Prague, while some tracks such as Hyper Daddy were created specifically to play live. Drums are confidently at the fore here and the album feels like it traces Mikes musical history and interests neatly around his sweetly nostalgic melodies, with atmospheres and structures which twist and turn with a charming softness which contrasts with the tension in the drums. Take Hyper Daddys spiralling notes and twinkling piano which remind one of early Black Dog or Omni Trio rushing alongside splashy jungle drums, or the aquatic acid footwork of the title track with its drums softly bubbling and kicking. Elsewhere theres territory which harks back to his Tusken Raiders pseudonym, like the heads down Drexciyan funk of Windsor Safari Park, which transforms from moody electro into a sunny hardcore track midway.

The album is interspersed with Reticulum A, B and C at the start middle and end of the album which suggest a theme which carries across the music in an effortless and joyful way. Grush is a strong album that works both for listening and DJing and a great snapshot of where Mike Paradinas musical head is at in 2024.