Mu-Ziq – “Challenge Me Foolish” – [Planet Mu Records]

puplaif   7/6/2022   A Library, CD

“Challenge Me Foolish” is an album composed by µ-Ziq (pronounced mu-ziq) in the late 1990’s and released to the world nearly two decades later. µ-Ziq is Mike Paradinas, electronic musician and founder of Planet Mu records. These melodic tracks feature a full spectrum of synths, including strings, trumpets, chimes, and woodwinds, just to name a few. Percussive elements come in the form of breakbeats featuring cymbals, cowbells, and snares, with some songs going full speed ahead into drill ’n’ bass territory, helmed by a robot drummer gone berserk. Several songs are graced by the voice of Japanese vocalist, Kazumi. At first listen, I was reminded of the Final Fantasy VII video game soundtrack, which came out around the same time that these songs were composed. It’s as if the album tells a story, each track carrying listeners along the stages of a journey through a majestic, synthetic world.