Manzana by µ-Ziq

What’s better than a new µ-Ziq album? Why, two new µ-Ziq albums, of course. Manzana is a companion record of sorts to 1979, Mike Paradinas’s second album for Balmat; it arrives just one week after that record’s release. In sound and atmosphere, Manzana represents a logical extension of 1979’s world—in fact, the first track is itself titled “1979”—shot through with detuned synths, eerie vox pads, knife-edged drums. The vibe is by turns shadowy and psychedelic, flitting from wistful moments of calm and more unsettling moods. On balance, Manzana might be the darker of the two albums—more guarded, less apt to break into rhythmic release. And in both palette and style, it evokes the eternal spirit of braindance: Many of these tracks could pass for productions from the mid-1990s—in the best way. Like 1979, which was inspired by youthful trips to Spain, Manzana reaches into the past and returns with something timeless.

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