Spatula Freak

Pushing the envelope of the electronic music genre, Michael Paradinas stalks adventurous sounds and unusual musical directions. Another alias for the man known also known as µ-Ziq, Kid Spatula follows the blueprint of his In Pine Effect album, mixing distinctive drum tracks (in beat and timbre) with orchestral synth, odd piano tinkling, and a wide array of ambient samples. Not as musically dense as In Pine Effect, these arrangements are more sparse, but no less fertile. "Trunk" is an emotive piece driven by big bass thuds overlaid with a repitive synth figure and embellished with xylophone, horn and cello; "Chisholm" follows a light piano riff until ambushed by complex, cymbal-heavy percussion for a crackling, crunchy rhythm; while the in-your-face factory-inflected "Metal Thing #1" has more corners and sharp edges than a cubist painting. Paradinas' rich and intricate work continues to represent him as not only a prolific talent, but a prodigious one.