So power supply issues with the laptop have been at least temporarily resolved. This is good news because A) I can get my blog on once more, and B) recurring problems have officially pushed me into the “looking for a replacement” stage of this particular machine’s life—an exciting, if economically thorny, time to say the least.

But on the subject of computers, I was one of five people at work today (thank you, unexpected eight inches of snow), and so, free to get lost in my headphones, I decided to spend some time with a recently purchased electronica record, Lunatic Harness, the 1997 album by Aphex-cohort µ-Ziq (pronounced “Music”—get it?). Though I’d call it a bit more listener friendly than the contemporary work of Rich James, µ-Ziq is still firmly in Aphexian drum’n’bass territory. While definitely not abrasive, unlike either the rhythmic, hip-hop inspired music of groups like Boards of Canada or more minimalist, background-friendly soundscapes a la Brian Eno, this stuff is less than suited to the “something I can ignore” function electronica gets so often relegated. After his subtle synth melodies have hooked you in, Mike Paradinas’ complex beats take over, oscillating between extreme structure and jungle chaos at a pace that makes focused (and repeated) listens the way to go. Anyhoo, here are three of my favorites off the record.