Mike Paradinas, known as µ-Ziq and the owner of Planet Mu, has teamed up with Hannah Davidson, known professionally as Mrs Jynx, on a new album titled Secret Garden. The project was born out of a conversation in the spring of 2021, where they talked about the therapeutic nature of music when life is tough. Both had recently lost a parent to cancer.
Within a few weeks, they were collaborating on new music, which all came together very quickly.
“After about ten days we had ten tracks we were happy with." explains Davidson. “It was exciting to hear what Mike would do with the stems I sent, and equally exciting to see what he thought of my additions to his stems.”
Album Review: µ-Ziq & Mrs Jynx – Secret Garden [Planet Mu]
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This may have come together quickly, but it sounds as good as music someone labored over for months. It doesn’t sound rushed or haphazardly thrown together without much purpose.
Secret Garden is devoted to those personal moments of grief. But as the title suggests, it also is about the light at the end of the tunnel and still appreciating the beauty in this world, despite everything. Secret Garden starts with some of that beauty on “Jynxiq” that has a touch of acid, but there are moments of pensive melancholy like “Loss.” After a transitional middle with “The Ballad of Darth Vadar” and “Afternoon Sunshine," Secret Garden starts to brighten up at the end.
Tracks like “Philip Steak” and the sparkling synths of “Hulo” drive home some of the radiant music on this album. Secret Garden eventually finishes on the gentle and serene finale, the title track, which is designed to show the “melodic vista” these two found before making it.
µ-Ziq & Mrs Jynx find a new avenue for their music together, capturing the feelings of loss and despair, before exploring the light at the end of that tunnel. It is another beautiful album to emerge on Planet Mu this year, which you can pick up in various formats here.
