Secret Garden

Secret Garden marks the first musical collaboration between µ-ziq (Mike Paradinas) and Mrs Jynx (Hannah Davidson), whose previous two albums on Planet Mu remain underrated gems within the label's vast catalog. Both artists had lost a parent to cancer, and decided to make music together as part of the healing process. Comfortably falling under the category of ambient techno, the album places far more of an emphasis on atmospheric melodies than beat trickery. Early tracks like "Unheard Melodies" are soft and wistful, with glowing melodies resting atop gently skipping beats. "The Ballad of Darth Vader" ends up being the saddest, most emotionally displaced tune here, then the album begins to lighten up with the brisk thumps and delicate, harp-like melodies of "Afternoon Sunshine." Later tracks like "Philip Steak" have brighter melodies and light breakbeats, and the mostly drumless final cut "The Secret Garden" is both whimsical and pretty. While it isn't either artist's most significant work, Secret Garden certainly has a timeless quality, as the feelings expressed aren't bound to any era. ~ Paul Simpson