About

“Challenge Me Foolish is the third compendium of "lost" µ-Ziq material to surface on Planet Mu in the last three years—the fourth if we're including Expert Knob Twiddlers, the reissue of Paradinas' collaborative album with Aphex Twin. It compiles music written between 1998 and '99, and serves as a retrospective primer for the orchestral pop leanings of Royal Astronomy, Paradinas' fifth µ-Ziq album.

Both Royal Astronomy and Challenge Me Foolish feature tracks with the Japanese vocalist Kazumi. "Goodbye, Goodbye" was the former album's sentimental closer, while the twee pop of "The Fear" gave Royal Astronomy its gooey centre. On Challenge Me Foolish we are, perhaps, treated to the ones that didn't make the cut. The tracks range from the saccharine drum & bass of "Sad Inlay" to the naff kookiness of "Durian," neither of which have aged particularly well. The album's breezy title track is the best of these, though it would've been even better without the carnivalesque melody lines in the second half. Without these whimsical flourishes, though, it wouldn't be µ-Ziq. Unlike his more somber IDM peers, Paradinas was never afraid to sound cheerful.” - Resident Advisor

“After smooth, swaying synths of "Inclement" get things rolling for Foolish, groundwork is prepared for decidedly less laid-back material on "Undone", a track that doesn't quite live up to its sad and chaotic title. The title track is the first of five to feature Japanese vocalist Kazumi. "Challenge Me Foolish" could be Moby in stealth, but tracks like "Durian" and "Lexicon" throw shadings of psychedelia and jungle into the mix respectively. "Bassbins" stalks you from behind, eager to agitate. Hit the skip button, and the mood shifts to old-school computer game music with "Robin Hood Gate", completely free of percussion. Selections like "Perhaps" and "Perframe" also enjoy the pulse-free environment, though it would be a stretch to label them as ambient.

Challenge Me Foolish ends with a stunner, though not before the listener is teased with the (nearly) relentlessly playful "Peek Freans", a sunny slice of major-key dopiness that could be disguised as a synthesizer demo. Kazumi's vocals are then heavily sampled for the lyrically nonsensical yet heavily compelling "DoDaDu". It's somehow both slightly goofy and very lovely.” - Pop Matters