Planet Mu was started in 1995 as an imprint on Virgin Records on which to release µ-Ziq and other, similar artists.
When it turned out that Virgin didn't do well in marketing this kind of music, Mike Paradinas set up the label independently in 1998. This is where the ZIQ... catalog numbers start.
Contact Info:
Planet Mu
PO Box 60439
London
E8 9BX
United Kingdom
ecuadorian_bass, Nov 01, 2006
I think it's quite interesting how Planet Mu has appropriated dubstep as its new protege of sorts. Whereas Mu's contemporary Rephlex packaged up the sound in its 'Grime' compilations, and Warp dipped its toe in with Something J & DJ Maxximus' 'Mercedes Bentley Vs. Versaci Armani' - Planet Mu has gone all out of late. Hawerchuck's first ep 'Camel Toe/Caned Peas' in 2004 appears to be the starting point of Mu's daliance with dub/grime sub sonics, albeit in an experimental manner. But since that time they have added act upon act to their rosta of dubaholics. Now we get to experience the bass weight sonics of some of dubsteps heaviset hitters: Distance, Pinch, Benga, Mark One (Mu's first major dubstep signing, along with his Virus Syndicate project),Vex'd and even Loefah and Skream who provide remixes for Pinch's sub aqueous wobbler 'Punisher'. Alongside these maestros we also bear witness to those producers who use dubstep as an influence upon their musical output such as: Boxcutter - Squarepusher style skitteriness meets dubstep, Milanese - glitchy-breakwhore- dubwise-grime and Neil Landstrumm - wobbly fuct-techno uberlord meets electrostep (interestingly enough Landstrumm has already had his ear to the sublow ground as can be heard on his own Scandanavia imprint release 'The Life Of Grime EP'). I think it's great that one of the most respected electronic music labels in existence is pushing this 'sound' forward. I suppose it is yet another example of Mike Paradinas' label being at the cutting edge of high quality electronic(a) experimentation. They might not have been there at dubstep's infancy, but they are making a hell of an effort to be there for its formative years.
