MU, VOL. I

Mu Vol. 1 is the first in what is planned to be a trio of EP's released this year. Here, Richard plays guitar, bass and keyboards. Lang Zhao drums, and there are some sprinkles of saxaphone by Adam Carrillo. If you enjoyed Richard's previous solo project or Nova Collective, chances are high you'll dig this. Four songs, 22 minutes in length. Mostly instrumental, the tunes show a different side from his work with his main band, Haken. While there are some metalish moments most of the album sounds fresh, modern, positive, and jazzy. All tunes are excellent but if I had to choose a favorite it would be Mu. There is a mix of everything... crazy jazzy syncopated rhythms, nice sax work, heavy riffs, a shouted chorus of 'hey' vocals, and the brilliant but off-kilter break at 3:10 to 3:40. And while all this happens, somehow the music is accessible and catchy. The loud and soft passages in this song flow perfectly. Gotta say I really enjoy this and l look forward to what's next.