DeathPosture Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 (edited) Rinkadink – Rabbit From Darkside Format: CD Artist: Rinkadink Title: Rabbit From Darkside Label: Alchemy Records, U.K. Cat. #: ALCD 009 Date: February 23rd. Year: 2004 Track listing: 01. 05’53” Anyone Seen Bender? 02. 07’09” Pacific Producers 03. 06’57” Hope Was Closed 04. 07’04” Cabbage Al La Tetradink 05. 07’25” Syntax & Whiskey (Rmx) 06. 07’14” Charlie Cat V.4 07. 07’09” Tune From Childhood 08. 07’15” Stampede 09. 05’57” Power Spooge Review: Behold the rabbit from darkside. That's the most foul, cruel, and bad-tempered rodent you ever set eyes on! Prior to this debut album from South African producer Vana (Werner Van Jaarsveld), my knowledge of Rinkadink was limited… I’ve only heard a couple of tracks on the odd compilation here and there… So I didn’t really have any expectations when this arrived in my mailbox… So much greater was my joy when I put this on and found this to be really refreshing album… Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: The first thought that enter your mind when this track opens, is darkness… Very wicked, dark, gloomy almost industrial sounds… But a bass line is introduced fast enough, and soon familiar Futurama-samples are sprinkled all over… Kick-ass bleeps and twirls @ 3’00 and then Bender ask “Why would God think in binary… Unless!?”…;o) This track is both atmospheric and stunning… My only gripe is that it’s a little too short… I want more! Amazing track! #02: This album is mixed, so there’s no time to chill out between tracks. Luckily this baby starts slower, taking a dip in the Pacific… But we are soon greeted by a pounding bass line followed by your random full on mayhem… After a short bass pause, a thicker bass kicks in followed by the melody that was introduced in the beginning of the track. Filters play a big role in this track, and it’s cool to lean back and listen to how Werner twists those knobs… ;o) Nice track! #03: We launch straight into a very cool intro here… Something is played in reverse, something is messed up, but it sounds great… It’s soon replaced by a typical 2004 full on sound… But luckily, it isn’t all boring and predictable… Rinkadink is playing with the listener, exposing us to all kinds of psychedelic mayhem; cut beats, accelerating bass lines and funny samples…“All over this bitch!”… From the pretty “standard” middle part, the rest of the track with its great innovation and freshness strikes a remarkable contrast… It is however an interesting contrast! Great track! #04: Another great intro here, very atmospheric with clever use of animal-samples – kinda feels like you’re in the South African jungle for a moment there…Nice! More full on here, with excessive use of acid synths, with neat little feather-light twirly melodies… It’s hard not to enjoy those! I’m still guessing what the hell the title means!? Anyway, cool track! #05: Right, so this is a remix of the track Whiplash - Syntax & Whiskey from the Nano Records compilation Emergence… Alchemy label boss, Shane Gobi helped twist the knobs on this baby… Well done gents! Unfortunately I have not heard the original, so I can’t tell you whether this is better or not. What I can tell you however is that this is one hell of a tune… Stomping, dark, aggressive full on wizardry for late, late nights on the dance floor… The acid peaks in this will drill deep into your brain… Holy fug, this is awesome! ;o) #06: It’s hard to top such a great track, but Charlie Cat makes an honest attempt… This continues down the same path, though this isn’t nearly as insane as its predecessor… Powerful bass in a fast, dark night track… Snares play a big part in this track as well… Oh, and I really dig the heavily pitched up vocoded voice sample… Great track! #07: Now we’re taking a different direction, this is much lighter, happier… I guess the sun has set, and it’s time to break out the melodies… And what was the tune from Vena’s childhood? It was the theme from an old Amiga game called Turrican II… It’s not the first time, we hear music from old school computer games in tracks, but still it’s kinda unusual… Sounds very original… Nice track! #08: Silence…. Boom……....Boom……. Boom…. Boom, boom, boom, faster, faster, faster… Yeah, that’s just the way this track starts… Before we know it, it’s Rinkadink territory again… Sound madness, crazy ass samples pitched to a unrecognizable pulp of psychedelia… The odd happy synth melody here and there, always the strong kick from a familiar bass. Rinkadink found his formula, and it’s awesome! I’m not running anywhere! Cool track! #09: This is the Rinkadink version of a chilled track at the end of an album… It’s slightly slower than the rest, but the heavy bass is still very much present here… Really cool synth-effects in this track… Unfortunately it’s the last one – what’s the rush Vana? You could’ve easily squeezed another gem in here! Anyway, this is a very worthy ending of a great, epic album… And remember, we’re all made of spooge! Great track! The promotional text states that this is “A cacophony of pure mayhem and striking originality, this album is a quantum leap far beyond the norm” Well, I wouldn’t go as far as quantum leap, but this certainly is an interesting album… I have a few minor gripes against it though: First of all, a few of the tracks seems a bit short, the longest one running for only 7’25 minutes… Also, I’m not the biggest fan of mixed CDs… But as written, those are minor gripes that do not ruin the overall impression of a stellar album. Neo full on is neo full on, and I must confess that there are smaller elements of this album that sound like the endless stream of neo full on releases… But this is, however miles ahead of your usual GMS-clone… I cannot stress that enough! The cover-art is funny, yet classy. Fits the style perfectly! This is a great album, and I would recommend it to everyone who likes modern, twisted full on psychedelia… 8.5/10 Favourites: 1 (!!), 3, 5 (!!!), 6, 9 DeathPosture External links: Alchemy Records: www.alchemyrecords.co.uk Chaos Unlimited: www.chaosunlimited.co.uk (soundclips available) Psyshop: www.psyshop.com (soundclips available) Saiko Sounds: www.saikosounds.com (soundclips available) Trance-shop: www.trance-shop.com Edited March 9, 2006 by DeathPosture Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dr. Cheroot Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 Great review DP. I first stood up and took notice of Rinkadink when i heard Track 4 on the Virtual Memory compilation by Rinkadink and Green Reefah. The breakdown and then the fake comeback (u know what i'm talking about) was pioneering... i've also noticed this quality of Rinkadink on his other singles - very tricky and always looking to stump you with the unexpected. And i'm sure there's much of that in this album. Is the album properly mixed (beatmatched?) or is it just "joined" together? I wonder why anybody would release their first album as a mix CD..... Keep the review coming, bro. Thx. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alchemy record Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 Hey Dr. Cheroot, so just to clear this up, the album is just a gentle cross fade mix, still very dj friendly. and thanks to DeathPosture for the very detailed review, great work This album has been written over one year and when you listen to it you will understand the reason for this, all the tracks are very different, and unique in its own right, everyone at alchemy records, have been over joyed with the final result and im sure you will too All the best Alchemy Crew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest krize Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 Very good Review DP (as always )!!! The album is extremely good, just got it and it is very recomended, for me the best in 2004 (till now ) .... It is really something different, very very good!!! (cant stop praising this release really....) And the mix is very good too, altough you can mix it yourself with no problems also .... (great!!) I give it __9/10__!! (Song number 7 is so nice, the amiga tune is perfect for me, this @ sun rise at a open air festival ... mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ) peace`n love =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkeletonMan Posted March 9, 2006 Share Posted March 9, 2006 Thank God for the internet, sites like discogs, and our very own psynews! Without these I never would have heard of Rinkadink, let alone given this album a chance, what with the cover having me think of some "Rabbit Techno, volume 81" obscurity the first time I saw it. Nothing could be further from the truth. I honestly can't remember when was the last time an album rocked me THIS much. And from an artist I knew almost nothing off beforehand, xcept for the Mental case comp. Thank you internet! Genrewise this is full-on, but don't let that scare you. This may have the rolling bass and bpm, but light years from your average full-on crowd these days. What Rinkadink presents is highly intelligent, musically brilliant, fun, deep, breathtaking, amazing, absolutely wicked, unforeseeable mega energized psychedelic trance. And it's all written, produced and mixed on a laptop according to the booklet. Fuck Nordlead! I wish I could list some of the amazing moments here, but these tracks needs to be heard from beginning to end. And I wish I could explain how the samples work. Usually I'm anti-funny samples in trance, but somehow Rinkadink is able to pull it of. But perhaps this album is best explained by noting that often when I listen to trance I add a rhythm, bass or lead to the music in my head. Then I always wonder how the music would've sounded with my addition. This doesn't happen here. Perhaps because it's everything I want when I listen to it. Perhaps because Rinkadink is just one step ahead of me. Whatever, I love it! A lot of fine albums in 2004 this surpasses them all! Yeah, whoever put the Duracell batteries in this rabbit did a FINE JOB !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riton Posted April 5, 2006 Share Posted April 5, 2006 One of my all time favorite rlses from South African artists! Love it! Especially the bender track cuz i love futurama lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monte Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 one of best ever for unique style 10-10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sideffect... Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 at first I didn't like it all, didn't understood, that bassline was already that boring imo now without climaxes it's nothing, slowly I discoverd the intelligence within this release and I must say nobody can bring that morning fullon bassline so motivating and variated as rinkadink, he did what from my perspective could not be done, amazing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sawfly Posted August 5, 2022 Share Posted August 5, 2022 Now this is some good full-on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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