V/A - Abracadabra

[freak51]

 

1. Siu Nim Tao

MANTIK

 

2. The Gentle Way of Mind-Destruction

ALIC

 

3. Black Magic (Live rmx)

FUZZION

 

4. Fabricated

METALOGIC VS. MICHAEL LAWRENCE

 

5. Model 1 Epi Centrum (rmx One)

MIDIMILIZ

 

6. Acid Flash (original mix)

FUZZION

 

7. Through your head

METALOGIC VS. TAO

 

8. Elephant's Boogie

THE ROCKITMEN

 

9. Beats, Rhythm and Harmony

KINO OKO

 

10. Sin Sinati

MASS TURBO

 

Horns & Hoofs' latest comp focuses less on the Russian Noise Gulag (now that plenty of other labels have picked it up and are rapidly turning it into a formula) and more on progressive and electro influences.

 

The cover art is in the Bosch-like H&H tradition. Plenty of good stuff to look at here: it's trippier than first meets the eye.

 

Mantik opens with a tremendous understated stomper that could be mistaken for an overhaul of X-Dream's "Superintelligence" with its hollow metal sounds, but brings enough original ideas to make it on its own.

 

Alic follows with my favourite track on the disc. A breathtaking melodic hook in the baseline and varied percussion makes this psy-electro (don't worry: it's not 16-bit sounding) track stand out. Alic always keeps it under control, and proves a serious act that bears watching. Alic and Taksi should contact each other, please do it today.

 

The Fuzzion remix is essentially the same as the album version, nice to have here especially for those who didn't pick up the full-length.

 

'Fabricated' is a slow growly minimal proggy crawl that gets a bit laborious. Maybe it will pitch up OK but for me it gets repetitive. Nice sounds though.

 

The Model 1 remix is not as spooky or engaging as the original. It seems to wander about gormless for minutes at a time.

 

Acid Flash combines horsey percussion with nice rattling metallic pads and a muted, slightly washy atmosphere. This is one of Fuzzion's most complete efforts in recent months.

 

I wasn't keen on the Metalogic vs. Tao effort. It features snarly pumping sounds and a Nintendo-like thread of melody, and various disjoint sound effects, but comes off as schizophrenic and soulless. Meh. It also seems slow, but maybe could pitch up for a few minutes as an interlude.

 

Rockitmen weigh in with another snarly pumping proggy effort to which again, I say "next".

 

Kino Oko offers a jewel with perfectly modulated sounds crafted into an infectious groovy melody. He is on top of making sounds just bumpy enough to scratch without the raw edge to draw blood. Friendly cranial-massage-scapes.

 

Finally, Mass Turbo finishes off with a slower, big-room-friendly progressive-trance-tinged effort. The reverb is precise and the sounds evoke a wee bit of Goa nostalgia.

 

---

 

Alic and Mantik are artists who can contribute. Kino Oko is still producing great tracks. Fuzzion puts up some of his good stuff. The rest is adequate or will round out your collection of niche-y filler. The net result is not as solid overall as Idea FX, but has enough on it to merit buying this comp.

 

8/10.

[psychedelic_mustache]

Artists: Various

Title: Abracadabra

Label: Horns And Hoofs Entertainment

Catalog: HHCD006

Format: CD

Released: 2006

 

 

Tracklist:

 

01. Mantic - Siu Nim Tao

02. Alic - The Gentle Way of Mind-Destruction

03. Fuzzion - Black Magic(Live rmx)

04. Metalogic vs. Michael Lawrence - Fabricated

05. Midimiliz - Model 1 epicentrum (rmx one)

06. Fuzzion - Acid Flash (Original Mix)

07. Metalogic vs. Tao - Through your head

08. The Rockitmen - Elephants Boogie

09. Kino Oko - Beats, Rythm and harmony

10. Mass Turbo - Sin Sinati

 

 

Horns and Hoofs entertainment really blew me away with Kino Oko's "Lost entertainment" late last year. To follow such a piece of work is tough, and It seems the label felt they had to bring out the big guns in order to succeed. This time we're treated to a compilation where the tracks have been carefully picked by Alex "Boshke" Tolstey, a guy who should be no stranger to possible purchasers of this disc. The tracklisting looks tastey and as always with Horns and Hoofs you get a really nice package with cover-art from Inga Burina that has that added eye-candy value. Back to the most important thing though; the music. As you might have gathered, I had some serious expectations for this disc... Did Alex manage hoof my horns? Stay tuned to find ount!

 

01. Mantic - Siu Nim Tao

Mantik kicks off this album with "Su Nim Tao". After an atmospheric introduction(with some very familiar samples I might add..) we're soon taken into a rather minimal and techy soundscape. The track builds gradually and after a while we can kiss the "minimal" I hinted at in the beginning goodbye. The track is extremely groovy and the mood and atmosphere from the intro is preserved throughout the track. As it pumps forward this thing is given plenty of time to evolve. Clocking in at over nine minutes, this is one for for the patient crowd. That being said, this turns out to be quite an opener - The last 3-4 minutes of this is pure gold...Solid stuff and a very nice way to open the album!

 

02: Alic - The Gentle Way of Mind-Destruction

Next up is Alic with what might possibly be the coolest track.title of the year. Not only that - the track isn't bad either. It's got this naive, childish sound that I find very appealing. The simple melodies and the rather simple percussion work well together. Somewhat reminds me alot of the efforts made by Kino Oko on the allready mentioned "Lost Entertainment"-album. That being said, this doesn't quite reach those levels. Even so - this is a nice track!

 

03: Fuzzion - Black Magic (live rmx)

Fuzzions album "black magic" recieved alot of credit and hype earlier this year. For me the album was a 50/50 thing - meaning I didnæt really enjoy it all that much. Here we are treated to a live-version of the albums titletrack. For me this version works better than the original. It's got more "space" and the sound seems "expanded" in some way. I can see how this would have been awsome live, and in a setting such as this it also works well. Not among my favourites, but still a good track.

 

04: Metalogic vs. Michael Lawrence - Fabricated

The fourth installment picked for us by mr. Tolstey is provided by Metalogic and Michael Lawrence. This is a deep technoid piece - perhaps a tad too technoid for my liking. It's mainly percussion-driven, and in my ears the melodies brought in after a while doesn't really fit in all that well either. This turns out to be to monotonus and slightly boring, atleast in this setting. Taste differs though, and I see how this could be enjoyable to the more techno-oriented part of the horns and hoofs audience. I for one often find myself skipping this one.

 

05: Midimiliz - Model 1 (epi centrum rmx one)

I know saying this is like blasphemy for alot of people. I'm gonna go right ahead and say it annyways - I never really liked any tracks and/or albums by midimiliz. There - It's out in the open (*bends down and hides from flood of bricks and tomatoes* ). Here they are remixed by epi centrum, and I have to say that this works like a charm. A dash of variation, a more groovy layout and some nifty side-kick electronics and midimilliz sounds like something I could spend some more time with. Perhaps it's time to dust off their older works and give them another chance? This atleast, was a plesant suprise!

 

06: Fuzzion - Acid Flash (Original Mix)

Fuzzion provides us with an "acid flash" here - perhaps the hardest track on the compilation. There's some serious kick in that bassdrum he uses, and this together with some tribal tendencies and an overall super-hypnotic and ultra-trippy atmosphere makes yours truley want more... Great!

 

07: Metalogic vs. Tao - Through your head

As I mentioned I didn't really like the first track by Metalogic. This time around Michael Lawrence is replaced with Tao, and appart from that my comments will be almost exactly as they were with his first effort: I didn't really enjoy this to much either. Again I think this is due to the fact that it's simply to much "techno" for my taste. That means that tech-heads should disregard my words - for all I know you could love this. I skip to the next track.

 

08: The Rockitmen - Elephants Boogie

The rockitmen couldn't have picked a more fitting title for their track. This is still pretty technoid stuff, but this is more hypnotic, more varied and more soothing to my ears than the previous track was. And those melodies that they sneek into the mix are so subtle and beautifull next to that stomping and grooving boogie being carried out by an armada of elephants that make up the beat...A massive track!

 

09: Kino Oko - Beats, Rythm and harmony

Kino Oko created one of last years best trace albums(If not THE best album) with his lost entertainment. On this track he picks up where the album left off. Melodies as light and playfull as a feather are fused together with warped electronics and a beat that just sort of lurks along in a mellow 4/4 pace. This has that same wonderfull feeling that the album had, and the title of the track sums it all up beautifully: "Beats, Rythm and harmony" - What more could one possibly ask for? Brilliant track!

 

10: Mass Turbo - Sin Sinati

"Sin Sinati" by Mass Turbo is the last track of the album. From the soft sounds of Kino Oko we now touch upon more edgy terretory. That being said, this is a pretty relaxed track - it's just that the sounds used are those that you normally find in harder music. This is actually a very nicely executed piece of groovyness that is bound to hypnotize a few trance-heads as well as those leaning mor to the techno-side of things. A nice way to end our journey through the musical mind of mr. Alex "Boshke" Tolstey

 

Final Remarks:

As a compilation I think "Abracadabra" has done all one could expect in terms of being a disc that is enjoyable for both psy/tech trancers and technoheads. A few of the tracks didn't really hit me where I like it, while others are gems that should not be missed by anyone.

 

It should also be pointed out that I strongly bellieve that the packages Horns and Hoofs provides - Music, artwork and cencept is what our scene needs in order to survive. The feeling of a real "product" is something you can't really downlowd from the internet...Here you're also given the chance to Download a free MP3 remix of Mantiks "Siu Nim Tao", another fine way of trying to beat piracy...The compilation is warmly recomended to friends of diverse dance-oriented electronics!

 

Tomas (Psychedelic Mustache)

 

Get it here

Saiko

Psyshop

Beatspace

Wirikuta

[freak51]

Topic #39433.

 

Although this is the third release called Abracadabra in the past few years, so I can see how it got a double-topic.

[psychedelic_mustache]

Argh, sloppy me

If mods could merge my topic with freak 51's that'd be nice

[phatpat]

i've had a listen to the samples of this album. Definately buying this soon!

[RAH]

I just got this weekend and it's nothing short amazing. Very solid stuff... not gonna say much else at this point though i'm gonna save it for the review. But in the mean time, i'm loving it

[RAH]

Compilation: Abracadabra

Label: Horns & Hoofs Entertainment

Web: http://www.hornsandhoofs.com/

CAT: H&HCD006

Sonic-Energy.net: http://www.sonic-energy.net/core/content/view/278/2/

 

 

01. Mantik - Siu Nim Tao [136]

02. Alic - The Gentle Way Of Mind-Destruction [134]

03. Fuzzion - Black Magic (Live Remix) [135]

04. Metalogic Vs Michael Lawrence - Fabricated [130]

05. Midi Miliz - Model 1 (Epi Centrum Remix One) [134]

06. Fuzzion - Acid Flash (Original Mix) [137]

07. Metalogic Vs. Tao - Through Your Head [130]

08. The Rockitmen - Elephant's Boogie [130]

09. Kino Oko - Beat, Rhythm And Harmony [130]

10. Mass Turbo - Sin Sinati [125]

 

Horns and Hoofs strikes back in direct collaboration with Boshke Beats to bring a roster wholly inspired in Alex Tolstey’s ammunition bank, swirling beats and ideas in a single serving of chocolate pudding they have aptly called Abracadabra. On first glance the roster seems to have skipped a number of notable artists from last year’s IdeaFX, focusing on the core proposals of the Boshke family, to add a few extra names & remixes. The general quality of their releases insist on delivering names that look forward to the techno/electro/psy scene, to explore material that generally stands above ground as benchmark quality.

 

(1) “Siu Nim Tao ” starts things off with the characteristic THX surround sound system test, to get that cinematic feel before things peak in the heavens with this lead and the play of pads, shrieking between your run off-the mill epic moment, that gradually over the course of the whole thing spawns into a powerful, eerie, power-hungry monster. We move forward with some seriously heavy tones that will test the depths of your speakers or kill the tweeter on the try. I’ve been impressed with this one… pretty much since I heard it for the first time on my way from picking up the CD. Arne Liedtke dates back all the way to the first Zenon release something like three years ago.

 

(2) “The gentle way of mind – Destruction ” much like the name indicates is about comfortably slipping into a numbed daze that literally massages its way through with a very slender, PAPS-type of beat. The rest is assorted arpeggios and background noises, eventually breaking in total… destruction -Would be a good word- before the final break takes it all away with melancholy. Intricate, busy chapter full of its own retro-beauty like only Horns & Hoofs delivers.

 

Fuzzion has never been hotter since the release of (3) “Black Magic” earlier this year. What only the Japanese buyers of the album could enjoy, we now all get to hear it. A live remix I was just waiting to get my paws on. To get it out of the way, it’s an improvement from the original, which in retrospect it did feel slightly unadorned was it not for the lingering main theme. More exhaust pipes action & a little more groove. The second number by Vladimir, (6) “Acid Flash ” is all about showing the man has no problem increasing the BPM range a bit to throw down fluid, viscous lines with a more ‘in your face’ quality. There’s a difference from the previous works in the album, in this one he has stopped juggling a delicate – nearly sterile- balance for something ballsier, fitting well in my headphones & on the floor.

 

By now it probably wouldn’t be a Boshke beats release if it didn’t contain something by Metalogic. Fred saw fit to deliver a number of tracks all with invited artists, exploring new sounds with high levels of psychedelia. (4) “Fabricated ” with Michael Lawrence is an all-out delay extravaganza, adding that little extra ‘dizzy-mind’ complex that was missing in the raw, mechanic output of Magnetic Influence. The kick drags itself like a syncopated elephant, mixing the trippy factor without compromising on the musicality. In the seventh chapter, a versus effort with Tao brings what is possibly the catchiest tune in the lot. (7) “Through Your Head ” Comes in from the right and stays inside with a gritty, neo-grunge style as the percussion dabbles with heavy drums to match the sizzle. The remaining hints of electro with the mandatory voice immersed in the vocoder are added just so you won’t get bored. I’ve woken up a couple of times humming this tune in my head. It has a primal quality that spells ‘I just drank two pitchers of lager and I’m ready for a good time’. (8) “Elephants Boogie” is the first released track from the Rockitmen, a collaboration between Fred from Metalogic & Alex Tolstey himself, with a debut album to follow at some point. This one dabs on the steps of the previous track with assertive grooves and deep slices of orotund thuds to shake the hips. On the second floor a really heart-aching play on notes takes place filling out mechanical samples to complement to the sound. Not bad for a first appearance at all.

 

(5) “Model 1 ” continues on the roads of strange syncopations and really goes out there to accentuate wobbliness, aided by the motion effects plugging…Up until that point where it just disappears in mid track & the kicks really get going. As it could be expected the last half does a 180, bringing back more strange lines. The sheer bizarreness Epi Centrum imprints on the remix attracts me a lot more than the original work of Midi Milliz. It gives interesting twist to the concept of trance, imbued in complex mind-numbing structures. Jerzy also provides a track of his own to close the doors of Abracadabra with (10) “Sin Sinati” under the moniker Mass Turbo. My first encounter with this alias was not positive last year. It was probably one of the very few tracks that didn’t click with my taste. This time around the sound has grown sharp edges with lines I can only identify as reminiscent of Goa. Think fledging trombones, guided by the watchful eye of marching beats to mesh an interesting coction of sumptuous harmonics. They don’t really go out on tangents to change structure, but they close the book with flying colors in their own way.

 

In between all these groovy monsters, the gentle touch Kino Oko with (9) “Beat, Rhythm and Harmony. ” does feel slightly misplaced, but the quality of his output remains equally high than in the album. It’s like a nursery rhyme with a beat heavily reliant on the shakers and floating sounds. It’s Grzegorz’ style and if it works, why change the sound?

 

So while we didn’t get as much diversity as last year’s IdeaFX, Horns Hoofs conspired with the Boshke Beats crew to keep it amongst friends. Thankfully those people manage to be good musicians at the same time, so they stuck to their guns and continued doing what they know best. To present material that manages to keep me interested in something related to the tech-psy world one more year, with coats and layers of different influences attracting new crowds to scene with quality music and new formulas.

[freak51]

OK, I stand corrected. The 'Model 1' cover is very, very good in the right context. The vocal sample doesn't work as well as the original, but it's only a few seconds and not worth worrying about.

 

Still digging the rest of the disc too.

[Ale]

this is techno

Why put it onto psychedelic forum?

[amphiton]

this is techno

Why put it onto psychedelic forum?

593047[/snapback]

It's psy-techno, biatch!

[NextWorld]

For me as a Trance lover, i needed some listens to get used to those Beats...But now i have to admit that i really like this release.

 

I think i have to get some more of this sound...!

[lumpi]

Lying around since weeks I finally had the time to give this CD a proper listen and as always Horns and Hoofs does not disappoint. The standout track for me is clearly the opening track from Mantik, as already said, a really deep rolling monster. Something I'd like to hear in the morning when it's still dark but the first rays of light are about to appear. Well, honestly I can hear it anytime

Wasn't there supposed to be an album by Mantik, it was announced already years ago it seems.

[pedro]

This compiliation is definitely a few notches below Idea FX. Nevertheless, I do recommend it.

 

The Metalogic tracks did not impress me favourably while "Black Magic" continues, in my view, to be a subpar track for Fuzzion. The Mass Turbo track at the end was also a bit disappointing. The rest of the CD was quite enjoyable. The remix of Model 1 works well.

 

 

Pedro

[Templar]

Abracadabra

 

Horns & Hoofs Entertainment, 2006

 

1. Mantik - Siu Nim Tao

2. Alic - The Gentle Way Of Mind-Destruction

3. Fuzzion - Black Magic (Live Remix)

4. Metalogic vs. Michael Lawrence - Fabricated

5. Midimiliz - Model 1 (Epi Centrum Remix One)

6. Fuzzion - Acid Flash (Original Mix)

7. Metalogic vs. Tao - Through Your Head

8. The Rockitmen - Elephant's Boogie

9. Kino Oko - Beats, Rhythm And Harmony

10. Mass Turbo - Sin Sinati

 

After the highly acclaimed releases, meaning "Idea FX" compilation from Jerzy Przeździecki and "Lost Entertainment" album by Grzegorz Magnuszewski, H&H Entertainment is again back in the game. Soon after the mentioned releases we have been given an opportunity to taste some fresh meat from the Moscow-based label, which does not suffer from the syndrome of deploying an army of worthless releases every week. This time it is the head of Boshke Beats, Alex Tolstey, who stands behind compiling the material onto the disc.

 

We start with a tech-trance tune named "Siu Nim Tao", which enables us to feel post-nuclear carnage on our backs. It is an ideal tune for fans of thick, hypnotic climate and a solid foot. A perfect choice for a party, home listening, car listening or wherever you want it, especially with some nice company from The Delta or Triac. Alic (Volker Jakubik & Adam Zawadzki) ease things up a bit, although their track is far from being an attention grabber. Fuzzior also lets me down, serving our hearing organs a tune, whose complexity can be compared to that of Duplo building blocks. The monotonous atmosphere of "Fabricated" leaves us with the feeling of certain emptiness, because the track itself seems to be building up continuously and in the end it lacks any development. Judging by the names involved, track number 5 seems to be one of the most interesting tunes here. What we have here is a combination of Midimiliz and 1/3 of the Bigwigs crew. According to the expectations, the track proves to be a match for my taste. This german-polish combo is surely something that keeps coming back in our memory now and then. Fuzzion is back in the game, this time with a chunky bit called "Acid Flash (Original Mix)". Although his previous track let me down, this one is a real treat, mostly because of the fact, that it combines dynamic and tribal element in a perfect manner. Again we get an offering from Metalogic, this time in a collaboration with Tao. A bit over-the-top electro is all is can say about this one. The Rockitman is Alex Tolstey and Frederick Hatsav (Metalogic). Besides a cheeky name, the track itself did not do it for me. In "Beats, Rhythm And Harmony" Magnes easily escapes from being branded and continues the ideas behind his debut album, "Lost Entertainment". Obviously standing out from the rest, this optimistic tune was just what the doctor ordered. The Last track is "Sin Sinati" by Jerzy Przeździecki as Mass Turbo. Jerzy has crafted here a smooth, gliding tune (125 BPM), which exposes both light and more edgy elements. A very good ending of this CD. Here I should also mention about a really nice bonus, namely a mp3 track that CD-owners can download from the Internet thanks to the information given on the cover. The track is "Mantik - Siu Nim Tao (Punched Remix)", a pumped up version of the first tune. A real stormer I must say, just like the original.

 

Alex Tolstey has managed to put together a quite nice compilation, although it is certain that I prefer some other releases from the labels catalogue. Unfortunately, next to interesting tracks we have some less appealing ones. Just two previous releases from Horns & Hoofs Entertainment have proved, that it is not easy music, especially not for people with brains flat as a snooker table. The CD attracts the ear of the listener according to the motif on the cover. It would seem that Horns & Hoofs, while steering away from clichés, pleases only a certain group of people in an particular way. Nonetheless these vibes will surely get wider appeal, especially with such figures as Mantik, Kino Oko and Epi Centrum on the chessboard.

[emmmgeee]

The 1st track is psy-electro and I shouldn't worry that it sounds like it was 16-bit. I am presuming you listened to it on CD? Also, Siu Nim Tao I think means small Idea in cantonese which is quite clever given that it is probably very minimal.

 

Looks Good.

[Jeller]

The 1st track is psy-electro and I shouldn't worry that it sounds like it was 16-bit. I am presuming you listened to it on CD? Also, Siu Nim Tao I think means small Idea in cantonese which is quite clever given that it is probably very minimal.

 

Looks Good.

616196[/snapback]

if you don't like midimilz, go check extrawelt !!

their more minimal electro alter ego

[Balance]

Still my fav H&H release. Lots of good stuff for dj'ing & works well in both the psychedelic and techno community. Good mix of groove & percussive elements. Miss this label & Boshke Beats on CD.