Thank God for the internet, sites like psynews.org, and our very own Discogs! I know, cheap way of getting a review approved, but it's TRUE! 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 nothing off beforehand. 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 !!

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!?”… 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 the 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 minute 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… 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 a 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 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 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!

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