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Charasmatix "Abracadabra"
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Top level
Music reviews
Psytrance reviews
Review by PKS
The 2nd album by Charasmatix...
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Charasmatix (M. Schoenbauer and Cybersnake) is back with their second album, this time on Candy Flip Records in Greece. Their first album (Soma Agents) was released on Flying Rhino Records (R.I.P.) in 2002. It seems like Candy Flip Records are signing several of the previous Flying Rhino acts these days, probably because James Monro who previously worked for Flying Rhino, now has become a label dj for Candy Flip Records.
Charasmatix "Abracadabra" Candy Flip Records 2004 (CFCD010)
1. Norm @ all
2. Crazzy
3. Silicon Sally
4. Abracadabra
5. Heile Welt
6. Collateral Damage
7. Naec
8. Furthul Ultimax
9. The Acid Test
Charasmatix is one of the groups that are into the techy side of psytrance. As you probably know, Flying Rhino released more and more techy stuff at the end. Here they are with more techy stuff. The first track starts pushing from the first second. The beat goes in a stumpy tempo from start to finish, mixed with a few metallic, sort of industrial sounds. Very minimal trance, going as a machine. But there is some variation too. Now and then, some new sounds visit by and then disappear again. Even a reggae voice stop by and give us a couple of words! Track 2 starts with a weird sound that sounds almost like a bee. Then the techy beat starts rolling again, this time more pumping and drifting. The sounds in minimal tracks like this are sort of more hidden in the bass line, and we don’t get much melodies. This track has some kind of dubby vibes too. Track 3 has a much more rough sound. The bass line is more rolling, and the vibes are darker. Minimal, but with a massive sound.
Track 4 with the album title starts with some tribal drums before the pumping beat is back on track. Here we get more bubbling and weird psychedelic sounds. Weird, techy, night time trance. Track 5 goes way deeper into darker vibes. The bass line is deep and stumpy, and the sounds are pretty scary. Definitely one of the better night time tracks I have heard from these guys. Track 6 has a sound that sounds almost evil! Totally techy trance with a very deep sound. Pure night time music. Track 7 jumps over to almost full on bass line. Massive, rolling rhythm drift, but with techy sounds, still with those night time vibes. Track 8 also has this massive bass line. Here we get several crispy sounds, which are pretty cool. Dark trance, far away from any fluffy melodies. The last track they give us on this album is pretty weird. Techno trance, with some tribal drums, voice samples and weird, dark sounds. You even get the sound of a mouth organ now and then! One of my favourite tracks on this album.
Charasmatix sure like it dark and techy. This album is perfect for those of you who want some dark night time music, with techy edges. But those of you who doesn’t like techy trance, should probably stay away from this one.
PK (shivapks@hotmail.com)
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Death Posture
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22.04.2004 22:29
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Charasmatix - Abracadabra
Cover: http://www.saikosounds.com/covers/CDCF010.jpg
Format: CD
Artist: Charasmatix
Title: Abracadabra
Label: Candyflip Records, Greece
Cat. #: CD CF010
Date: April
Year: 2004
Track listing:
01. 07’50” Norm @ All
02. 08’44” Crazzy
03. 08’24” Silicon Sally
04. 08’13” Abracadabra
05. 06’51” Heile Welt
06. 07’25” Collateral Damage
07. 07’04” Naec
08. 08’22” Furthus Ultimux
09. 06’49” The Acid Test
Review:
Dunkle psychedelische NachtTrance aus Deutschland!
Two years after the critically acclaimed “Soma Agents” (last proper release from Flying Rhino… R.I.P.) Germany’s dark psycho trance duo Charasmatix is back! The Berlin based powerhouse duo consists of Martin Schoenauer (DJ Aze) & Karl Rademacher (Cybersnack) has been making music in different guises since the early 1990es… We got a taster of their 2004 sound on the Wizzy Noise “Timeline Remixes” EP a few months back, and now their back with a full album mastered by Mark Pfurtscheller a.k.a. Kopfuss Resonator… I don’t know about you, but I’m expecting this to be dark, pounding, progressive, groovy psy-trance with a touch of German psy-teKk… Do they need magic spells to make an album like that? Let’s find out…
Let me take you thru the tracks…
#01: Is this the norm at all? Well, I hope so, ‘cause this a damn fine first track! Instantly we are greeted by a deeeeeeeep baseline: mechanical, metallic, pounding – amazing! You remember the ragamuffin voice sample from Aircrash Bureau’s “Time Traveller” track? Well, it’s revived here and it fits perfectly – it all adds to the funky, yet dark atmosphere in this track! Very cool track!
#02: This is crazy – with the extra z! The intro is very weird – I think it’s the Kopfuss Resonator impact showing here… At first I get an eerie jamboree feeling, but it soon turns into dark, dusty house… With an underlying psychedelic groove present throughout the track! It’s topped of by subtle insect-like humming hidden in between everything… I have a hard time digging this track though… It’s just too crazZy for my taste! Decent track!
#03: Another clever play on words… Brace yourself – these are some dark German Stampfenrhythmen. The dark trademark Charasmatix-sound in full effect… Not much else is going on but some serious head banging night trance… Ok track!
#04: Oh my, it gets even darker now… We’re getting even closer to Halloween trance now, as this track is packed with horror-effects: Screaming, moaning and other evocative sounds… The bass pumps along at and incredible speed followed by psychedelic FX… Somehow dark and spooky, but my head is still bopping along… Cool track!
#05: Healing world? The speed is slower now, and the bass is tucked away in the background… Emphasized are the classic ‘psychedelic digital drips’ and some dude talking with a bizarre accent… The track is packed with all kinds of psychedelic effects, but somehow it doesn’t seem to go anywhere… Decent track!
#06: “Meet – the nice sound!” As far as I know, this track was made in collaboration with Zerotonine and released last year on a Tatsu comp!?… Correct me, if I’m wrong… Anyway, a nice peaceful intro is brutally disrupted by a very heavy bass… This is really a percussion track, with clever use of kick-drums, hi-hats, snare, cut beats, etc… Somehow they manage to sneak a melody into this dark track… Well, it’s a dark melody, but it’s there nevertheless… Ok track!
#07: What ‘the National Association of Elevator Contractors’ has to do with trance is beyond me!?… This is another extremely dark track with an evil pounding bass line… Check out the cool ‘acceleration bit” @ 3’15… I like small surprises like that, and this track has a few of them… Nice track!
#08: Damn, now this is a cool intro… I don’t know if it’s a guitar or a chain saw! Skazi eat your heart out! It’s very, very dark night trance… Perfect for head banging – and complimentary headache included! You better have your audio equipment set up properly for this massive wall of sound to come through properly! Repetitive, industrial sounds make this a gritty beast! Sweet track!
#09: Nostalgic track name ;o)… If you were hoping for a chilled track, forget about it… This is more Charasmatix mayhem... The pace has slowed down though – but just a little… It’s still dark and monotonous, but the nice percussion work and the funny samples somehow add to the overall groovy feel… Nice track!
In my humble opinion there are a few misses and a bunch of winners on this album… The flow is somewhat interrupted by the lack of coherence between the tracks… If the more experimental tracks came first, followed by the darker ones, this would have been an even smoother experience… That flaw does not however, ruin the impression of a very nice album… I’m sure this will turn some heads and appeal to the many fans of Charasmatix and their trademark sound… Recommended!
8/10
Favourites: 1(!!), 4, 7, 8
DeathPosture
External links:
Candyflip Records: http://www.candyflip-records.com
Saiko Sounds: http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display_release.asp?id=4012 (Audio samples available!)
Chaos Unlimited: http://www.chaosunlimited.co.uk/cgi-bin/product.asp?LR=CFRCD10
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