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Kino Oko - Lost Entertainment

aje
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics :  99
Posts :  1145
Posted : Dec 27, 2005 19:28
Artist: Kino Oko
Title: Lost Entertainment”

Format: CD album
Style: Psy Trance/ Progressive
Release date: December 12 2005 Worldwide
Label: Horns and Hoofs Entertainment
Distributed by:

Tracklist:

1. Born without soul
2. Metallic Mista
3. Pasyonata
4. Hippie Bones
5. Colors of black
6. Pan Prophet
7. Atomic corner
8. Industry of broken parts
9. Well done
10. Dead birds in the sky
11. Man upon the rainbow

I must have been a very good boy this year, because around Christmas time I received the biggest musical surprise of the Year, Kino Oko’s “Lost Entertainment”. The person behind this record with the unpronounceable and unspellable name I’m not even gonna try to type here (I should probably shut the fuck up, my last name’s Krawczyk) is a member of BigWigs and Tromesa, two bands known for polish vodka induced madness. I always really respected BigWigs and Tromesa on an intellectual level, they dared to be different and their music was interesting and funny and very tricky, but being the cheese- and fluffmaster that I am, I couldn’t sit at home and thoroughly enjoy their work, it was just too weird and off-key for me. I always considered them the Schönberg of the trance scene, I respected them for what they are doing and thought they were great artists, but to keep the analogy Id still rather sit through an evening of Mozart then 3 hours of atonal 12-tone music.

Then I read in the promo section that Kino Oko created something different, incorporating melodies and a real old-skool trance feel, and I was interested. I thought to myself “If you combine Bigwigs with real old trance, the result must be pretty cool”. I listened to the samples and was even more intrigued, so when the record was released I got it right away.

And boy was I right!! This record rocks!!! I don’t know why nobody else has created a sound like this before, because when I listen to this record, it just makes sense. It sounds very well thought out, it is very cheesy at times (“ Dead birds in the Skyyyyyyyyyy….”), but its good cheese, because the melodies and emotions fit the tracks perfectly, its not artificial and drug-induced euphoria, but real emotions that are contrasted beautifully with the typical polish weirdness. Its like the ying and the yang, darkness and light, in short it’s a trip from the introverted “Heart of Darkness” to an extroverted sunny morning beachfestival with a big smile on your face

Also I find it very refreshing that Kino Oko on purpose stays away from the modern sterile clean compressed “power sound” that is obviously dominating the full-on scene, but that also is prevalent in all Prog-Psy releases. This record is “Low-Fi” and goddamn proud of it!! And with “Low-Fi” I don’t mean bad production, but different production. It might be hard to believe for some people, but bass lines don’t necessarily have to be “killlAAARRGHH” to rock the dancefloor. What I’m getting at is that this album has a definite old-school feel to it, it sounds very analogue and organic, compared to other psy-releases it lives and breathes like an animal. But at the same time it doesn’t sound old at all, you can clearly hear that this is 2005 material, even though it plays around with the 1995 sound dynamic.

Talking about 1995, one artist comes to mind that must have clearly inspired Mr. Unpronouncable. That artist is Union Jack. First of all the track “Well Done” is a clear homage to their track “Cactus” just like Ticons “Analogue H”, but Kino Oko took it into a whole new direction, he made it more psychedelic instead of more powerful and groovy like Ticon did. But other than that I get a lot of the Union Jack feel in some of these songs, the way the bass lines work, the melodic runs etc…, the major difference is that Kino Oko doesn’t use the characteristic twirling Union Jack 303’s. The melodies also seem to be very inspired by German rave- and hardtrance, they are very emotional and hands in the air type stuff, but they work like a charm and most importantly, they fit the fabric and soundscapes perfectly. When I listen to this record I just wanna be a good old raverboy with Buffalo Shoes and orange pants again and throw my arms towards the sun

I just noticed that when you do a wordcount on everything I have written above, you come to exactly 666 words. Spooky…... What a perfect transition to my next point! This is still the same dude who is also behind Tromesa and Bigwigs, and all the talk about melodies shouldn’t distract from the fact that this is some really trippy and sometimes almost scary shit!!! Maybe someone who’s into dark trance thinks this is scary on a Kindergarten level, but I’m a pussy, so I get scared easily. There are some really cool effects and tweaks and blurps and just genuinely strange sounds all over this record that give a really unique and sometimes dark twisted edge to these tracks, like in Metallic Mista for example. The soundwork here is really outstanding, I can’t stress this point enough!!!!! Sometimes you listen to a track and just think “now where the fuck did that just come from”, for example those weird ghost puking voices or whatever the fuck they are from “Born without Soul”. Kino Oko doesn’t have to hide behind anyone in the “sonic trickery department”, not even behind Simon Posford, I would even go so far and say his effects and tricks are a lot cooler, because they are more unique and sound more alive and less digitally dead, as is often the case with Mr. P.

About the single tracks, there are no bad ones on here, there’s a wide variety, some are more melodic than others, some are darker and stranger, but they all have something unique about them. My personal favourite is the very first track “Born without Soul”, it says all there is to say about Kino Oko. Im playing at a electro-techno party in January, and I cant wait to open my set with this “Bad Motherfucker”. I’m sure even the electro heads will go insane!!! I can’t wait…;). Its hard to pick out other stand-outs, there’s something I like about every track, like the groove of “Hippie Bones”, the “happy trippyness” of Atomic Corner, or the delicious cheesyness of “Dead Birds in the Sky” etc…, I think I’ll let someone else analyse the single tracks, I already wrote way too much.

Well, to sum it up, I made the following formula:

A nice dose of Union Jack + the naiveté of German Hard/Ravetrance melodies + a large helping of Bigwigs polish vodka madness + some current Cologne techno a la Dominik Eulberg or the Boxer label + a bit of electro “low-fi” feeling + sonic trickery worthy of leading IDM bands = Kino Oko “Lost Entertainment”

This might sound like a total walk on the edge, and it is, but Kino Oko pulls it off with amazing style and grace. This is a trance record that I would not be afraid to play to some techno-snobs I know, because it is unique, and it stays miles away from any formula that I’m aware of. And unlike other BigWigs/Tromesa stuff it’s a real pleasure to listen to even for a pussy like me! The only doubt I have is about who will buy this record. It’s a bit of everything so everyone should be able to enjoy it, but on the other hand I think it’s a very mature album that will be too much for the kiddos, and it might be too melodic for the freaks? I don’t know, I hope the other extreme will happen and the kiddos buy it for the melodies and the freaks for the weirdness

I personally think it’s a strong contender for album of the year, but then I’m always soooooo excited right after I discover something I really like If the excitement will stay only time can tell, but I’m very positive that just like a good wine “Lost Entertainment” will only get better, and not turn into vinegar. Thanks Mr. Unpronouncable!!!

          Check out my album: http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/gay-satanic-hippie-tiefenrausch
Syntax442
IsraTrance Junior Member

Started Topics :  12
Posts :  350
Posted : Dec 27, 2005 20:04
awesome cd!
Surrender
IsraTrance Team

Started Topics :  506
Posts :  5388
Posted : Dec 27, 2005 20:23
ever since aje scolded me for not being open to all music, i've been especially attentive to his posts in this section.... sort of like - lets see if this guy is putting his money where his mouth is sort of deal. i must say that you are now a serious reference for me mr. gay satanic hippie. i got this cd regardless of this (since you just posted today) but i must say - it is everything you wrote and then some
great work - not much more to add.           "On the other hand, you have different fingers."
http://myspace.com/gadimon
Brainpulse


Started Topics :  2
Posts :  146
Posted : Dec 27, 2005 20:46
Man, you actually counted the words you wrote?

Anyway - I havn't heard this album yet, but this review realy gave me the appetite for it...
aje
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics :  99
Posts :  1145
Posted : Dec 27, 2005 20:55
Quote:

On 2005-12-27 20:46, Brainpulse wrote:
Man, you actually counted the words you wrote?




Haha, I didnt count them by hand, I wrote the review in MS Word and just randomly did a wordcount after finishing that paragraph, and by accident it came out at exactly 666 Maybe its cause im a Gay Satanic Hippie, and my lord and master Satan wanted to tell me something?
          Check out my album: http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/gay-satanic-hippie-tiefenrausch
Jingabé
IsraTrance Junior Member

Started Topics :  18
Posts :  387
Posted : Dec 28, 2005 13:52
I got this yesterday and I've been listening to it non-stop. Anyway, I already had my opinion on the whole album, because before the cd arrived I had been listening non-stop to the samples on saikosounds

After what aje wrote I feel I have nothing more to add. I just want to share with you my favourite tracks, which are the more melodic and "cheesy ones". For me the gold medal goes to Dead Birds in the Sky. If that is cheese, well than I'm a mouse. Melodic, with great emotion and feelings and at the same time powerfull, relentless... A Masterpiece!! Other favourites include Pasyonata, Atomic Corner, Industry of Broken Parts, and Man Upon the Rainbow that finishes the album in a perfect blend of jazzy, groovy-progressive and old-school melodic elements.

Allready a masterpice!!
KundaLena


Started Topics :  2
Posts :  29
Posted : Dec 28, 2005 20:46
Surprise Surprise, that’s the only way I could receive
this album, cause it’s an album of the year indeed!
And what a present form Horns and Hoofs for the New
Years!!!

Just like one deep breath of fresh hallucinogenic
emotional air, the lost entertainment that been found
and it made me happy that its here, I don’t know much
of their previous BigWigs stuff (this album made me
wish to check it anyway), this release is ALIVE its
breathing and its speaking to each individual part of
my mind and my body.

Dead Birds in The Sky is the track of the year! Hey
DJs.. don’t miss it cause next time on the dance-floor
I want to stomp to it and sing Dead Birds in the
Skaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaai!and if you are a DJ and you will
not play this track you SUCKJ



RESPECT TO KINO OKO and all at H&H team for such a
wonderful music masterpiece!!!!!
Longwaited album, excellent news, samples sounds
great!

Sure shot!

peace.L.





Rah
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics :  77
Posts :  498
Posted : Dec 30, 2005 21:18
Artist: Kino Oko

Album: Lost Entertainement

Label: Horns and Hoofs Entertainment

Web: http://www.kinooko.prv.pl

Sonic-energy: http://www.sonic-energy.net/2005/12/album-kinooko.html

Year: 2005

Format: CD


Tracks:

01. Born Without Soul [130 BPM]
02. Metalic Mista [136]
03. Pasyonata [135]
04. Hippie Bones [135]
05. Colors of black [138]
06. Pan Prophet [135]
07. Atomic corner [135]
08. Industry of Broken Parts [135]
09. Well Done [140]
10. Dead Birds in The Sky [138]
11. Man upon the Rainbow [135]



What's this about

Kino Oko, better known in his hometown of Warsaw as Gregorz Magnuszewski, has been previously released as Tromesa (with Tomek Roer) and was part of the now legendary trio Big Wigs along with Jerzy Przezdziecki and Tomek. As far as I'm concerned this ensemble almost single handedly started the explosion of creativity coming from the Polish border, under the now established flag of Horns and Hoofs.

Composing music for over a decade starting with psychedelic rock from the 60's and 70's to electronica, Gregorz has successfully explored a number of different styles in his untiring quest for original sounds and he displays the entire repertoire here. “Lost Entertainment” marks a really interesting proposal, avoiding the roads less traveled by contemporary Psychedelia, to deliver fresh ideas soaked in nostalgia and the hippest form of retro. Add to that the horns and hoof's style and we're blurring the ideas of genres to near pointlessness.


Per-song break-down


01. Born Without Soul *

A homage to the 16 bit consoles way before the word PlayStation became fashionable. Twitchy-wobbly bass accompanies the classic line brooding from down-under. Bizarre voices growl and moan in pain to the main theme. It develops anthem-like qualities, subdued graciously by the melancholy of having beaten your first video-game. Commodore never sounded this good before -in it's roots anyway, even if the production has been carved to present day standards. Contrary to the name it has more soul and guts than I have heard in while...



02. Metalic Mista

The main ingredient here is the fast ‘metallic' chords taking form of the bass. The kick is thin and slender, stabbing the speakers like a pair of rusty daggers. The Metallic Mista is not as crazy as the movie named in the sample “ Cassino Royale!” nevertheless; converging opposing feelings with great ease. Not my favorite tune, those screeches bring back the 80's a bit too much for me. It's personal taste though the rest is quite decent.


03. Pasyonata *

That's right, the name implied a sonata. Now if we want to go by the ‘classic' definition a Sonata denotes (usually) a piece for piano… synth –whatever. It is divided in three movements: the first and the third bits moving faster. In the middle portion there is supposed to be note change, remaining melodic to the bone throughout. Mozart would have been proud.


04. Hippie Bones *

Slow-paced with chunky bass and a definite house spice in the mix. The Hippie Bones march unwavering in nature with a ‘like-it' or ‘change it policy'. Personally it slides to completion harmoniously without many changes, but enough gusto to keep the party going.


05. Colors of Black *

Let us leave our preconceptions aside for a moment: No, it is not Gregorz attempt at Dark Psychedelic. It sounds more like an IDM deviation straight from Richard D. James closet and Autechre's beat work by the intro. We do lift off back to life, with an everlasting pitchy-bendy pace. Bells sparkle soothing the whole experience. It is well churned out and anything that reminds me of IDM on top of a trance arrangement… actually making it work, deserves a thumb's up in my book.


06. Pan Prophet

An ingenious rhythm converging in organics, with an electro-tech feel and ambient pads. The Prophet effortlessly sheds his philosophy unburdened by any sort of build up or break. This stuff is catchy enough, without selling its soul to Beelzebub in return for more listeners.


07. Atomic corner

The surroundings get mysterious with the sudden switch of the ‘next' button. It is now that part of the game you have to get through without much joy, doing the nitty gritty stuff before we can move on to more rewarding activities. I don't really like the lead a bit too off-key and repetitive with strange spaced out breaks. The bass definite saves the track… but that's just me.


08. Industry of Broken Parts *

A healthy kick with a bass on multi-tap undulating through the beat work. This kind of trance I can digest without fear…It seems deceptively simple while keeping a certain key elements with tasty subtleness. As enjoyable as it might be, it does not seem to take me anywhere though. Whether that matters to you or not is relative.


09. Well Done *

The plucked organic bass here is just gold. And the kick is such damn bouncy, it sounds like a stripped-down version from the hard-core days. It peaks with Carmina Burana type of chants, and 80's guitar straight out past TV show. You know, the budget science fiction one… it's silly, but it's much fun!


10. Dead Birds in The Sky *

Would it be despicable to say those vocals by the end remind me of Cher 's vocodic style through the mid nineties? Now before you go running for the hills… I just want to say it does not bother me and I was never Cher 's fan. Ultimately it develops with such an amazingly simple hypnotism; it really does not pain me sticking around for the whole track. So I won't be buying Cher, but I have been playing this one a lot. Deservingly so too.


11. Man upon the Rainbow

Gregorz closed the compilation with a sound more reminiscent to ‘Well Done' than previous explorations. How does he does he fuse the 80's futurism, and old school rave making it sound like he still means business is a mystery to me. Judging by that description, why do I enjoy it is an even a bigger conundrum. I can almost hear some Quietman influences in the synths and this type of work apparently still puts a smile in my face. We don't forget where we came from…

* Favourites


All and all

Presentation-wise we find Inga Burina's work like is tradition now in HnH's and Boshke, molding her work to fit the theme of the album with her own spark. It's much like buying a new model of Converse sneakers. You know a bit what to expect, there is a classic nostalgic feel to it, but it's always so trendy. If you need a break from the industrial type of techno, back to funky town Kino Oko is gold in deed. Best purchase in a while…


Where to get

http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/hah/hah1cd005.html

http://www.wirikuta.at/web66/product_detail.jsp;jsessionid=BPLKDCAJAKNA?showDetail=107122

http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display_release.asp?id=5395
          elementoftime.net
musique à la carte in mp3 & wav.

Sonic-energy.net
Reviews, interviews, downloads, articles.
Rah
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics :  77
Posts :  498
Posted : Dec 31, 2005 03:56
Quote:

On 2005-12-31 03:03, nolightatend wrote:
omg, reading your last words " all and all " i thought Gregor finally made a sex change operation, Inga, nice name. Only then i understood you are about cover art.





nah, Inga ( http://www.ingart.com ) is really talented artist with her own style really, and officially a 'member' of the Boshke family on the graphic dept i suppose
          elementoftime.net
musique à la carte in mp3 & wav.

Sonic-energy.net
Reviews, interviews, downloads, articles.
Alex Boshke
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics :  59
Posts :  613
Posted : Jan 2, 2006 21:34
My reacton to this release is that when i heard this album for few times i wanted to back to spin psytrance again, Rah said everything about each track ,so i will not go into the details and yes Dead Birds In The Sky can be nominated for the upcoming megahit for the REAL psychedelic trance parties out there!
Hey DJS!!! CHECK IT OUT!

Good Luck Kino Oko, we believe in YOUR TALENT Panove:)!
KINO OKO
Bigwigs

Started Topics :  29
Posts :  345
Posted : Jan 3, 2006 12:38
so many good words have been said about my album! im very glad that you found my music so much intresting and fitting your likes. to begin a new era of variable and newly sounding music is my wish for this new year. so i will start to work on new album in short time, with strong support of positive reactions induced by Lost Entertainment. thnx very much!

funny is that dead birds... is the track you probably like the most. some say its cheesy, some that is hypnotic but i dont think in such categories while composing           www.kinooko.pl
DiMiTry
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics :  70
Posts :  2299
Posted : Jan 3, 2006 20:32

This album is too soft and kitchy for my taste. I like my tech glitchy and quite a bit harder. But kudos for doing something different, life would be boring if everyone always did the same thing over and over and over again.

          ..it's just another party..
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