Hello Friends,
I'm interested in getting my album "Palmflowerblack" reviewed. If
anyone writes for a magazine, blog, website, I would love to send you
a copy of the album. You can hit me up at mantrakid@neferiu.com.
To hear samples of the album, check out www.neferiu.com
Much love & respect.
Mantrakid
P.S. Here are some reviews that have already been printed:
------------------------------------
FFWD Weekly Review
Mantrakid - Palmflowerblack (Neferiu)
Published August 7, 2008 in FFWD by Frank Litorco in CD Reviews
As the debut effort from Mantrakid (a.k.a. Nate Schmold),
Palmflowerblack shines with firecracker energy and brilliance. Much of
the recording focuses on Schmold himself, but that's OK — this is
nowhere near the chest-thumping, alpha-dog bravado that passes as
mainstream hip hop. Rather, the lyrical deconstruction of his own
flawed traits and limitations is as real and compelling as it gets.
With rapid-fire flows that would make the Quannum and Solesides crews
nod in approval, Mantrakid shows off his mad skills on the mic. Add in
the sinister beats and a healthy dose of humour, and Palmflowerblack
becomes a brooding thing of beauty.
http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/music/cd-reviews/mantrakid-palmflowerblack/
-------------------------------------
Herohill Review
http://www.herohill.com/2008/08/reviews-mantrakid-palmflowerblack.htm
Hello friends. I sense that you once again had a jones in the bones
for some Alberta hip hop coverage here on the hill. This is a malady I
can fix in one simple post. With some assistance from Calgary (I think
he might've moved to Vancouver Island, but that doesn't really fit for
puposes of this semi-humourous intro) rapper/singer/producer Mantrakid
and his new album Palmflowerblack.
Nate Schmold is the man otherwise known as Mantrakid, and he's also
the man behind hip hop/electronic label Neferiu, which I mentioned
earlier this year while discussing their free download of Metawon's
Electric Dyslexic. Running a label is a time-consuming business, so
it's not a surprise that it's taken some time (10 plus years) for the
(Mantra)kid to release what he calls his "proper" debut. And an
interesting, energetic debut it is, with Mantrakid's kinetic presence
featured throughout on production and vocals.
Even though there are some fairly straight-ahead hip hop songs on here
(Felt Tipped Dignity, Ability To Rap, Sinister States), the production
on Palmflowerblack definitely leans towards the electronic end of the
hip hop spectrum. When you pair that with the numerous styles
Mantrakid tries out on the album (rappin', sing-song rappin', singin',
and no vocal instrumental tracks - and that isn't counting the
contributions from guests, who I'm glossing over because I can't find
a tracklist that id's them), this album would likely be placed pretty
squarely in the experimental hip hop category. Certainly no shame in
that though, as hip hop needs nothing if not people trying to innovate
and take it to new and interesting places.
The production on Palmflowerblack does it part towards keeping things
interesting, with such varying styles across the 18 songs that you
never come close to hearing the same thing twice. This is true even on
the instrumental tracks: the title track features atmospheric, floaty
sounds laid over a solid drum track, while Thursday's Ginger is a much
more minimal electronic affair with blips and skittering drums, and
The Secret Song builds on that formula with some menacing drums and
chopped vocals added to the mix. But there's plenty of hip hop flavour
to be had also, like Next Shit, which mixes 80's fast-rap with Lyrics
Born-esque flows, and a decent guest appearance from Calgary MC Ricca
Razor Sharp. Genesis opens like it samples Genesis, before soaring
eastern-influenced guitar licks take over and King Lou's lyrics kick
in at the two minute mark. This is a solid jam, this style is the one
I think I enjoy most from him.
Felt Tipped Dignity very catchy beat, it has a Bomb Squad feel to it.
His MC-ing on this track (and on the conceptual Ability To Rap) is a
little over the top, a little Organized Rhymey for my taste, but still
enjoyable none the less. Things get a little darker at the album's mid-
point, with the 80's keys & drums of You'll Never and the electro, El-
P-ish production on Sinister States. The dub-laced So Hot I Can Taste
It is likely the closest thing to a club track you'll find on
Palmflowerblack, but it certainly isn't a club track in the
conventional sense. The generational pondering of My Peers has a
pretty solid beat and is likely my favorite of the songs on the album
which mix sung vocals and rappin'.
The one thing that comes through to me after listening to
Palmflowerblack is that Mantrakid is a talented guy. He tries so many
things on here and manages to keep things interesting and very
listenable throughout, that you can't help but be impressed. The only
thing I feel the need to suggest is that next time around trimming
things down from 18 songs might be wise. With the schizophrenic
attention spans of today's music listeners, you want an album to put
forth a precise package of your best work, and while this album
certainly delivers bang for the buck, I could see some losing interest
in the latter half. Anyway, I don't want to be too harsh on the
(Mantra)kid for offering listeners more for their money, and I
certainly think this album is worth checking out if you like the your
hip hop with its boundaries stretched a bit. I'm interested in seeing
where Mantrakid and Neferiu go from here.
--------------------------------
Hip Hop Canada Review
http://www.hiphopcanada.com/_site/community/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=60785
Mantrakid – Palmflower Black (Neferiu)
By: Thomas Quinlan
Substituting the clear jewel case concept for a snazzy little tin
case, Mantrakid already receives bonus points for his packaging of
Palmflower Black, a hip hop album strongly informed by electro-pop,
funk and rock. Entirely self-produced, Mantrakid orchestrates a dark,
synth-heavy soundtrack of deep bass along with squealing guitars and
horns that straddles styles diverse enough to accompany both his
singing and rapping, as well as all stops in between. Mantrakid jumps
from the Quannum-style funky hip hop of “Next Shit” into the soulful
indie-rock meets hip hop of “I'm My Own Opponent,” or from the epic
space rock hip hoppera of “Genesis” into Ween-like stoner rock “Life
Wins.” And that's not even mentioning the spine-crushing, hard-as-hell
hip hop hits, like “Ability to Rap,” a funny concept track anchored by
a wicked elastic bassline, or “Felt Tipped Dignity,” which sounds like
freaky rapper THlostOT rapping abstractly over some early Soul
Assassins production. When all is said and done, Mantrakid has created
an album that offers plenty of variety yet remains a cohesive album
despite that. Fans of dark, boundary-bending hip hop are sure to love
the diversity of Mantrakid's Palmflower Black, an album that is more
than just good; it further fortifies the status of Calgary label
Neferiu as a hidden gem within the Canadian music scene
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