The Insight: Horse Tiger

Ole Lukkoye – Horse Tiger

Formed in 1989 by Boris Bardasch (keyboards, vocals and effects) and Andrej Lavrinenko (bass and percussion), this four-member band is from Saint Petersberg, Russia, and this is their fifth album. The band takes its name from the protagonist of a Hans Christian Anderson tale, who is a bringer of dreams to children. Their sound is a mix of modern electronic trance, psychedelia, Siberian/Tuvan shamanistic chanting, ethnic Asian-Russian rhythms, and tribal percussion. There are echoes of Deep Forest in what they do, but there is also a significant “eastern” influence, with Russian folk motifs being propelled through the ambience of light techno. Rich and engaging throughout, this is one of the most interesting recent releases of electronica.

The Insight, June 2003