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If the drivel on the radio sounded half as good, or most of the 'popular' artists had at least half the talent presented here, alot of people would get back into music. I just happened upon this band while surfing the internet, and I'm glad I stumbled upon them, the music in this album is amazing. Many different kinds of electronic music on one album, each song is great in it's own way (since each one creates a different mood). The best music and artists aren't played on the radio or plastered all over MTV. The best music and artists require that you find them, amidst the endless sea of 'bleh'.
The band Fluke is an actual band,which is to say the tracks on Risotto(/97) were NOT produced by the heavy layering of just one man on a sythesizer but by a "group" of people,who not only play instruments but know the structure of a song and write their own material.very GOOD material in fact.The group has been a secretive one(interviews are hard to find) but the core of the group has always been Jon Fugler and Mike Bryant.There have been a few personnel changes over the years but these two men remain the guiding lights of this English based band.Where does one put Fluke in terms of category. Industrial,Techo,House,Club.all of these. Wherever you choose to lay Fluke down,the fact remains is that they are more than the sum of their parts as is the music they create that will MOVE you.This is not for the static listener for these tracks are a force that implores you to react.and one way or another you will.No matter at what tempo the groove may be,you WILL be moved both mentally and physically;there are NO gray areas here.That is the magic that is Fluke and,dare I say,the genius behind the hook laden material here on Risotto.Everyone by now has heard Absurd used by Hollywood in some big name flicks and the groups' more commerical Atom Bomb,the musical centrepiece of the Wipeout 2097 video game and the accompanying musical videos for it given frequent air play around the world.Mosh is a revamping of Tosh from a previous album done as only Fluke could and their single Squirt is also included.Like all of these tracks Kitten Moon which follows Atom Bomb is totally different from its predecessor but it creates a beautiful mood.As I listen to the rising and falling vocals that cascade throughout the song it tells me that this could easily be either the theme song for some big Sci-Fi TV show or big budget movie.The tracks continue their wonderful and pleasing aural assault on your senses until we come to the last track Goodnight Lover.It starts out deceivingly like the music for a creepy old horror flick with distant bell chime and accompanying wind(one expects to hear Vincent Price any second). but it is momentary and you are reminded in short order who you are listening to.Risotto is a great CD by one of the most underrated and underlistened to groups of its kind out there.For those who know Fluke I need not say anything,but for those Fluke virgins out there,this is their shining hour and it deserves a place in your music library.
These guys know how to produce a good electronic music record, with good musical ideas, good moods and a good overall sound ; they did it well for this record especially.
This album rocks. I've known of the first track (Absurd) for years, but I just recently got the full album & couldn't be more pleased. It's a classic of 90's techno-industrial. The sound is instantly familiar, yet always sounds new. There's a reason the guys in Hollywood are still putting this song on their soundtracks (most recently with Frank Miller's Sin City). This is a must have for techno fans.
Also features gravelly vocals from Jonathon Fugler, with throughly nonsensical lyrics. By all means get this CD, even if you just want to see how many car commercials the tracks have been used in. Setback - The album picks up speed again, this time with a breakbeat-style track, with Crystal Method-esque drums and ethereal ambience. It tends to get a bit repetitive after a while, but thankfully doesn't wear out it's welcome. Interestingly, it does not lend itself to categorization. Opening tracks "Absurd" and "Atom Bomb" are fast-paced and aggressive, while tracks like "Bermuda" and "Kitten Moon" are much slower and with more "chill out" ambience than others.
Songs that actually justify their length. Fluke is not really house, but neither does it fall into trance, techno, breakbeat, or any of the other millions of categories of electronic music. Deep, multi-layered compositions. Fluke accomplish in nearly six minutes what lesser artists (*coughcough Oakenfold coughcough*) could never accomplish in their career. Listen carefully, and you'll be able discern the different layers and melodies of each track that only become apparent after several listens.This isn't cheesy pop-electronica; rather, the music on Risotto takes a darker tone than most, with futuristic, evil-sounding sonic landscapes. The best tracks are frontloaded, causing the album to peak early, although that's a highly relative statement, as there are no real "bad" tracks on the album.Song Summaries:1. Reeferendum - A bit of a weaker track, being somewhat repetitive and too similar to "Setback". They aren't afraid to vary their styles, either.
Songs that build to a forceful climax. And unlike typical "House" music, it needn't be listened to solely in a club. Goodnight Lover - Starts off slow, but then builds into a forceful, James Bond-like melody. A+.2. A+5.
Let me start by saying that you've probably heard at least one single off this album and not realized it. Sadly, it doesn't really go anywhere during it's length. Illustrates everything that makes Fluke so great, and a great way to end the album. Bermuda - A slow groove, probably the slowest on the track, with a more dub-like feel. B+6. Mosh - Aptly named; a track that you might actually be able to mosh or headbang to.
Hard, fast, and infinitely danceable. If there's one criticism, it's track sequencing. A groove so infections that if it doesn't make you move at least one part of your body, you must be either dead or paralyzed. This is an actually a remix of a track from the previous album "Oto" but as par for Fluke, it sounds very little like the original at all.
But mention the name "Fluke" and most people will go "who."THIS is what electronic music should be. A-7. Absurd - Thundering opening track, with a strong, hard baseline that simply makes you want to move. B-9. Would not be bad for play at a club, but feel free to skip this one. Fluke's music has been used in countless TV commercials, movie soundtracks, and even several video games. Amp - A Big-beat style track that begins rather plainly, but slowly builds and builds until it reaches a forceful climax in typical Fluke style.
A+8. A+4. Kitten Moon - Fluke shifts gears for a slower, more trance-like number. Despite its nine-minute length, it never grows stale or repetitive. Unlike other electronic artists who are lazy and let their machines do all the work for them, Fluke understand the need for a song to develop and progress through its length.
B-10. Atom Bomb - First used in the Playstation game Wipeout XL, and countless other movies and video games, Atom Bomb is easily the standout track on Risotto. A+3. Squirt - A remix from Oto, with sort of an eerie, drum-n-bass vibe running through it. A+It seems sad that artists like Fluke get little to no press, while other electronic musicians who churn out nothing but derivative cheese get all the fame.
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