Album Description: Unlike other electronic bands, Fluke has a real guitarist, a vocalist and traditional song structures to their music. With huge guitar loops and growling vocals, they will appeal to everyone from NIN to Marilyn Manson. Risotto has 10 tracks, including the singles 'Atom Bomb' (featured on 'The Saint' soundtrack & MTV's 'Amp' program and comp CD), 'Absurd' and 'Squirt'. 1997 Astralwerks release.
Amazon.com: Fluke first gained notoriety in the early 1990s with singles like "Joni" and "Pearls of Wisdom," songs that infused hummable pop sensibilities into credible underground dance music. Their lighthearted songs and showy live PAs stood out in a scene dominated by faceless producers and music that was, at best, opaque. Unfortunately, they were too far ahead of their time. Years later, Techno has become "Electronica," stage shows and vocals are now the norm, and the aesthetic of a band like Fluke makes more sense than ever. On 1997's Risotto, they borrow heavily from the rulebook laid out by Underworld, working a series of deep and distorted grooves into a sound that's more AC/DC than Tangerine Dream. But unlike their contemporaries, Fluke have a solid understanding of simple verse/chorus/verse pop music and a broad emotional range. Fans of Underworld will appreciate vocal tracks like "Absurd" and "Atom Bomb," but Fluke's diversity and inventiveness is best shown on the narcotized and spacious "Bermuda" and the smooth drum and bass of "Setback." --Matthew Corwine
Very good electro music. 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.
Fluke's Greatest Masterpiece Risotto is to Fluke what the Mona Lisa is to DaVinci. Now with that being said: BUY 2 BIT PIE'S 2 BIT ISLAND IF YOU'RE A FLUKE FAN!
A Classic This album rocks. It's a classic of 90's techno-industrial. The sound is instantly familiar, yet always sounds new. I've known of the first track (Absurd) for years, but I just recently got the full album & couldn't be more pleased. 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.
Oaken-who? Let me start by saying that you've probably heard at least one single off this album and not realized it. Fluke's music has been used in countless TV commercials, movie soundtracks, and even several video games. But mention the name "Fluke" and most people will go "who?"
THIS is what electronic music should be. Deep, multi-layered compositions. Songs that build to a forceful climax. 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. Songs that actually justify their length. 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. And unlike typical "House" music, it needn't be listened to solely in a club. 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. Interestingly, it does not lend itself to categorization. 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. They aren't afraid to vary their styles, either. 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. If there's one criticism, it's track sequencing. 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. Absurd - Thundering opening track, with a strong, hard baseline that simply makes you want to move. Also features gravelly vocals from Jonathon Fugler, with throughly nonsensical lyrics. A+. 2. 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. Hard, fast, and infinitely danceable. Fluke accomplish in nearly six minutes what lesser artists (*coughcough Oakenfold coughcough*) could never accomplish in their career. A+ 3. Kitten Moon - Fluke shifts gears for a slower, more trance-like number. Despite its nine-minute length, it never grows stale or repetitive. A+ 4. Mosh - Aptly named; a track that you might actually be able to mosh or headbang to. 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. A+ 5. Bermuda - A slow groove, probably the slowest on the track, with a more dub-like feel. It tends to get a bit repetitive after a while, but thankfully doesn't wear out it's welcome. B+ 6. Setback - The album picks up speed again, this time with a breakbeat-style track, with Crystal Method-esque drums and ethereal ambience. A- 7. 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. Reeferendum - A bit of a weaker track, being somewhat repetitive and too similar to "Setback". Would not be bad for play at a club, but feel free to skip this one. B- 9. Squirt - A remix from Oto, with sort of an eerie, drum-n-bass vibe running through it. Sadly, it doesn't really go anywhere during it's length. B- 10. Goodnight Lover - Starts off slow, but then builds into a forceful, James Bond-like melody. Illustrates everything that makes Fluke so great, and a great way to end the album. 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. By all means get this CD, even if you just want to see how many car commercials the tracks have been used in.
A risk worth taking When I first bought this CD about two years ago I was taking a chance that Im sure all techno-lovers have and bought a CD only knowing of one song that I had ever heard of from this group. Of course that song was Atom Bomb which I had heard on the movie Senseless. The first time I listened to the CD all the way through I didnt like it other than Absurd and Atom Bomb. So lets just say I am very happy I gave it a second chance. Fluke is a group you have to listen to extremely loud because if you dont you miss so much that goes on and that was what my problem was the first time I heard it. This CD puts you on a rollercoaster the beginning is very fast and moving (Absurd, Atom Bomb) then it slows down just to let you catch your breathe (Kitten Moon, Mosh, Bermuda) then comes the upwards climb just before it picks up speed again (Setback, Amp) {Amp is the one song on the CD that took me the longest to like but it has become probably my favorite song on the CD now} then your back to speed (Reeferendum, Squirt) and then when its all over just as your getting off (Goodnight Lover) it makes you want more and to do it again.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
Trevor
