Customer Reviews

Risotto

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

I bought this CD on a whim. Having heard only a few Fluke tracks before, and not quite knowing what to expect, I was blown away... It begins with Absurd, a rather abstract piece which gains high energy early in and stays as such through the whole piece. Atom Bomb is next, it's Fluke's most commercial success, and having been on several soundtracks, including The Saint, is the song most people think of when they think of Fluke. Its energy is amazing. Kitten Moon is next, with its trace-like elements slowing things down. Mosh kicks things up again, an excellent instrumental, then flows smoothly into Bermuda. Setback is slower and a little more focussed, but soon moves into Amp and Reeferendrum, two solid instrumentals. Squirt knocks in the bizarre lyrics again, and the final track, Goodnight Lover, is dark and fast... Overall, it is an amazing and very involving CD...

I bought Risotto about a year ago, maybe a little longer, but regardless, it is one of the most diversely put together cd's I own. When I first got it I listened to is so much I thought I was going to wear it out. It never happened. The grooves are so precisely put together on each and every track that you hear something new every time you listen to it. If you are beginning to move into the techno/electronica scene and are wondering where a good place to start is, then look no further. I have over 100 electronica cd's and this one still remains at the top of my list.

To tell you the truth, I had never heard of Fluke until Amazon recommended them to me because I had bought some Underworld stuff. I then read that several tracks on Risotto had been used in commercials and movies. So, I took a chance and got this. This CD is just as good or better than many of my other techno/electronica stuff and that includes stuff by Moby, Orbital, The Orb, Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers, and more. The 2 tracks that everyone has heard are the first 2, Absurd and Atom Bomb. Absurd was even featured in a Volkswagen commercial. Amp and Squirt are other high-octane tracks. Kitten Moon and Goodnight Lover are fine ambient, chill tracks. Not every track is good, but with tracks like Absurd, Atom Bomb, Amp, Squirt, Goddnight Lover, and Kitten Moon, it doesn't really matter. It's not like the CDs that are popular today have more than 2 or 3 good songs on it. Anyway you owe it to yourself to pick up this gem. Highly recommended to Underworld fans.

You can bet that if Fluke releases it, it's good, Fluke certainly doesn't seem to be be preoccupied with releasing new material. Instead, their limited amount of material is all of the highest quality. Having read other reviewer's comments with regard to listening to nothing else for two years, I can understand that with this one. Lyrically intelligent, musically superior from their peers, Fluke maintain a standard that few compare. Best appreciated by those with a lean toward trance, and possess musical performance background. At times dreamy and profound, at times status quo and groovy, you can't miss with this one.

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.

I got my first taste of Fluke's unique brand of music by purchasing the soundtrack to TV's NIKITA, and from the moment I first heard that breathy, orgasmic-like moan of their smash hit Absurd, I knew I'd found a band I could dig. Normally, I hate techno/electronica because it all sounds so similar, but Fluke won me over because no two songs on the CD sound the same. Vocals are sparse at best, but that's a good thing. Not only does it keep my parents from inflicting pain on me with their horrific voices, but it gave me a greater appreciation for a genre of music I had long since deemed annoying. Not only that, but this disc is a cure for the long-standing "One Song Mentality". The minute any song hits anywhere on some kind of Top 10, 20 or 40 music chart, people will rush out and buy the CD and listen to it for that one song, discarding it as soon as the next big fad to come out. Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Aqua, and other bands I cannot fathom are prime examples of this. With Fluke, I can listen to the entire CD and never get tired of it. From the fast-paced, eclectic Goodnight Lover, to the slow, comforting vibes of Setback, this CD has it all. This humble fan is eagerly awaiting Fluke's next effort, and is getting tired of doing so! I only wish they were better known in North America, so that my friends (who exhibit all the standard one-song symptoms) could come to appreciate their awesome sound K.R. Tamminen

Okay, I admit. I really don't know much about Fluke, and the reason I got the CD was because when I was reading Juno reactor reviews, there was a link that said "people who bought this item also bought albums by". So it was completely chance that I chose this one. After about 2 listen throughs, with a bit of skipping around, I really didn't like it. It seemed too dreary overall. Then, I got a good listen to the end song. The last song - Goodnight Lover - was amazing. This made me go back and listen to the entire thing all the way through. THIS is what got me understanding the whole CD. It sounded a lot better, and I heard a lot more of the cool sound they were sending off. At first I thought this was just mediocre, but the last song changes it to good, even though I am not exactly sure how. Great variety, and even though the lyrics don't make a whole lot of sense, they are creative and catchy. It is also a great album for a long trip in the car...sort of like sleep music for the day if you can understand that. Once again, the last song was the best, other notables being 1,3, and 9. I'd give it a good 85%, you will probably like this album!

Fluke to ambient electronica is what John Digweed is to dance music - a single CD packs more variety and better blending than most others. In a strange way, it could be compared to a standard-issue Hollywood movie made according to a three-act formula (provided you listen to the whole thing at once): Absurd and Atom Bomb get your attention and set the energy going, starting with Kitten Moon it has you chilling down (but you already like the main character), and from Referendum and on, act III picks up the pace and leaves you wowed at the end. The deep groove of the first few tracks lightens up soon, then submerges once more. Perhaps the danceheads like me could have done without the slowdown of act II, but this album is still a five-star.

It's an album of oddities: chances are, you'll buy it, listen to it once, then shelf it for a few weeks and only dig into it's groove upon return. It's definitely mood music, but you'll be hard-pressed to figure which mood exactly that is. However, don't doubt the choice - this CD is money well spent.

The first time I heard Fluke's music was when I heard a song called Atom Bomb which was on a compilation CD by Gillian Anderson on Virgin called Future: A Journey Through The Electric Underground. It made me realise there was yet another band out there that truly knows what they are doing.

Their masterful manipulation of sounds, mixing expertise and those vocals put Fluke firmly on track for much deserved commercial success in that next millenium we're all so looking forward to.

A live show in Vancouver earlier this month laid any fears to rest that this was a one hit band. Song after amazing sounding song was laid out for all to hear, nothing in the way, just great music, and the album has more of the same. More than enough cool stuff to make it a mainstay in any electronic music lovers collection, and with most songs coming in at around 7 minutes you're definitely going to be taken places before being dropped back to earth.

Songs like Bermuda complete with futur! istic dub feel and laid back vocals, Amp which builds itself up and up and Goodnight Lover with its space age sequenced spy themes give the listener many interesting angles on the music of a band that is still defining its sound in many different ways. High definition cymbal samples, constantly changing drum loops, frenetic percussion fills, many and varied effects embellishments and those cold as ice vocals make this album a joy to listen to.

Listen out for Absurd which, devoid of a censored expletive which unfortunately confined Atom Bomb to dance events and pirate radio stations, should be getting airplay in a town near you.

Definitely one of my favourite releases this year, and apart from a one second time difference between a few of the song lengths printed on the album cover and those shown on the CD player console on my Mac, this album is damm near flawless.