Moving onto 1995 and Fluke unveil OTO, an album that featured the chart hitting singles Bullet and Tosh, and finally removed the Balearic poppy house tag left by the The Techno Rose years. Next came Atom Bomb, a computer game sound track that brought to life a Japanese Manga styled cartoon character in the shape and form of Arial Tetsuo, aka Rachel Stewart. Arial subsequently became the bands new mascot and Rachel became the bands new stage member and answer to Keith Prodigy. Live gigs were never to be the same! Big beats and break beats dominated ’97, in the form of the singles Absurd and Squirt, which were followed by the remix album Risotto and a signing to the American Astralwerks record label.

Album: OTO

Track Listing: Bullet Tosh Cut Squirt Wobbler Freak O.K. Setback

Two years on from Six Wheels and Fluke are back with 'Oto'. It was hailed as a work of genius by the music media, and as a slightly disappointing follow up by a certain Fluke fan...myself. Don't get me wrong, the album is good, with a few excellent tracks. But unfortunately, its inconsistent and slightly darker than their previous work. The album kicks off with Bullet, which is probably the best track on the album. Didgerie-doo's and that bouncy fluke beat build up to a trance epic, but the best is found on the single(s) of this track. Tosh is next up on the album and this is where things start getting darker. The vocals are clever, consisting of every phrase possible containing the word 'super'. But yet again the remixes are by far superior (again spread over two discs). The albums' middle bit consists of Cut, Squirt and Wobbler which reflect a new side of Fluke that is definitely clever, but not to the same calibre of Bullet and Tosh. Its basically slower and darker (especially the hushed vocals of Cut) and a bit more experimental. However, all is not lost with Freak and O.K closing things down. O.K is especially excellent - dark and spacey, building up and breaking down in quite a powerful manner. Another excellent piece of work from Fluke.

Single: Bullet

Track Listing: Disc one: Fluke Remixes Bullet - Bullion (7.44) Bullet - Percussion cap (9.26) Bullet - Cannonball (7.44) Bullet - Bitten (4.32) Disc two: Speedloader Remixes Bullet - Atlas Space Odyssey : rmx'd by Atlas (9.05) Bullet - Empirion Mix : rmx'd by Empirion (7.50) Bullet - Afro Funk Mix : rmx'd by the Dust Bro's (4.14) Bullet - Jazz Mix : rmx'd by the Dust Bro's (1.57)

Four excellent remixes by Fluke on disc one including the faster 'Bullion' and 'Cannonball' mixes, and a second single 'The Speedloader mixes' containing re-workings by Atlas, Emperion and the Dust-Brothers, which personally I rate as Don't Bother With...., but may be to others taste. Just stick to disc one!!!!
Circa released a 2 track CD-single of bullet for the french market, with two previously unreleased remixes. The first one is titled the 'atlas space base mix' (9.23), which is a variation of the atlas remix on the second cd-single. The second remix is titled the 'classical instrumental' (4.07), which is really classical (!)

Promo Single: Bullet

Track Listing: Bullet - Bitten 7" (3.31) Bullet - Afro Funk Mix (4.15) Bullet - Bullion (7.44) Bullet - Jazz Mix (1.57)

1995 Circa Records Ltd. Tracks 2 & 4 remix and additional production by the Dust Brothers. Thanks to Brad D. McKibben for this information.

Single: Tosh

Track Listing: Disc one: Fluke Remixes Tosh - Gosh (6.30) Tosh - Mosh (6.20) Tosh - Cosh (8.54) Tosh - Posh (6.44) Disc two: Other Remixes Tosh - Nosh : Fila Brazilia Tosh - Dosh : Mantronik Tosh - Josh : Fila Brazilia Tosh - Shriekbackwash : Shriekback

Disc one reworked by Fluke contains the fast, storming 'Gosh' and 'Cosh' mixes, which have been played in clubland all-over. These two mixes shed new light on the album vocal mix, whist 'Posh' retains the Super vocals. Yet again, the remixes from Fila-Brazilia and others on disc 2 are very disappointing compared to Flukes stupendous mixes.

Single: Atom Bomb

Track Listing: Disc one Atom Bomb - Atomix 1 (5.40) Atom Bomb - Atomix 5 (8.44) Atom Bomb - Atomix 6 (5.32) Atom Bomb - Atomix 3 Edit (3.41) Disc two Atom Bomb - Atomix 2 (6.41) Atom Bomb - Atomix 4 (10.11) Atom Bomb - Atomix 3 (6.44) Atom Bomb - Atomix 1 Edit (3.56)

Nearly one year after Tosh the boys are back with a rather playful little number. Written as a track for the Sony Playstation game Wipeout 2097, Atom Bomb is a welcome return. Yet again it is spread unnecessarily over two cd singles (come on...stop cashing in on this gimmick!), and is delivered as six different mixes, three of which are fast, and three of which are slower. Its a great track too, stomping stuff. Thankfully Fluke have dropped the idea of getting other people to remix their work, with all the remixes from Fluke themselves. Click here for the lyrics to Atom Bomb.

Single: Atom Bomb (Promo)

Track Listing: Atom Bomb - Album Version (3.56) Atom Bomb - Atomix 3 (3.40) Atom Bomb - Atomix 6 (5.32)

Promo release on Caroline Records (USA). Thanks to Bryan Simler for this information.

Single: Absurd

Track Listing: Disc one: Absurd - Whitewash Edit (3:40) Absurd - Landslide (7:45) Absurd - Headrillaz Dub (6:10) Absurd - Mighty Dub Katz Vox (6:20) Disc two: Absurd - Reeferendrum (7:52) Absurd - Whitewash (5:58) Absurd - Mighty Dub Katz Dub (6:33) Absurd - Headrillaz Vox (6:55)

Released in conjunction with their '97 UK tour, Absurd sees Fluke take a step into the darker realms of techno, proving yet again that their style can be very diverse.
Spread across 2x12"/2xcd's, we get an assortment of mixes and remixes from Fluke, Steve Dub, The Mighty Dub Katz and Headrillaz. The two remixes to watch out for have got to be Whitewash and Landslide. Both are equally dark and spacey, with heavy guitar riffs interrupted only by Fugler's unmistakable electronic spoken vocals. This is definitely dark n dirty stuff from Fluke. Reeferendrum (nice play on words boys!) opens and closes with a lovely piano/harp piece, before cutting into a heavy drum 'n bass beat. Mighty Dub Katz can only offer some nutty, experimental drum n bass full of beeps and acidic squelches, whilst Headrillaz stick to the formula, unfortunately including an annoying siren throughout most of the track.... Its another case of a bizarre choice of remixers (thinking back to Bullet and Tosh), apart that is for Steve Dub who does a more than adequate job with the Landslide mix.
I thought it quite amusing to hear this track playing in a Ribena advert. It fitted quite nicly with the animation, although i'm sure this isn't what the boys had in mind when the wrote the track!

CD Promo: Absurd

Track Listing: Absurd - Whitewash Edit (3:40) Absurd - Landslide (7.44) Absurd - Reeferendrum (7:31)

Promo released 1997 on Circa.

12": Absurd

Track Listing: Absurd - Landslide Squirt - The Europicolamix Absurd - Mighty Dub Katz Dub Slid - Hypogasmix

Released 1997 on Astralwerks. Track 4 remixed by Global Communications.

Single :Squirt

Track Listing: Disc one: Squirt - Full Vox (6.59) Squirt - The Europicolamix (7.13) Slid - Modwheel Remix (10.11) Disc two: Squirt - Edit (3.49) Slid - Pdfmone (7.40) Squirt - Instrumental (6.57) Squirt - Remixed by Dub(6.10) Promo [YRCDJ127]: Squirt - Edit (3.49) Squirt - The Europicolamix (7.13) Squirt - Instrumental (6.57) Promo [LC3098]: Squirt - Edit (3.49) Slid - Dizzy Heights Edit Slid - Modwheel Edit

The latest single from Fluke (9/97). Squirt was one of my least favorite tracks on the OTO album and I was curious to know what Fluke were going to do with this single. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised.
Again, needlessly spread over two discs, we get four new mixes of Squirt, a bonus remix of Slid, one of Flukes' older tracks from the Six Wheels On My Wagon album, and the original Pdfmone mix of Slid - which, for those of you having problems getting hold of the Fluke back-catalogue, will be a welcome addition to this single.
The Full Vox mix of Squirt on disc one is not that much different from the original album version; bizarre spoken vocals from Fugler over a nutty drum n bass type beat pattern. Its the Europicolamix which really grabbed my attention - additional workings from Forbes and May (whoever they are) results in this track getting a trancy makeover and an overall driving bouncy Fluke sound which is more familiar of tracks like Bullet and Tosh. Then there's the new remix of Slid - a completely new angle is added to this track by Tom Middleton (for Global Communications). Opening vocals and samples like into the deep.....no where to slide give instant recognition of this oldie Fluke favorite, before a laid back housey beat cuts in with Fugler adding his version of the vocals to the original female vocals. It doesn't really go anywhere special, but its a original slant on this old track.
Meanwhile, over on disc two, we get the original Pdfmone mix of Slid, which is incorrectly titled Squirt - Pdfmone on my cd cover. The Instrumental mix of Squirt drops the crazy vocals and adds a little more drive into the track, leaving just Steve Dubs' Remixed by Dub version to tie up the single, which is probably my least favorite remix of this track and will probably appeal to drum n bass fans more than it does to me. Thanks to Andy Heggs for the promo information.

Album : Risotto

Track Listing: Absurd (5:48) Atom Bomb (5.45) Kitten Moon (9.18) Mosh (6.20) Bermuda (7.57) Setback (8.54) Amp (8.09) Reeferendrum (7.22) Squirt (6.15) Goodnight Lover (7.34)

Promo released on Astralwerks. Thanks to Brad D. McKibben for this information.

Album : Risotto

Track Listing: Absurd (5:48) Atom Bomb (5.45) Kitten Moon (9.18) Mosh (6.20) Bermuda (7.57) Setback (8.54) Amp (8.09) Reeferendrum (7.22) Squirt (6.15) Goodnight Lover (7.34)

Release date 29th Sept '97 CD/MC/Double Vinyl LP. Risotto is more of a compilation than an album, with recent favorites like Absurd, Atom Bomb, Mosh, Reeferendrum and Squirt already featuring as (or on) singles. They are all excellent tracks and set a sturdy backbone for a compilation.
So what about the new material? Kittenmoon is first up and is one of the stronger new tracks. Reminiscent of OK on the album Oto, it starts off laid back and dreamy, into which a driving, foot-tapping beat layers and builds up into a huge climax. A mid-track breakdown relaxes the pace and then off it goes again. This track is really growing on me!
On to Bermuda - unfortunately this track is nothing to write home about; its very slow and fails to go anywhere over its entire eight minutes. Setback is a remix of the track of the same name on the Oto album, and its only the vocals that make this obvious. I wasn't really impressed by the original version of this track, and the addition of a drum 'n bass beat hasn't really done much to improve it. However, all is not lost as Setback blends into Amp, which is more familiar electronica territory that we are used to from Fluke. Its got similar beats to that of Setback, yet its more bouncy and has a lot more drive.
Steve Dub lends a hand with Goodnight Lover, which is the final new track - and its a corking track too. When it kicks in its a driving funky number, sounding like a cross between Spy Catcher and a James Bond theme.
So, all in all not a bad album. Its a mixture of new and old; some good, some not so good, but mostly excellent! The fact that its a low-cost album increases its value for money and outweighs the fact that half the tracks are from previous singles.