Fluke - Progressive History XXX album flac

This is a great chronicling of Fluke's history and the inclusion of a handful of trax that were only available on vinyl prior is reason enough for any Fluke aficionado to add this to his/her collection. It should be noted that at least one remix on the third disc was done by an additional artist according to the credits. The Europicolamix of "Squirt" was a joint effort between Spooky and Fluke themselves.

This 3 disc compilation is not only fit for hardcore fans of Fluke, because anybody will enjoy it. Anyone who listens to it will agree that Fluke's sound goes above and beyond any progressive act. Disc 1 is great, even for today's standards. It does sound sort of retro, but it is ahead of it's time and gives the feeling that it was done by an artist today who was trying to sound retro. Fluke's unconservative nature really showed even back in the day through their shameless guitar hooks, pounding beats, smooth deep basslines and rock inspired vocals. Disc 2 is actually quite well done. All of the tracks are directly from the albums and are edited by fade-ins and fade-outs which is kind of disappointing. They could have put the unmixed 12" versions. This CD definitely isn't for DJing, although it does make a great listen. All that being said, Kitten Moon on this disc is the unmixed version which is also found on a Squirt vinyl promo. It is significantly longer than the album version and is an extremely varied track; amazing find! Disc 3 is the most varied CD and is definitely DJ-worthy. It must be noted that Absurd (Marine Parade Mix) is extremely poor quality for some reason. This is disappointing because it sounds like it could be a good track but it's hard to tell with all the poor quality. The tracks Electric Guitar (Headstock), Bullet (Jazz Mix), Tosh (Nosh), Atom Bomb (Atomix 4), and Squirt (The Europicolamix) can be found on Fluke's various singles. The tracks Slid (Scat And Sax Frenzy), and Bullet (Atlas Space Base) are actually (slightly) different remixes than the ones found on the singles. The tracks Groovy Feeling (Screwball), Bubble (Braillebubble), Absurd (Soul Of Man Mix), and Absurd (Marine Parade Mix) are actually quite rare. The 2 Absurd remixes are from an Absurd vinyl promo. Bubble (Braillebubble) is an instrumental of Bubble (Speechbubble) and can be found on the Bubble vinyl. Groovy Feeling (Screwball) can only be found on the Groovy Feeling vinyl. The 2 best tracks on disc 3 are by far Groovy Feeling (Screwball), and Squirt (The Europicolamix). Groovy Feeling (Screwball) is an upbeat and simple instrumental remix that sounds barely anything like the original. The whole track will keep you smiling and tapping your toe. Squirt (The Europicolamix) is by far Fluke's greatest track. It sounds nothing like the original Squirt (just like every Fluke remix). Basically, picture a track so powerful that grows into something so deeply energetic that you understandably lose conscious thought halfway through. Basically, if you enjoy the progressive sound of the 90s - this collection is a must buy.

I was pleasantly surprised by the choice of tracks on this compilation. I would have expected more of a ‘greatest hits’ selection with emphasis on ‘Risotto’ singles. Instead they did a fine job of collecting the most essential early tracks (pre-Six Wheels), and showcasing a variety of lesser known album tracks and remixes. My surprise ended when I compared the track listing to the single disc release ‘Progressive History X’, where I did find a greatest hits collection. The collections have only one track (Thumper) in common. ‘XXX’ seems to be intended as a supplement, not an alternate to ‘X’. CD 1 gathers early live and studio material from releases such as Out In Essence, and Techno Rose Of Blighty, as well as their early singles. These tracks reveal some early synth-pop and house tendencies that may surprise those only familiar with more recent Fluke recordings. This disc is a wonderful history of early Fluke output and for many listeners a sufficient replacement for the old releases it covers. ‘Philly (Jamateur Mix)’ and ‘The Bells (Mix 1)’ were previously vinyl-only and are a nice addition. Fluke’s early sound is pretty dated making this disc a bit tough for me not to skip through quickly. CD 2 is the one I found most surprising. Where I expected to find Fluke’s greatest hits full of big-beat and trance, there is basically a chill/dub collection. Three or four tracks from each release: Six Wheels, Oto, and Risotto. These tracks are all excellent, mostly dubby and chilled, and none of them singles or hits. No collector’s value on this disc, but a FANTASTIC listen. CD 3 is a collection of non album remixes. Some are easy enough to acquire still as singles, but there are a few that were previously rarities and/or vinyl-only. The old ‘Bubble (Braillebubble)’, ‘Groovy Feeling (Screwball)’, and the new ‘Absurd’ mixes are all nice to finally have in my CD collection. It seems they really had collectors in mind with these four selections. The other tracks are also excellent, but not quite a replacement for digging up some of the singles. The box and sleeves are beautiful monochrome with contrasting mat/gloss finish. An insert folds out to a poster with the Progressive History art on one side and a collage of art from the singles on the other. This collection is great for those who are new Fluke collectors who want a good spread of their work without buying all the singles, as well as old fans looking to get about six tracks that are otherwise rare or unavailable on CD.