In the fucked up
tangential world of Fluke,
take nothing for granted.
Steely reserve,
determination, and
commitment are what have
ensured their own survival.
Frequently misunderstood
and more than once
incurring the glare of the
critical eye, Fluke's tenacity
and separatist stance have
confused and confounded.
They resist being labeled and categorized. By doing
so, however, they have enjoyed support from loyalists
who, like them, refuse to be told what to think, do, and
say. For Fluke, doing what they do isn't a job, it's a way
of life.
Time for the rewind. Fluke are
lifelong friends Mike Bryant, Jon
Fugler, and Mike Tournier who
grew up just outside of London,
shared a house together and
started making music in 1986. They
swiftly got the home recording bug
and it wasn't long before the living
room furniture had been cleared
out to make way for the black
boxes and keyboards that started
to spread across he floor. Fast
forward to 1988 and like so many
others, Fluke tumble across acid
house and have their heads
turned. By Spring '89, the first
seeds of this eclectic influence had
taken root. In September '89
"Thumper", the debut single is cut.
True to the DIY ethic of the time, Fluke write and
record the track at home and distribute and promote it
themselves. This is followed in Spring 1990 by "Joni"-
and a one album deal offered by Alan McGee of
Creation Records. Later that year the single "Philly"
emerges to critical acclaim and dancefloor delight.
This is followed by the ironically titled long-player
Techno Rose of Blighty - more praise and critical
appreciation lands Fluke a deal with Circa/Virgin
Records in April 1991.
That summer to defy
accusations of being studio heads
and show they really are an act -
Fluke play their debut live gig at a
party outside London called "New
Moon Rising". This results in the
live mini-album Out. Fast forward
to September '93, and the second
album Six Wheels On My
Wagon is released and creeps
into the UK Top 40 album chart,
winning them new friends and
requests to undertake remix duties.
New Order's "Spooky", Frankie
Goes To Hollywood's "Two Tribes"
and Bjork's "Big Time Sensuality" all get overhauled by
Fluke and all crash the UK national charts. So popular
is their remix of "Big Time Sensuality" that Bjork
replaces her original version with Fluke's and invites
them to perform with her at the European MTV
Awards in Germany.
April '94 and Fluke score their
first UK Top 40 Single with
"Bubble". This is followed by their
first UK tour and subsequent live
appearances at various festivals
and one-off concerts in Europe
before taking time to write and
record a new LP. June 1995, the
band rock the dance tent at
Glastonbury. The first single, "Bullet" from their third
album, OTO, enters the UK charts at number 23, and
the band head out on an extensive UK tour. Sold out
shows, rave reviews and a top thirty position for the
next single "Toot" in December affirm Fluke's
flourishing fan base.
Early 1997 and a performance at Tribal Gathering
wins them ecstatic reviews and presents Rachel,
Fluke's newest and fiercest live member, who gives
Keith Flint from The Prodigy a run for his money. In
between playing a German Festival with David Bowie
and The Prodigy, and remixing the Smashing
Pumpkins single "The End Is The Beginning Is The
End...", Fluke manage to finish up their new album
Risotto. With the first single "Atom Bomb" invading
radio and MTV airwaves both in the UK and in the US,
the band win even more fans. This brings us to the Fall
of 1997, where Fluke toured the States on "The
Electric Highway" tour, and their second single
"Absurd" (with remixes by the Headrillaz and The
Mighty Dub Katz (aka Norman Cook/Fatboy Slim) has
once again slammed into the UK charts at number 25,
with US anticipation at an all-time high.
Combining momentous techno,
funky breakbeats, eclectic old skool
electro with dirty, gritty vocals,
Risotto just may make 1997 the
year that Fluke get to answer the
timeworn question, "So what's it
like to be an overnight success
then?" In the fucked up tangential
world of Fluke anything is possible.
One thing is for sure though, Fluke strive to celebrate
the counter-culture of which they are both part and
parcel. For this reason alone, Fluke matter and
demand your attention.
n e w s
Absurd
gaming
Three
officially sanctioned samples of Fluke's "Absurd" will
appear
in Acclaim's "Quarterback Club '99" due out in mid to
late
September.
Absurd
bugs
To
launch the new Beetle, VW have chosen Fluke's "Absurd"
(Landslide
Mix) as one of a couple of ads that will be aired
Nationwide
from March 23 for one year. The same team that
created
last year ads for the Jetta which featured Trio's "Da Da
Da"
(which you needed to live in a cave without electricity to not
have
seen) are also behind this campaign.
Surgin'
fluke
In
conjunction with the lauch of their new soft drink "Surge,"
Coca
Cola will be mailing out enchanced CDs featuring 8 videos
and
artist info. Fluke's "Absurd" is one of the featured vids,
along
with their Astralwerks label mates Fatboy Slim.
Senseless
fluke
The
new Penelope Spheeris movie, "Senseless," will feature
"Absurd",
"Atom Bomb", "Setback" and "Reeferendrum" and is
scheduled
for a February 20, 1998 release. The Soundtrack
album
will contain "Reeferendrum" and is out January 18, 1998.
Postal fluke