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blowfish - puffed up (surreal audio)

traveller
IsraTrance Senior Member

Started Topics :  234
Posts :  3803
Posted : Dec 18, 2003 18:11
Artist: Blowfish (Graham Wood & Tony Stapleton)

Title: Puffed Up

Label: Surreal Audio Recordings

Release Date: December 2003

Cat: SURR004CD

Total Playtime: 76:52

Genre: Psytrance

Tracklist:
01 Intro 00:59
02 Cycles 06:56
03 Active Compound 07:53
04 Liquid Eyes 07:53
05 Grey Tone 07:32
06 Movin’ 05:15
07 Scope 05:46
08 Fat Controller 05:58
09 Stoned 07:00
10 Not The End 05:33
11 Trumpetfishology 16:07






Every self respecting trancer should recognize (and praise) the name “Graham Wood” for he was the co-founder of “The Infinity Project” which -as we all know- later morhped into TIP World. Back in the glory days of TIP when psychedelic trance was psychedelic trance and 303 leads were the shit Raja Ram, Simon Posford, Martin Freeland and Graham Wood along with the Total Eclipse gang were right in the middle of it. They are the dinosaurs!

We all know what Simon, Raja and the others have lately been up to but no ones heard of Graham for quite some time. Well anyways here he is along with Tony Stapleton who apparently is quite known in the UK trance scene.

As bizarre as it seems they’ve chosen the Finnish Surreal Audio Recordings to release their debut at. The artwork is, I’m looking for a word, ah different. Maybe half of it is done with Paintshop, the other half is hand drawn. The blowfish on the frontcover looks pretty twisted. The expression on its face is quite er, twisted.

Name your poison. Full on? Progressive? Night? Morning? Downbeat? Ambient? Tech? Minimal? House? Breakbeat? Something else perhaps? Whatever the case as long as it’s electronic I’m pretty sure it's here. What’s the drink you never have? Tasted it once and almost puked, couldn’t even finnish the fucker. Mine is “Bloody Mary”. How retarded must you be to come up with such drink. I mean tabasco, pepper and salt, those are ment to be eaten not drinken. Well anyways my poison is here, but so is the Bloody Mary. I’m pretty sure the same thing will apply to you.

We start from the dancefloor, stay there for six tunes or so, and then slowly find our way to the chill out. As much as say the last tune is a complete paradox of the first tune they still bear some similarities. You can hear that they’ve been made by the same guys in the same studio and the mastering guy has not changed either. The tricks (effects etc), no matter what the track is like, pretty much remain the same. Or well, lets say they play for the same team.

So in a way it’s a complete journey. I however prefer the second part by a factor of “insert big number here”. Then again I’m a chiller, always been and will always be.

Atfirst I found this album a huge dissapointment. I guess I was expecting for a breed inbetween “Mystical Experiences” and “The Mystery Of The Yeti” with the whole 2003 mastering thingy. So to say the least my expectations were next to the Moon. That’s how high you have to travell before meeting them. But, well, the music isn’t bad. It’s nothing groudbreaking from another dimension, but it’s not bad either. It’s pretty good actually. Perhaps even a little more. One thing I have to say in favour of Blowfish is that they aren’t trying to be “Astrix” or “GMS” or “X-Dream” or “Hallucinogen” or “Shpongle” or whoever else that might be targeted by the cloners. They’re definetly doing their own thing, and the chilled tunes are fabulous!

10/10 for the chilled tunes

7/10 for the album           "The dinosaurs became extinct because they didn't have a space program."
- Larry Niven
traveller
IsraTrance Senior Member

Started Topics :  234
Posts :  3803
Posted : Dec 20, 2003 18:05
i might have to re review this one in the near future.. the more i listen to it the better is sounds..           "The dinosaurs became extinct because they didn't have a space program."
- Larry Niven
Setherian
Setherian

Started Topics :  41
Posts :  254
Posted : Dec 20, 2003 20:24
its a killer release for sure!! I always love to see that kind of diversity inside one album!! RESPECT!           The Devil Is In Detail!
Panzer


Started Topics :  3
Posts :  188
Posted : Dec 21, 2003 13:48
Picked it up solely on the Graham Wood name without checking any samples or prehype (if any). I was also expecting a more ambientish affair but 'puffed up' definately isn't that.

After a short intro 'Cycles' blows outta the speakers...what a power...Reminds me of X-Dream in the 'Radio' era, very heavy bass drum...what a drive...Wow, this spikey fish blows the majority of recent psytrance releases completely out of the water...
As the CD progresses the tone gets a little lighter. Morning stuff enters but thank God no tired GMS cloning, its more something one might expect from the great but almost forgotten Tandu ('Grey Tone') or early Talamasca ('Scope'). Hard to put a finger on it, this goes everywhere and back.
What to think about 'Stoned'? Ninja Tune? Reggae? Club? Big Beat? If there ever was a need for an anthem for the jilted 2003 generation it should be this...Marvellous. UK radio, are u listening?
Near the end the initally expected chillout kicks in...No need for a Mystery of the Yeti part 3 any more, 'Trumpet Fishology' easily delivers.

Completely unexpected, Surreal Audio Recordings delivers the best and moreover most varied psy'trance' album of the year imo. Look no further, this is the 'shit'...
PKS
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics :  75
Posts :  490
Posted : Jan 2, 2004 16:14
Now it’s time for one of the biggest surprises in the psytrance scene 2003! Graham Wood got well known in the trance scene all over the world when he, R. Rothfield (Raja Ram) and Simon Posford joined together in 1995 and formed the band The Infinity Project (TIP). After releasing Stimuli on Perfecto Fluoro and Feeling Weird on TIP Records in 1995, and then Mystical Experiences, they had set a quality mark not many others where even near at that time. After these wonderful releases, these guys split and started projects like Shpongle, Mystery Of the Yeti etc, but we didn’t hear much more from this mystic guy named Graham Wood, other than a few chill out tracks on various compilations by a project he called Excess Head. Then suddenly summer 2003 we started hearing rumours that this guy was going to release a new album, and when he suddenly was on the line up for Samothraki Dance Festival 2003 in Greece, I got really curious. I went down to Greece, and this guy got the honour of opening the festival at the main stage with a dj set! I was there and listened to his entire performance. And what a refreshing show! Very different from most psytrance etc. coming out these days, and only tracks that I have never heard before. Now, a few months later, his new project called Blowfish is out with an album on a label in Finland (Surreal Audio). He does this together with a guy named Tony Stapleton.

Blowfish "Puffed Up" Surreal Audio Recordings 2003 (SURR004CD)

1. Intro
2. Cycles
3. Jetive Compound
4. Liquid Eyes
5. Grey Tone
6. Movin
7. Scope
8. Fat Controller
9. Stoned
10. Not The End
11. Trumpetfishology

Surreal Audio sure has released some real quality lately, like the Kiwa album released last year and other projects with Kris Kylven among others involved, and now Graham Wood... First out is a little, deep, chilled ambient intro lasting for just about a minute. Then it goes over in track 2, which starts with a floating beautiful sound, which gets me right into the Infinity Project feeling. Then some stumpy, groovy rhythms start rolling. Small psychedelic sounds jumps in and out, and the beautiful floating sound comes in now and then. Suddenly we get a break with a funky voice sample, before we jump further into drifting sounds. Pretty housy music, which reminds me of the latest projects by Saiko-Pod. Nice, funny track. Track 3 is much darker, with a really deep bass line, and metallic sounds. Less variation too, but with several scary sounds. About as dark as it can get. Track 4 starts with a voice sample, before it goes back to Saiko-Pod influenced trance again. This one is also pretty deep and dark, but with more variation of sounds. I really like this one. After a while we get some totally far out psychedelic sounds that reminds me a lot of The Infinity Project. Track 5 starts with some psychedelic TIP sounds, before some stumpy, groovy rhythms start banging. This one is full of cool sounds and small melodies. Great track, that sounds a lot like old times, but with a new touch… One of my favourite trance tracks on this album.

Track 6 is a totally experimental track, with a really slow down tempo rhythm. Is it trance, house or synth? I don’t know, but it’s weird! A lot of funny sounds and funky voice samples. Track 7 goes the experimental down tempo direction too, but with heavier rhythms and even weirder sounds. Definitely the funniest electronic track I have heard in a long time. So funny to dance to!! I remember we just started laughing and having pure fun while listening to this music at Samothraki… The sounds are just bubbling out of the speakers! Track 8 is an experimental chill out track, with some really funky vibes and spaced out sounds. I just love it when these sounds pop out of my Blue Room mini pod speakers! Track 9 starts with some smoked out voice samples of a conversation. Very chilled track, with an absolutely stoned vibe as the track title says… Dubby rhythms, trumpet sounds and weird psychedelic ingredients. Track 10 is about as beautiful as it can get. Some really nice, relaxing, floating sounds, chilling rhythms and a touch of Arabic inspired violins etc. They finish this album with an ambient track that goes the same style as the Mystical Experiences album, especially in the beginning! A totally mystic, Indian, floating vibe. As relaxing as it can get. A great finish for a great album! You also get a little hidden track at the end here, if you wait for a few minutes. This one is a very slow, relaxing ambient track.

If you enjoyed Graham Wood at Samothraki, you will love this. He played most of these tracks in his set. A varied album, where you get the dancing trancey part on the first half of the album, and the more experimental part with a chilled end on the second half of the album. Good to see a talented artist coming back with new fresh stuff like this. Recommended!
PK (shivapks@hotmail.com)

For more reviews, check out:

http://www.trance.net           CHILL TRIBE
CTRCD01 QUALITY RELAXATION
CTRCD02 RELAXED JOURNEYS
CTRCD03 EAR PLEASURE
CTRCD04 WOMBATMUSIC - Shameful Silence
CTRCD05 POLYPLOID - Grow Your Own
CTRCD06 IAN ION - Gringo Locomotion
CTRCD07 SUNKINGS - Before We Die
dawn21682
Depths of Despair

Started Topics :  17
Posts :  212
Posted : Jan 3, 2004 20:15
oh yeah! finally something new....this album is brilliant and a well needed breath of fresh air.great psy tracks and even better downtempo tracks.very unique sound and funky samples.if you like your music innovative this is the album of 2003 for you
homsy
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics :  158
Posts :  331
Posted : Jan 12, 2004 20:16
http://www.psymag.com Official review:

Graham Wood & Tony Stapleton are the duo standing behind the BlowFish project.
Both veterans in the Acid/psychedelic production front.
BlowFish bring darkness and total chaos into the world, the sound is deep, dark, highly infected with twisted psychedelic sounds, weaved with distant horrific atmospheric streams. Strong analogical breezes which comply well with the artists background, these retorodelic encounters, which run all the way through, are tucked in nicely with the help of today's technological reinforcements. Whether it is the stronger beating sides of the album or even the ambiant/experimental nature of it, BlowFish seem to spice it all up with their own sweet, spiritual blend.
This is the perfect CD for those seeking to go deeper into the crude and obscene.
The ride is rough but beneficial.
Style: Dark & Twisted hard psytrance with a strong Progressive backbone & an experimental edge.           Trancelucent Productions
http://www.trancelucent.com
----------------------
Boa Distribution
| info@boadistribution.com | http://www.boadistribution.com | FAX: +972-46101463 | Tel: +972-524742297 |
--------
PSYMAG.COM - GLOBAL TRA
Anak
Anakoluth

Started Topics :  108
Posts :  2395
Posted : Jan 13, 2004 17:32
"Style: Dark & Twisted hard psytrance with a strong Progressive backbone & an experimental edge. "

now that sounds really fat

          Anakoluth A Pebble in Your Eardrum's Shoe since 2001!
http://www.myspace.com/anakoluth
http://www.ektoplazm.com/profiles/anakoluth/
http://cronomi.com
Alex Boshke
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics :  59
Posts :  613
Posted : Jan 14, 2004 23:48
Great album!
Graham at his best and finally released something.
Real Psychedelic Music!
A Must CD!
bluespectralmonkey
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics :  80
Posts :  1336
Posted : Jan 27, 2004 17:00
3 - active compound --- **** a slamming dark gooey groove on this one, sure to rock my dancefloor. the best track on the cd.
4 is full of dope FX
5 is pumping spirals, almost goaish
the others have too many samples that repeat. or they are breaky or somehow just dont ring my bell personally.

11 is a wonderful ambient trip plus the bonus reprise to surprise you from your nap.


Basilisk
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics :  168
Posts :  2984
Posted : Jan 31, 2004 00:00
Insanely good CD, diverse but with a dark mood through-out... get your evening started right with this one, and for the DJs you'll find some of the year's best dark/minimal sounds right here...
Medi TW


Started Topics :  8
Posts :  18
Posted : Feb 5, 2004 03:21
Graham is finally back!!! It has been long time since The Infinity Project. It was a fantastic set in Samothraki 2003 and his new album is awesome!!! I know he is working on new tracks, we might have a chance to listen some of them live on 14th February, at EQ Arena in London. There is a lot more to come from Graham Wood. We look forward to hear his new tunes!!!
Dovla
IsraTrance Junior Member

Started Topics :  43
Posts :  748
Posted : Feb 6, 2004 18:05
I think track 6 was the first track played at samothraki 2003

Fantastic album!           DJ Dovla | Interchill Records, Flow Records
www.dovla.info
traveller
IsraTrance Senior Member

Started Topics :  234
Posts :  3803
Posted : Feb 8, 2004 14:43
far better than my review says..

all in all kick ass record!           "The dinosaurs became extinct because they didn't have a space program."
- Larry Niven
omniholic


Started Topics :  9
Posts :  122
Posted : Feb 10, 2004 09:41
There will hopefully be a few remixes of the Blowfish tracks on our next compilation...there is another mix of Grey Tone already, and Kiwa is just remixing Active Compound!
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