title:
region zero- a boltfish recordings sampler
label:
boltfish recordings
format:
cd / mp3
release date:
27.08.04
cat. no.:
bolt007
tracks:
camellia

reviews:

  
"with artists based around the world, this sampler gives a flavour of the label, started in 2004. this sampler is free to download from the boltfish website. with a manifesto to create organic music, experimental electronica and cinematic sounds i find myself gravitating to the more melodic and sombre side of the 11 tracks on show here. 'disorder' by zainetica is one that really catches me, spacious keys and filtered vocoder effects build on industrial beats, adding menace and shape to the soundscape. 'untitled 3' by richard houghten with its flickering filtered guitar and hints of japanese culture is another great tune to chill with. there's another side to this collection though, more up-tempo electronica tracks such as 'sticklebrick symphony' by ochre, which has an autechre feel. warp records beware, boltfish are the new fish in the sea and they've got a lot to offer, not to mention free downloads on their website." - untitledmusic, 07.04
  
"spanning a wide range of musical landscapes, from the soft ambiences of cheju’s 'camellia' or bal-a-klah-va’s 'anamorph' to the electro influences of karmøy's 'klem', the vintage electronica of zainetica's 'disorder' or the acoustic mood of richard houghten's superb 'untitled #3'. the quality is exceptionally high for such a young label. most of the tracks presented here evolve between warm analogue soundscapes, gentle glitch, and acoustic elements, creating an interesting emotional canvas all the way through. the concept behind boltfish is to provide electronic music for free on the internet. therefore, region zero is made available for download on the label's website. but boltfish have also taken the step to release this album onto proper cd for a limited run of three hundred copies. and amongst the myriad of mp3 labels around, boltfish's deserves to get noticed in every possible way. 4.4/5. " - themilkfactory, 08.04
  
"this imprint has a discography of 5 ep's, a live mix of boltfish tracks and this forthcoming compilation 'region zero' released on mp3 format and digi-pack cd. different genres reunite 11 artists who flirt with electro such as bal-a-klah-va (anamorph) and cheju's ambient piece with soo lee on vocals; the techno-electro cut of karmøy and the magnificent ochre with his melodic electronica in the likes of aphex twin and black dog. in the midst sveto the fool, in my opinion, breaks the link within the compilation with his kind of industrial percussion. richard houghten offers acoustic guitar cords and glitch, while mint produces a captivating mantle of delicate keyboard lines. countripsyde's track is a peculiar mixture of distorted guitar and samples of voices, and to close this comp bbwax leaves us with a gorgeous ambient cut." - loop.cl, 08.04
  
"a well rounded & accessible collection of catchy, melodic & chilled idm...you're guaranteed a ride into greener pastures than usual. possibly for fans of ai, merck & mid period warp amongst others."- norman records, 08.04
  

"'region zero' presents a perfect example of varying qualities and trends within the international electronica circuit. opener 'anamorph' by (bal-a-klah-va) is a classic upbeat electronic stormer, alike to the ai records roster around their desirable 'estate' compilation. sticking with an ai theme, sveto the fool shares the similar qualities of fzv and at times, aphex twin's 'ventolin' track; an autechre style mash-up of industrial sounds and metallic machinery. at the other end of the more dance-orientated spectrum is richard houghten, whose two-minute oddity of plucked acoustic strings bare an uncanny resemblance to fridge's 'harmonics' or the reversed samples of four tet's 'pause'. countripsyde is a rarity in idm; the sound of fuzzed up vocal samples and electric guitars verging on the slacker-hip-hop-country-folk of beck, if he tried dabbling at electronica. 'region zero' suggest there's more than predictable minds at work here and a great suggestion that labels shouldn't limit themselves to a certain genre. 8/10." - angry ape, 08.04

  
"a raft of contemporary electronic styles and tones that float together as one item. the people at boltfish, namely cheju and mint, have done well by gathering so many similarly-minded artists on the one release. it's all good to listen to, from the well-rounded bleepers of zainetica, ochre and cheju to the distant wind-chime ambient overtures by mint, j-auer and richard houghten. no mad beats here, just nice and laid back. karmoy (from norway) had the best track i believe with 'klem', a bassy groover with sophisticated overlays and homages to autechre and plaid... this is a solid release by boltfish that will certainly get some well deserved attention with electronic types as it will with me. what they have decided to ignore in terms of wealth they have certainly made up for in terms of scope, depth and giving artists a chance to flourish. long may it continue." - eyeballkid, 09.04
  
"known for releasing quality electronics by means of mp3's on their website (feat. zainetica, mint, bal-a-klah-va, mediumdan, cheju, karmoy), boltfish are among a handful of young labels pushing the edges of cinematic electronics into the right direction. this time around they're making even more of an impact with the release of region zero --a compilation 'sampler' that highlights the work of existing members and a few new(er) musicians. the first half of region zero focuses on the rhythmic complexities of electro and unusual electronica while the last half delves into the experimental magnetism of minimal sound-sculptures and indie-electronic flavors." - igloomag, 09.04
  
"boltfish are fast becoming one of those labels, where each release is a must have. what makes it even sweeter is, you can download their releases for free. region zero takes the label to another level, and will get people noticing how good their output is." - tesselate, 09.04
  
"a range of tracks with excellent production, warmth and precise sound... both the packaging and the website looks really nice and the roster of boltfish promises more, much more. to the boltfish people I say: continued good luck and success with the label." - electronic desert, 09.04
  
"not only is this a really good value cd, it is also an excellent representation of what this little known label does...it's nicest electronica in its most playful form...from light-hearted to slightly darker, quite beatless to more tricky bits...definitely check this out!" - smallfish, 10.04
  
"(bal-a-klah-va), cheju, ochre and mint show preference for melodic and classic idm with pop leanings (morr, cco), producing deep lines of low, rhythmical and complex electro with simple melodic flourishes. 7.5/10." - avantfolk, 10.04
  
"bal-a-klah-va presents gorgeous rhythmic electro-tinged grooves as the opener with zainetica's analog infested humanoid electronica causing listeners to crumble at their feet. cheju's electro-ambience for extraterrestrial communication is a key moment just as karmoy's robotic/analog 'tronix reflects a kraftwerk-inspired image. ochre's heartfelt twitches stretch into j.auer's upbeat transmissions meant for space travel. sveto the fool's factory rhythm and ambience brushes up closely with richard houghten's guitar flickering just as mint's natural buzztone pulses with classic ingenuity. countripsyde's experimental indie-glitch smorgasbord lines up with the closing track by bbwax as an all-consuming theme to lost childhood dreams." - e|i magazine, 06.05