Overview

Tracklisting:

1. Bal-a-klah-va - Anamorph
2. Zainetica - Disorder
3. Cheju - Camellia
4. Karmøy - Klem
5. Ochre - Sticklebrick Symphony
6. J.Auer - Silent Starlight
7. Sveto the Fool - Con Ot Nu
8. Richard Houghten - Untitled #3
9. Mint - Growing Older
10. Countripsyde - Thunder Theatre for Collapsing Nation
11. BBWax - Morning Glory

All tracks © the artists/Boltfish Recordings 2004

Description

Region Zero is a Boltfish Recordings sampler featuring previously released Boltfish artists and many new signings.

The title of this collection reflects its eclectic style and international flavour - artists based in the UK, Japan, Thailand, France, Norway and the USA, producing various hybrid forms of organic electronic music from indietronics to breakbeat techno.

This release is presented in a Digipak. The CD can be purchased from this website (via the button on the right or from the Boltfish shop), and its price merely covers production costs, thus retaining our non-profit mantra whilst giving you the chance to purchase a rare piece of Boltfish history.

You can preview this album at LastFM:
http://www.last.fm/music/Various+Artists/Region+Zero

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Reviews

E|I Magazine - Issue 4, Spring 2005
"Known for releasing quality electronics by means of MP3s on their website... Boltfish are among a handful of young labels pushing the edges of cinematic electronics in the right direction. This time around they're making even more of an impact with the release of Region Zero...." Visit E|I Magazine website

TheVibes.net - 15/06/05
(Translated from original Italian Review)
"An interesting label sampler from Boltfish, the relatively unknown British label (also quite a new label.. having been around for approximately a year), lead by CHEjU and MINT, long time friends and collaborators, producing electronic, cinematic and organic music, as well as electro, idm and all that is included in the "umbrella" terms of glitch and atmospheric. This sampler is their first in traditional format (either for 5 pounds or downloadable free of charge from the Boltfish website!) The activity of the label has been concentrated on the web and free mp3 downloads of its releases thusfar and it assembles this sampler from its most international roster of artists (from the United Kingdom, the USA, Thailand, Japan, France and Norway). What makes an impression is the stylistic variety of the artists, whilst maintaining an attention to melody and an affection for the clear, filtered, and anamorphic shapes on which the boys from Boltfish project melodies that remind you of the works of Autechre and Four Tet. The level of quality is consistently high...

...A soup of sonority that we invite you to taste." Read the original review

Smallfish Records - 15/10/04
"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! "

Avantfolk.tk Issue 9 - October 04
(Translated from Original spanish Review)
"(Bal-a-klah-va), Cheju, Ochre (the prettiest song on the disc) 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. Zainetica, Karmoy and Sveto the fool create a purer, polyhedral sound with more edge; more scientific than emotional (near Autechre). There are also pleasant, sudden changes like the glitch folk of Richard Houghten, the oxidized post-rock of Countripsyde or the Boards of Canada-esque environmental miniature that brings BBWax to us."
Read the original review

Electronic Desert- 14/09/04
"...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." Read the whole review

Tesselate - 12/09/04
"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.

Head over to www.boltfish.co.uk now and grab this release asap. You could also purchase this amazing release on cd as it does come in a very nice digipak. Whilst your there take a listen to the previous ep releases as well, all good stuff.

Highly recommended." Read the whole review

Sutemos.net - 10/09/04
"... when rock, instrumental music and hip-hop are fashionable parts of electronic music I start lacking the pure e-sound. This compilation brings it back to me."

"... really beautiful tracks (such as Bal-a-klah-va - Anamorph, Karmoy - Klem, MINT - Growing Older)..."

"After listening to the compilation I came up to decision that...it IS good. And the most important thing is that it draws a pretty good picture about the music this label releases and preaches."

Rating: 9
Read the whole review

IglooMag - 09/09/04
"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. Looking at this in point-form structure, it might look/sound like this:

Region Zero :: A Boltfish Recordings Sampler

(01) :: Gorgeous rhythmic electro-tinged grooves.
(02) :: Analog infested humanoid electronica.
(03) :: Electro-ambience for extraterrestrial communication.
(04) :: Robotic/analog electronics w/ a Kraftwerk chassis.
(05) :: Emotional twitches for thoughtful switches.
(06) :: Upbeat electro transmissions for space travel.
(07) :: Factory rhythm'n ambience meets Gescom.
(08) :: Flickering through memories w/ a guitar.
(09) :: Nature buzzes w/ the pulse of classical electricity.
(10) :: Experimental indie-glitch smorgasbord.
(11) :: All-Consuming theme to your childhood dreams.

Stunning artwork should also be noted. A bright digi-pak casing is drenched with the attractive hues of orange and yellow. A hallway leading to a closed door waits patiently for the listener to open. What rests beyond is the enriched electronics of the Boltfish collective. A sound that is absorbed, and a panoramic view that is all encompassing. If you are willing to accept a 2-part collection of varied electronic/experimental sounds, then Region Zero will open the door for you." Read the whole review

EyeballKid - 02/09/04
"...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."
Read the whole review

AngryApe - 31/08/04
"...'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
Read the whole review

Norman Records - 27/08/04
"...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."
"Deffo worth taking a punt on too as you get 11 trax for under a fiver. Bargain-tastic!"
Buy Region Zero from Norman Records

Loop.cl - 15/08/04
"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."
(Translated from original Spanish review)
Read the original review

TheMilkFactory - 04/08/04
"Spanning a wide range of musical landscapes, from the soft ambiences of Cheju’s Camellia or Bah-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 - Read the whole review

Helene Ramos Galagarza - 04/08/04
RadioLibre, Lima, Peru
"Brilliant soundscapes ... the kind of music that will be loved by present and future generations..."

untitledmusic - July 04
"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."

Buy this release