"mushroom-warped devil disco...wired mixture of The MC5, gospel and acid house" NME

"they put on parties that rave without hype or elitism, where everyone is welcome...songs sit somewhere between Kate Bush, KLF and The Orb" Sounds

Astralasia formed in 1990, but Swordfish's recording history goes back further than that...

Our latest 'Introduction to' set takes us through more than four hours of Astralasia - with plenty of Fruits de Mer tracks, but much more besides, including new mixes and previously unreleased recordings...and even Marc's first-ever track!

Swordfish explains....

"This compilation is hand picked by us; its an eclectic, electric selection of some released but a lot of unreleased tracks, and mixes that you won't find anywhere else (probably ever).
We think it gives a more balanced view to what we do that hopefully defies genre stereotyping and putting us in a bracket (or bucket), which sadly everyone wants to do these days.

These recordings originate from our earliest in 1982 on a 4-track Teac A3340 reel to reel (which we still have - the start of it all) that was an accident, as we got some singers in that couldn't sing, so it's a recording of them chatting over a backing loop; then it was the Magic Mushroom Band, which morphed into Astralasia then back again to Mushroom Project, now just Mushroom and Astralasia (a lot as gone on between then and now.)

And to explain the difference...Astralasia is more beat or loop driven whereas the Mushroom is forever growing and spawning new spores, more organic and freeform between us all."

'An Introduction' includes tracks from 'Oceania', 'Wind On Water', 'The Darkest Voyage', 'Lobster Basque', 'Tales From The People Who Are Astralasia', 'Cluster Of Waves', 'Coloured In Dream', unreleased tracks from the 'Something Somewhere' sessions....ooooh, and lots more besides - over four hours of twists and turns (and great music).

A short, early history, taken from Last.FM...

Astralasia’s debut album was originally released on the fungus label in 1990. The band at the time all had suitably cosmic pseudonyms like Swordfish, Nosmo, Kim OZ and Moonboot although one early member was Jason Relf son of Yardbirds vocalist Keith Relf. Jason had also worked in the Magic Mushroom band and initially was part of the Astralasia set up but moved on to his own projects soon after the formation of Astralasia. One of the originators of the acid-house rave revolution, and major player in the trance scene across The UK and Europe. Early appearances include many Techno and underground parties at venues and clubs such as Megatripolis, Escape from Samsara, Whirl-Y-Gig, Return to The Source, and the Shamen's Synergy raves. Astralasia have appeared at Womad, Glastonbury and Phoenix Festivals, and appeared on many compilations such as Big Chill Classics, as well as having toured extensively across the UK and Europe.

Full track listing

disc 1

1 cresta run (from 'wind on water' double lp - fdm regal crabomophone winkle 17)
2 wind on water (from 'wind on water' double LP)
3 astral voyager (from 'oceania' double lp - fdm regal crabomophone winkle 27)
4 cotton wood hill/places of light (originally by brainticket) (from 'postcards from the deep' box of flexis/cd - fdm crustacean 58)
5 hitchhikers sorcerers apprentice (alternate dub mix) - (from fdm crustacean 74 - previously unreleased mix)
6 set the controls for the heart of the sun (from 'a momentary lapse of vinyl' double cd - fdm crustacean 60)
7 tangerine skies (from 'oceania' double lp)
8 alooland ambient mix (from 'oceania' double lp)

disc 2

1 darkest voyage 'really stomp' (from strange fish twenty/fungus 13 'darkest voyage')
2 darkest voyage 'michelle boat version' (alt mix from strange fish twenty/fungus 13 'darkest voyage' - previously unreleased)
3 deep magick whirly mix (superfjord remix - from 'a love supreme' fdm crustacean 59)
4 the desert instrumental version (from 'a different kettle of fish' double lp - fdm strange fish fifteen)
5 zhala dub dubber (from the bonus 7" with 'oceania' special edition)
6 lets get together (from the fishheads 7" - fdm crustacean 95)
7 pleasant valley sunday (from the fishheads 7")
8 egyptian tomb full version (from the fishheads lobster basque lp+cd - fdm crustacean 100)
9 remember a day (from the fishheads lobster basque)
10 neptune eruptus (the chemistry set remix ) - (from 'fountains of neptune - swordfish remixes cd - fdm promo 17)
11.flesh to fantasy (alt mix from hawkwind 'solstice remixes' - previouly unreleased)
12. darkest voyage dream sequence (from strange fish twenty/fungus 13 'darkest voyage')

disc 3

1. dr terror (from fungus 008lp 'keepers of castle mound vol 1')
2. cluster of waves (from 'cluster of waves' cd originally released on Voiceprint)
3. can you read me (patience saints outtake from swordfish movie soundtrack - previously unreleased)
4. astralasia (originally released on fungus 005 lp/cd 'spaced out')
5. butterfly (salt tank, featuring neve - previously unreleased demo)
6. keep on loving you (astralasia previously unreleased ep track)
7. freedom (astralasia previously unreleased ep track)
8. mystic (astralasia previously unreleased ep track)
9. sargasso sea live (from fungus 007 lp 'tales from the people who are astralasia' recorded live on 2 track stereo)
10. girls talk (credited as 'commodore 64 choir' originally released on a compilation cassette, recorded 1982)

disc 4

1.zig zag (from the fishheads 'lobster basque' special edition bonus lp)
2.a coloured in dream (from tonefloat lp 'a coloured in dream')
3.invisible guitar (from mushroom project first cd originally released by talking elephant and also as bonus cd with fungus 008 lp 'keepers of castle mound')
4.johnny remember me (from fruits de mer 2014 annual 7" ep - fruits de mer crustacean 44)
5.after the rain (astralasia unreleased outtake from 'something somewhere' cd originally released by transient)
6.opening doors (astralasia unreleased outtake from 'something somewhere' cd)
7.out there (astralasia unreleased outtake alternate version from 'something somewhere' cd)
8.vertigo swirl (astralasia unreleased outtake from 'something somewhere' cd)
9.saffron (astralasia unreleased outtake from 'something somewhere' cd)
10.love or confusion remix - edit (from the chemistry set 'endless more and more' special edition bonus lp - fdm regal crabomophone winkle 21SE)

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