THE DEAD GOLDFISH ENSEMBLE

This is the main solo project of Steve Hartwell. The name is partially inspired by the band The Night The Goldfish Died and by the original name of Peeved Records (Goldfish Records). The music is generally in the systems / process vein although it has also been described as industrial and ambient. This page has the full details of all the releases, a better place to start is The Dead Goldfish Ensemble album reviews.

A less comprehensive set of information can be found at Discogs and RateYourMusic.

Album Releases

The Dead Goldfish Ensemble Structures and Strictures cover

Cover art by Steve Hartwell

[1] Structures And Strictures
Peeved Records (PV014), C40, May 1985, Discogs
Dead Goldfish... / ...Don't Fight Back / Modes Of Thought / Important Haircuts / No Static At All
Also released by In Der Tat (TAT 8) and Underground Productions.

The Dead Goldfish Ensemble Music For Bowls cover

Cover art by Steve Hartwell

[2] Music For Bowls
Peeved Records (PV028), C40, January 1987, Discogs
Intro / Grey Earls / All The Hands / Dazzling One / A Little Bit Of Nonsense / Openings / Eric / Cool Walls
Also released by Unlikely Records (URT 107), Underground Productions and, until Sept 1987, In Der Tat. A write up can be found on Continuo's blog.

The Dead Goldfish Ensemble Fame And Misfortune cover

Cover art by Steve Xerri

[3] Fame And Misfortune
In Der Tat (TAT 26), C60, November 1987, Discogs
All The Hands / Dazzling One / Openings / Eric / Marching To A Different Beat / Goldfisch / Tails From The Dead / No Static At All

The Dead Goldfish Ensemble 20000 Dead Goldfish Under The Sea cover

Cover art by Steve Xerri

[4] 20000 Dead Goldfish Under The Sea
APEAC/Organic Tapes (OTD016), C60, January 1988, Discogs, Tape-Mag
Marching To A Different Different Beat / Natural Heat / Structural Adoration / Integral Mania / A Pair / Hit 6 (Lost And Found) / Animate Animation / Biotic Ardour / Living Fervour / Annual General Meeting

The Dead Goldfish Ensemble Reality - A Surreal Nightmare cover

Cover art by Steve Xerri

[5] Reality - A Surreal Nightmare
Peeved Records (PV032), C46, April 1988, Discogs
Bouncing Eggs / Sea Blown Wand / Bi / Fractal Landscape / Tin He Said / Reality / Phase
This was originally meant to be called Reality - A Surrealist's Nightmare but a mis-communication to the cover artist (Steve Xerri) brought about the title it is known and loved by!

The Dead Goldfish Ensemble Eye To Eye cover

Cover art by Steve Hartwell

[6] Eye To Eye
Violet Glass Oracle Tapes (VGO 007), C60, October 1989, Tape-Mag
IC / ID / IE / IF
Discogs

The Dead Goldfish Ensemble Goldfish Fingers (Choicest Fillets) cover

[7] Goldfish Fingers (Choicest Fillets)
City Spools (NAB 10), C60, November 1989
Learn To Tickle / Coming Clean / Short & Sour / Hit It / Goldfisch 2 / Morning / On The Town (Demo) / Resolution / Black Nights / L / Calling Soon / Sickle

City Spools is an off-shoot from the fabulous independent tape review magazine of the '80's Stick It In Your Ear.

The Dead Goldfish Ensemble Cast In Stone cover

Cover art by Steve Xerri

[8] Cast In Stone
Mega Mago Music, C40, October 1990
Talk To Say / Darzet / Sumday

Alternative picture for Music For Panadas

[9] Music For Pandas
Peeved Records (PV034), C46, June 1991
Panda / Learn To Tickle / Precession / Shoots / On Land / Small Room / Bamboo For Tea / Panda II

The Dead Goldfish Ensemble Fish & Micro Chips cover

[10] Fish & Micro Chips
City Spools (NAB 12), C60, 1991
Nessie II / Big Bear / On A Swing / Pounding / Loop / Divert / Lark / Slowly / In The Forest / Big Store / Nearly Dark

The Dead Goldfish Ensemble Listen 'Ear cover

[11] Listen 'Ear
IRRE Tapes (IT091), C46, December 1992, Discogs
Chewing Shoes / Night / In Tune With The Moon / Ooh! / Walk Don't Talk / ID (Fake)

Cover art by Steve Hartwell

[12] After The Goldfish
Tonspur Tapes (TT53), C60, 1993, Discogs
Dazzle / Ewuska / Walking Walls / Painful Ears / Talking Ash / Turn On The Night / IC (1)

Cover photo by Ewa Hartwell

[13] Alive In Paris
Alive In Paris, Peeved Records, PV035, 18th November 2017
JDH / Drooling Generous Egg / Digital Grumpy Elephants v2 / Delirium Grand Exotic v2 / Delaminate Grinding Echo / Deep Gravy Effort / DeeGeeE / Decidedly Gregarious Engines / Darning Graduate Experts v2 / Dart Ghost End / Distinctly Gratuitous Expertise
JDH (video) / Drooling Generous Egg (video) / Delirium Grand Exotic v2 (video) / Delaminate Grinding Echo (video) / Deep Gravy Effort (video) / DeeGeeE (video) / Decidedly Gregarious Engines (video) / Darning Graduate Experts v2 (video) / Dart Ghost End (video) / Distinctly Gratuitous Expertise (video)
Dependence Gravity Elegance

Cover photo by Danuta Dziadyk-Szczepińska

[14] Polonia
Peeved Records, PV036, 19th August 2020
Ptak / Fail Ignite Glad / Whizz / Elevate Hero Flung / Gonski Beat / Frying Bigger Fish / Dawn At 53C / Ever Handling Fear / Warszawa

Download link only available to purchasers of Fishy Tails

The Dead Goldfish Ensemble Tails From The Pointout Lighthouse cover

Cover photo by Ewa Hartwell

[15] Tails From The Pointout Lighthouse
Peeved Records, PV037, 17th October 2020
Talking Cash / Turn Around / In Tune With Noon / Painful Tears / Slighting Land / Mutual / Hot And Cold / Distant Sands / ID (False) / Olive Ears / 'Till The Dawn

Pointout is a reference to the road I grew up on

Cover design by Yu Yokoyama

[16] Fishy Tails
Conatala Records, CONATALA003, 16 February 2021
All The Hands / Chewing Shoes / Eric / Fractal Landscape / Bouncing Eggs / Annual General Meeting / Reality / Walking Walls
I was first approached about this in Jan 2019, so it has been a while in coming but it was worth the wait!

Cover design by Yu Yokoyama

[17] Podule
Conatala Records, Conatala Tape 01, 6 June 2021, Discogs
Big Bear / Pounding / Divert / Pompey / Klang / Tumbling Eggs / In The Forest / 'Till The Dawn / TV's Ill / Nessie II / Talk Is Rash / On A Swing / Loop

Compilation Appearances

[1] Indeed, Reynard The Fox, In Der Tat (TAT 18), C90, March 1986

[2] Dead Goldfish..., INKEY$ #15, Inkey$, C90, April 1986, Tape-Mag

[3] Ring Of Change, Insane Music For Insane People, Vol 8, Insane Music, C60, May 1986, Discogs, Tape-Mag

[4] Tim, Crazy But Chic (Soft Blend), Insane Music, Home-Made Music For Home-Made People Vol. 5, C60, May 1986, Discogs, Tape-Mag

[5] Grey Earls, International Sound Compilation 12, Man's Hate (ISC 12), C90, November 1986

[6] A Little Bit Of Nonsense / All The Hands, Rough Diamonds Peeved Records (PV026), C60, December 1986

[7] Crashing Cans Clang, Music From The White House Vol. 2 (It's A British Treat) Exart (EA 029), C60, April 1987, Discogs, Tape-Mag, Blog post and download

[8] All The Hands, Syntrax 2, Lotus Records, C90, May 1987, Discogs

[9] All The Hands / Dazzling One, Instrumentaux, APEAC/Organic Tapes, Passions Organique Vol. 3, C90, June 1987, Tape-Mag

[10] Blue Danube, An Der Schonen Blauen Donau, Home Produkt, (GT011),12" LP, August 1987, Tape-Mag

[11] Ace, Neue Muster Volume 1, Tonspur Tapes (TT7), C90, December 1987, Discogs, Tape-Mag

[12] All The Hands (Extract), How To Become A Millionaire, Underground Productions (UP3), C90, December 1987, Tape-Mag

[13] Dazzling One, Cordelia Records Sampler Cassette 6th Edition, Cordelia Records, C90, 1987, Discogs

[14] Mixatoasties, Mysterious Night, Epitapes, C90, April 1988

[15] Pears / Rabbits / Bad Habits, A Cross Is Formed By The Spread Wings Of A Bird, Epitapes, C90, April 1988

[16] Ten To Eight / Eight To Ten, All Bare Or Dead Forms Under Sunlight Cast Mysterious Shadows On The Snow, Epitapes, C90, April 1988

[17] A Little Bit Of Nonsense, Total Recess Grade No. 4, Mystery Hearsay, C60, April 1988, Tape-Mag

[18] Tin He Said, Durchnittsanfall No 5, Prion Tapes (PR17), C90, July 1988

[19] Standing Still, Deux Lapins, Underground Productions (UP5), C60, September 1988, Tape-Mag

[20] Bouncing Eggs, Syntrax 5, Lotus Records, C60, December 1988

[21] Tango, Headkleaner, Headkleaner, C60, February 1989

[22] Chinese / Bhutan / Qatar National Anthems, The Pony, Hypertonia World Enterprises (HWE 023), C90, April 1989, Discogs, Tape-Mag

[23] Bouncing Eggs, Tons Of Fun, Hypertonia World Enterprises, C60, April 1989

[24] Holding Both Legs, Notre Dame 3, EE-Tapes, C90, August 1989, Discogs, Tape-Mag

[25] Crashing Cans Clang, The Plague's Beginnings, Black Death (BLD 09), C60, October 1989

[26] Up A Tower / Marching, A Natural History Of, Black Death (BLD 012), C90, November 1989

[27] Marching, Errorelk, Fool's Paradise (FP4), C60, January 1990, Discogs

[28] Intro / Fractal Landscape, PErEVuED * CANCEL, Gregorsmsa, C46, January 1990

[29] At The Zoo / Binary / Second Scene, The Potential Plague, Black Death (BLD 23), C90, April 1990

[30] Interlude, Surreal Dreams Purge Nihilist Nightmares, Violet Glass Oracle Tapes (VGO 011), C90 August 1990

[31] Second Scene, Amleto Alla Finestra, Mega Mago Music (DOPO 14), C40, October 1990

[32] Foxy, Ode To Samantha Fox, Insane Music, 2 x C60, October 1990, Discogs, Tape-Mag

[33] Tiger Fish, Notre Dame 5, EE-Tapes, C90, November 1990, Discogs, Tape-Mag

[34] Second Scene, Our Nebula Incured Vol 4, Corrosive Tapes, C60, December 1990

[35] Sea Blown Wand / Resolution, When Sickles Blossom, Epitapes, C90, January 1991

[36] Up The Hill / Bouncing Eggs, When Scars Become Wings, Epitapes, C90, January 1991

[37] Voice In A Box / Noon / Dancing In Time / Goldfisch, Ashram, Tears Tapes, C60, January 1991

[38] Softly, Electronic Cottage #2, Electronic Cottage, C90, April 1991, Tape-Mag

[39] Voice In A Box, It's T Time, Black Death, C60, April 1991

[40] Czesc / Nessie / The Simple Day / Talk To The Moon, Konigstraum, ZNS Tapes, C60, April 1991, Discogs, Download

[41] Marching, New Hippies Volume 2, Red Neon Tapes, C60, June 1991, Discogs

[42] Telephone Bill, Telephone, Old Europa Cafe, C60, August 1991

[43] At The Zoo / Softly / Up A Tower / Second Scene, Moon, Tape-Mag SPH, C60, November 1991

[44] Second Scene, Electricity, Pointless Music, C90, December 1991

[45] Holding Both Legs, An Introduction To EE-Tapes, IRRE Tapes (IT040), C46, 1991, Discogs

[46] Holding Both Legs, The Best Of Irre-Tapes 036-050 Vol 3, IRRE Tapes, C90, 1991, Discogs

[47] Softly, The Power And The Passion VI, IRRE Tapes (IT072), C46, March 1992, IRRE Tapes, Germany, Discogs

[48] Holding Both Legs / Black Nights, Lost In The Firefly Fields Epitapes, C90, April 1992

[49] Flowing Slowly, Neue Muster Volume 8 + 9, Tonspur Tapes, 2 x C40, July 1992, Discogs

[50] Second Scene / Softly, One - Two - Three - Four (Vol II), EBU's Music (EM016), C60, July 1992

[51] Cats & Dogs, Hit The Road Cat, Red Neon Tapes, C90, September 1992

[52] Through The Snow, The X-mas Compilation, EBU's Music (EM024/025), 2 x C60, December 1992

[53] Up A Tower, Atmosphere & Empathy, EBU's Music (EM034), C60, April 1994, Discogs

[54] Second Scene, The Dreams That Could Awake, Exprel, C60, 1993, Discogs

[55] Chewing Shoes, The Best Of IRRE-Tapes Vol. 6, IRRE Tapes, C90, 1993, Discogs

[56] Softly, Electronic Cottage Compilation Volume Two, Electronic Cottage, 2xCDR, Tape-Mag

[57] Softly, Second Scene, La Propriete, c'est le vol, Post-Brutal

[58] Ewuska, Avanti!, TMFH, Discogs

[59] Ace, Further Readings For The Ears XXXVIII (Instrumentals XVI), Old Punks, Download
This is a rip-off of lots of peoples material.

[60] On The Town (Demo), Serendip Lab 2017, Serendip Lab, CDR / Download, SRNDPCD07, Oct 2017

[61] JDH / Drooling Generous Egg / Digital Grumpy Elephants v2 / Delirium Grand Exotic v2 / Delaminate Grinding Echo / Deep Gravy Effort / DeeGeeE / Decidedly Gregarious Engines / Darning Graduate Experts v2 / Dart Ghost End / Distinctly Gratuitous Expertise
JDH (video) / Drooling Generous Egg (video) / Delirium Grand Exotic v2 (video) / Delaminate Grinding Echo (video) / Deep Gravy Effort (video) / DeeGeeE (video) / Decidedly Gregarious Engines (video) / Darning Graduate Experts v2 (video) / Dart Ghost End (video) / Distinctly Gratuitous Expertise (video)
Dependence Gravity Elegance
Alive In Paris, Peeved Records, PV035, 18th November 2017
See the Code page for the Sonic Pi coding of these pieces.

[62] Gee, Serendip Lab 10 ans, Serendip Lab, Download, SER011, 31 December 2020

Track By Track

Dead Goldfish ...
Releases: Structures And Strictures, Inkey$ #15

... Don't Fight Back
Releases: Structures And Strictures

Modes Of Thought
Releases: Structures And Strictures

Important Haircuts
Releases: Structures And Strictures

No Static At All
Releases: Structures And Strictures, Fame And Misfortune

Indeed
Releases: Reynard The Fox

Ring Of Change
Releases: Insane Music For Insane People Vol. 8 (Discogs)

Tim
Releases: Crazy But Chic (Soft Blend) (Tape-Mag)

Grey Earls
Releases: ISC 12, Music For Bowls

Eric
Releases: Music For Bowls, Fame And Misfortune, Fishy Tails

Openings
Releases: Music For Bowls, Fame And Misfortune

Blue Danube
Releases: An Der Blauen Schonen (LP), Tape-Mag

Hi! The name's Ash and I'm a hack for SOUNDS. Just heard your version of 'The Blue Danube' on the new Home Produkt LP. Your track is brill, it nearly brought a tear to me eye. Keep it up!

Letter from Ash

Ace
Releases: Neue Muster Volume 1

Cool Walls (Long Version)
Releases:

Cool Walls
Releases: Music For Bowls

All The Hands
Releases: Rough Diamonds, Music For Bowls, How To Become A Millionaire, Fame And Misfortune, Syntrax 2, Instrumentaux, Fishy Tails

Hit It
Releases: Goldfish Fingers (Choicest Fillets)

Intro
Releases: Music For Bowls, PErEVuED * CANCEL
This is a Fractal composition performed by a computer program I wrote for the Atari ST I was using at the time.

A Little Bit Of Nonsense
Releases: Music For Bowls, Rough Diamonds, Total Recess Grade No. 4
This was a little bit of messing about with the internal sequencer of the ESQ1 owned by The Detective.

Dazzle
Releases: After The Goldfish

Dazzling One
Releases: Music For Bowls, Fame And Misfortune, Instrumentaux, Passions Organique Vol. 3

Crashing Cans Clang
Releases: Music From The Whitehouse Vol. 2, The Plague's Beginnings

Marching To A Different Beat
Releases: 20000 Dead Goldfish Under The Sea

Animate Animation
Releases: 20000 Dead Goldfish Under The Sea

Biotic Ardour (Stereo)
Releases: 20000 Dead Goldfish Under The Sea

Biotic Ardour (Mono)
Releases:

Klang
Releases: Podule

Marching To A Different Different Beat
Releases: Fame And Misfortune

Living Fervour
Releases: 20000 Dead Goldfish Under The Sea

Pears
Releases: A Cross Is Formed By The Spread Wings Of A Bird

Annual General Meeting
Releases: 20000 Dead Goldfish Under The Sea, Fishy Tails

Goldfisch #2
Releases: Fame And Misfortune, Ashram

At The Zoo
Releases: Black Death, Moon

Natural Heat
Releases: 20000 Dead Goldfish Under The Sea

Structural Adoration
Releases: 20000 Dead Goldfish Under The Sea

Integral Mania
Releases: 20000 Dead Goldfish Under The Sea

A Pair
Releases: 20000 Dead Goldfish Under The Sea

Hit 6 (Lost & Found)
Releases: 20000 Dead Goldfish Under The Sea

Tails From The Dead
Releases: Fame And Misfortune

Goldfisch
Releases: Goldfish Fingers (Choicest Fillets)

Mixatoasties
Releases: Mysterious Night

Rabbits
Releases: A Cross Is Formed By The Spread Wings Of A Bird

Bad Habits
Releases: A Cross Is Formed By The Spread Wings Of A Bird

Dancing In Time
Releases: Ashram

Standing Still
Releases: Deux Lapins

Loop
Releases: Fish And Micro Chips, Podule

Ten To Eight
Releases: All Bare Or Dead Forms Under Sunlight Cast Mysterious Shadows On The Snow

Eight To Ten
Releases: All Bare Or Dead Forms Under Sunlight Cast Mysterious Shadows On The Snow

Binary
Releases: The Potential Plague

Walking Walls
Releases: After The Goldfish, Fishy Tails

Voice In A Box
Releases: Ashram, It's T Time

Fractal Landscape
Releases: Reality - A Surreal Nightmare, PErEVuED * CANCEL, Fishy Tails

Bi
Releases: Reality - A Surreal Nightmare

Reality
Releases: Reality - A Surreal Nightmare, Fishy Tails

Tin He Said
Releases: Durchnittsanfall No 5, Reality - A Surreal Nightmare

Sea Blown Wand
Releases: Reality - A Surreal Nightmare, When Sickles Blossom

Resolution
Releases: Goldfish Fingers (Choicest Fillets), When Sickles Blossom

Up The Hill
Releases: When Scars Become Wings

Bouncing Eggs
Releases: Reality - A Surreal Nightmare, Tons Of Fun, Syntrax 5, When Scars Become Wings, Fishy Tails

Holding Both Legs
Releases: Notre Dame 3, Lost In The Firefly Fields

Black Nights
Releases: Goldfish Fingers (Choicest Fillets), Lost In The Firefly Fields

IC (1)
Releases: After The Goldfish

IC (2) extract
Releases: Eye To Eye

ID (fake) (1)
Releases: Listen 'Ear

ID (2)
Releases:

ID (False) (3)
Releases: Eye To Eye, Tails From The Pointout Lighthouse

IE(1)
Releases: Eye To Eye

IF (1)
Releases: Eye To Eye

Phase (1)
Releases:

Phase (2)
Releases: Reality - A Surreal Nightmare

Chinese National Anthem
Releases: The Pony

Bhutan National Anthem
Releases: The Pony

Qatar National Anthem
Releases: The Pony

Mutual
Releases: Tails From The Pointout Lighthouse

L
Releases: Goldfish Fingers (Choicest Fillets)

Tango
Releases: Tango

Pompey
Releases: Podule
Pompey is the slang name for Portsmouth which is about 25 miles from my home town of Southampton.

On The Town (Demo)
Releases: Goldfish Fingers (Choicest Fillets)

On The Town (demo)
Releases: Goldfish Fingers (Choicest Fillets), Serendip Labs 2017

Interlude
Releases: Surreal Dreams Purge...

Hot And Cold
Releases: Tails From The Pointout Lighthouse

Morning
Releases: Goldfish Fingers (Choicest Fillets)

Noon
Releases: Ashram

Night
Releases: Listen 'Ear

Second Scene
Releases: Amleto Alla Finesta, Black Death, Our Nebula Incured Vol 4, Electricity, Moon, One - Two - Three - Four (Vol II), The Dreams That Could Awake, La Propriete, C'Est Le Vol

Coming Clean
Releases: Goldfish Fingers (Choicest Fillets)

Short & Sour
Releases: Goldfish Fingers (Choicest Fillets)

Up A Tower
Releases: A Natural History Of (Black Death), Moon, Atmosphere & Empathy

Marching
Releases: Errorelk, A Natural History Of (Black Death), New Hippies Vol 2

Calling Soon
Releases: Goldfish Fingers (Choicest Fillets)

Sickle
Releases: Goldfish Fingers (Choicest Fillets)

Learn To Tickle
Releases: Goldfish Fingers (Choicest Fillets), Music For Pandas

Talk To Say
Releases: Cast In Stone

Tiger Fish
Releases: Notre Dame 5

Softly
Releases: Electronic Cottage #2 (extract), Moon, The Power And The Passion Vol VI, One - Two - Three - Four (Vol II), La Propriete, c'est le vol

Foxy
Releases: Ode to Samantha Fox (Tape-Mag)

Foxy Two
Releases:

Darzet
Releases: Cast In Stone

Sumday
Releases: Cast In Stone

Ewuska
Releases: After The Goldfish, Avanti!

Nessie
Releases: Konigstraum

The Simple Day
Releases: Konigstraum

Divert
Releases: Fish And Micro Chips Podule

Czesc
Releases: Konigstraum

Talk To The Moon
Releases: Konigstraum

In The Forest
Releases: Fish And Micro Chips Podule

Telephone Bill
Releases: Telephone