Clark: Steep Stims (CD)

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Following the skewed-unself-help-brilliance of Sus Dog (which marked his first full foray into songs, abetted by Thom Yorke), and its companion piece Cave Dog, Chris Clark returns to the dancefloor’s simple, but no less affecting pleasures, with Steep Stims. “I found it hard to pull away from listening to this record, hard to stop making it, I had to remove myself from the Stims and stop enjoying it at some point. The album feels like nature to me. I love it when electronic music feels more naturalistic than acoustic music, more potent, that’s the devil’s trick, the promise of electronic music.” comments Chris. “I used an old synth - the Virus on all of the tracks. I used it at Mess in Melbourne - run by my friend Robin Fox - I loved it so much I had to buy one when I got back to the UK, it took a while to find. They’re a bit clunky to program but make some of my most favourite sounds.” Steep Stims marks a back-to-basics approach, invoking the early years of gung-ho creativity enforced by limitations in technology at the time. “Most of the tracks on this album capture the spirit of making music on old samplers, which don’t have much memory time”, explains Clark. “It reminds me of making Clarence Park, my first album, where I would have to finish tunes in the session, as they would be saved on floppy disks and I couldn’t easily go between tracks. This new record is just a few synths and a few choice sounds; the writing is the important thing.” Made quickly, Steep Stims reflects the immediate rave energy of his live show, but that’s not to say it’s basic floor fodder, as it’s rife with personality, synth magic, and knack for melody. Although swift and impressionistically captured rather than laboured over, it’s still formidably deft, with plenty of oddball weirdness lurking beneath the dancefloor. Gift And Wound Infinite Roller No Pills U Janus Modal 18EDO Bailiff Globecore Flats Blowtorch Thimble Civilians Inpatient’s Day Out Who Booed The Goose 5 Millionth Cave Painting Negation Loop Micro Lyf Show more