Chris Clark - Ceramics Is The Bomb

Indeed a fine release from a guy who had the weight of the 'IDM' world on his shoulders after his extraordinary Clarence Park debut on Warp. Being hailed as the new Aphex is a double edged sword, and I think Chris certainly sharpened the correct edge if 'Ceramics...' is anything to go by. Incredibly beautiful and textured melodies work in perfect harmony with digital chaos and tomfoolery as Clark delivers an EP that sweeps across the board of IDM without losing focus and wandering into noodley and needlessly noisey territories. I suppose Aphex is the easiest comparison, but Clark has enough edge and creativity to deserve solo recognition without the 'new Aphex' tag. For me it is 'The Gavel' that stands out on this EP. Haunting soundscapes merge and phase until a ferocious beat hammers relentlessly (The Gavel in question?) whilst sub bass groans battle with manic digital stoccato-like glitches. Gorgeously disturbing.

This is an amazing release, It is a beautiful mixture of the Aphex Twin, Boards Of Canada and Squarepusher. Realy complex yet has the melodic's you would expect from Warp. It deserves all the praise it gets.