Throwback time. The last Clark release I bought was the Growl’s Garden mini-album that came out in 2009. And, yeah, this new one sounds pretty much of a part with his noughties releases. Which is to say, it is very IDM indeed. It’s full of skittering rhythms, often expressed through sinuous synth lines — there are drum machines, but they generally take a bit of a back seat — and pretty melodies and twisting harmonies and counterpoints. You know the drill. Yet somehow this record got under my skin. Maybe it’s just that I haven’t listened to much of this stuff for a while and I happened to be in a receptive mood. But I think that’s it’s also… really good at what it does? Which is good!
One highlight for me is Globecore Flats, which starts out with a shonkily-tuned mechanical piano type sound (very Aphex, think Drukqs or possibly aisatsana from Syro), then it goes a bit wonky… And then it gets layered with a breakbeat and an epic bassline and somehow it turns into a d’n’b monster for a while. The way the boshing and the floaty elements play together is superb. Another is Inpatient’s Day Out, a delightful bit of chiptune or nintendocore or whathaveyou.
Squeezing 13 tracks with varied sounds into its 48-minute running time, this trips along pleasingly briskly, never out-staying its welcome. Does that sound like a backhanded compliment? Well, sure, this is not going to change your world (unless you are a child and have never met this kind of stuff before, I guess?). But it pleases me and I am happy to add it to my collection.
I bought this from the artist’s bandcamp page.
dogrando writes about some records 