Influences – Clark

Chris Clark is a born and bred Brit who now resides in Berlin, making electronic music under the name Clark; but you knew that right? Clark has created a career for himself in the most organic way possible – he's never been one to submit to gimmicky industry nonsense, prefering that somewhat archaic technique of making really dope music and letting the rest sort itself out. He's put out nine albums that veer from abstract noise to bizarre techno, with the music-box-clattering-down-an-abyss sorcery of 2007's Herr Barr remaining a firm Ransom Note favourite…
Sometimes when we get an 'Influences' piece they can feel a little bit phoned in (mentioning no names..!). Not the case with Clark, who's not only pulled out tracks stretching back to the 1930s, but written about each with a verve and wit that comprehensively shames most other producers. Clark, we salute you!
Check out Clark's Soundcloud here and catch him playing this year's Field Day
I remember first hearing Suicide and being blown away with how deliberately thin/reedy and raspy they make their synths. It sort of inverts expectations of what we should expect a modern electronic record to sound like.
I like people who deliberately make sounds stick out, it’s a bit pokey, it’s cocky yet playfully so. There’s a gleeful feel to it and the vocals are amazing too.
We live in quite a conservative era where electronic music needs to sound “large” in quite a one size fits all way, like all of the humanity is getting squeezed out of music by some horrible systematised drive to towards homogenity. You want “phat” music, just load up the “phat” preset on the same software that everyone else uses.
Ha this is turning into a rant. Well then……a rant it shall be.
I love computers, but simultaneously get freaked out with how easy it is to slip into cruise control when using them, I always bear it in mind. I quite often like to turn my back on technology, I like having days of where I just thump bits of wood or draw pictures of strange sequences of notes that I want to hear, like a caveman making cave paintings. It makes me come back to it re-energised, and use it in a more controlling, less passive way. It feels healthy, I totally recommend it.
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