Winter in July can be a strange combination. Released in May of 2001, but seeing hype and sales in June and July, Chris Clark's Clarence Park is a frostingly cold glimpse at what winter feels like -- even if one listens to it during the dog days of relentless sun. Big reverberated beats transform into a crisp sound experiment, synth washes cut and skate alongside and in between breakbeat scientology, and sound sculpture paints imagery of glacier-like masses floating along in the sea minding their own business. Albeit not sounding especially original, and having an immense amount of pressure to do so, Clark turns in a fine debut of sensitive and cerebrally brash material that sits comfortably alongside some of the better records of 2001. ~ Sam Samuelson
Professional Reviews
Q (6/01, p.102) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Confounding and at times exasperating, there is, nonetheless, a maverick talent at work here..."
Muzik (5/01, p.73) - 3 out of 5 - "...Endless variations on braindance's time-honored themes. Chris Clark does it better than most, with humor and discernment, an admirably snotty sensibility and a proper musician's ear for a tune..."
CMJ (4/30/01, p.11) - "...Another location where beauty meets the IDM's beast..."
NME (Magazine) (3/31/01, p.30) - 7 out of 10 - "...Once again we're down with electrnica's pre-school group....The time-stretched beats of 'The Dogs' are attractively dirty and mangled, but it's the wonky avant-rave of 'Proper Lo-Fi' that reveals Clark as a special, notably sweeter-talent..."
