chris clark - ceramics is the bomb ep
a 6 track, 18 minute ep released by a new ambient techno protege with a very simple nom de plume. i should advise that its been several years since i really got the idm phase out of my system - in fact is there still such a thing as idm ?
anyway - the opening 30 seconds of mad fast thin sounding techno beat reiterated why i gave up listening .. but then the track changes direction and huge ambient noises clash into the listeners ears - this duplicity of fast beats followed by sublime atmosphere makes the opening track 'the gavel' far more interesting - especialy if listened to on proper headphones (work friendly in-the-ear plugs do not do the production on this any justice). so far so good. the rest of the ep continues to interest and infact after 5/6 listens i found myself really getting into it. also, chris obviously likes to clash the mad techno beats with the calm as this pattern is followed into severqal tracks on the ep - 'slow spines' which is of the ambient moods type and is thoroughy gorgeous - if a little disorientating at times. there are still lots of clatterfunk bass noises that keep a non-4/4 rhythm, but i found the track strangley compelling. add to this a david lynch-esque feel to the too short 'frost investigation' and you begin to wonder if warp have found a serious new talent.
unfortunately though the cockney geezer vocal cutups which are buried deep within the minimal acid sqelches and bass beats of 'a.council'/'shonny' become tiresome, and makes me crave a moment of chris's clarity which never arrives making this is a tough double billing to get all way through.
the ep does end on a glorious high though - the full on acid house clicks/squelches fused with soundtrack ambience make 'rob lee' a firm contender in my end of year techno list ..
so overall the ep is interesting and at times damn pleasant/entralling at the same time. but it does remind me of why i stopped listening to this style of electronica back in 94/95.
despite that - i will definitely listen to this and enjoy it more each time.