Clark - Back in the studio - select shows for autumn
October 28, 2007
Taking his favorite elements of techno, electro, rave & jungle Chris adds his outstanding production knowhow and consistently delivers one of the most advanced fully live club sets on planet earth. Now with special Flat-E visuals and some HUGE tracks in the works, we’re looking at select slots / clubs for September onwards. Sam{at}littlebig.org.uk.
Friends of Clark and those who have seen his solo live show over the past few years will be excited to hear that Chris has (finally) agreed to release some of his vast archive of storming dancefloor techno tracks! TURNING DRAGON was release in Jan 08. This is Clark at his most ferocious and deadly, comprised of old, new and reworked material of the most brutal and uncompromising variety.
Also, make sure you check the Dirty Pixie 12 that came before TD in late 07 - its a club bender!
Clark is taking offers for select solo live (*dancefloor club set*) shows & festival appearances. send your proposals to sam [at] littlebig.org.uk.
Live dates
JANUARY '08
25 France, Riems @ Bonheur Binaire
FEBRUARY '08
08 Glasgow @ The Art School
15 London @ Corsica Studios
16 Manchester @ Paradise Factory(with Surgeon)
MARCH '08
06 Holland, Amsterdam @ Melkweg (with Autechre)
13 Exeter @ Vibraphonic Festival
14 London @ Bang Face
21 Berlin @ Maria
22 Belgium @ Dissonant Festival
APRIL’08
17 Sheffield @ DQ
18 Lille @ Kiosk
26 Austria, Krems @ Donau Festival (with Amon Tobin)
MAY ‘08
03 Spain, Gijon @ LEV Festival
30 Switzerland @ Kilbi Festival
JULY '08
20 Glade Festival, UK - Overkill Tent
PRAISE FOR TURNING DRAGON ::
"Certainly his most immediate record... Turning Dragon at times craves the intricate detailing of Body Riddle but the sheer energy of the music largely compensates and contributes to make this Clark’s most entertaining release." 4.4/5 Milkfactory - Read Full Review
"Chris Clark’s latest should come with a warning: ‘Do not adjust your stereo’... a messy, distorted energy flash that will have Justice cowering in their Paris bedsit."
Timeout, London
PRAISE FOR BODY RIDDLE
Pitchforkmedia.com: “Clark continues to mine his ominous perfectionism with increasingly spectacular ends. Finely hewn and paced, Body Riddle ebbs and flows, following an internal logic that's condensed, myriad, and unpredictable.”
Drowned in Sound 9/10: “Clark’s latest voyage to the centre of a place more amazing than your never-dared-dream fantasy, is a divine delight from start to finish.
Clark live accross Europe. At a festival near you..
January 01, 2007
Clark (formerly Chris Clark) returns with an astonishing new album, 'Body Riddle' released Oct 2nd '06 on Warp. After a long period of studio experimenting, Clark has developed one of the finest albums we've heard in 2006. Blending live instruments, chunky drums, huge melodies, electronicness and that Clark precision magic, he has produced his best work to date. Clark is currently playing alot of live Euro shows, some select events get to witness the new set with live drums.
2nd Portugal, Portalegre @ Centro de Artes do Espectáculo de Portalegre
9th Bratislava, Slovakia @ Wilsonic Festival
15th Spain, Barcelona @ Sonar Festival, Barcelona
JULY
7th Toulouse @ Electro Alternativ Festival
15th Belgium @ Dour Festival
22nd UK @ Glade Festival (Overkill tent)
AUG
03rd Germany @ Nachtdigital Festival (near Leipzig) [solo]
18th Brighton @ Loop Festival.
19th Holland @ Lowlands Festival.
24th Dublin @ Battles Aftershow party.
SEPT
7th Norway, Stavanger @ Nu Music Festival
19th France, Nantes @ Scopitone Festival
OCT
19th Switzerland, Bern [solo]
20th Leeds, Brudenelle Social Club @ Brainwashed Festival
PAST CLARK LIVE GIGS:
2007
JANUARY
30 Amsterdam @ Paradiso
FEBRUARY
01 Berlin, Club Transmediale Festival @ Maria
02 Dresden @ Wettbuero
03 Poland, Katowice @ Elektro Klub
04 Vienna @ Fluc
05 Graz @ Veilchen
06 Switzerland @ Bad Bonn
07 Luxemburg @ Luxemburg Festival
15 Poitier @ Confort Moderne (solo set)
24 Czech Republic @ Sperm Festival
28 Leeds. Upstairs @ The Library
MARCH
2nd Nottingham @ Stealth
6th Birmingham @ Custod Factory. w/ Trans AM
8th London @ Cargo. + support
9th Belgium, Antwerp @ Petrol
10th France, Marseille @ Cabaret aleatoire (solo show)
16th France, Lyon @ la Plateforme
17th Copenhagen @ Musikcafeen (solo show)
23rd France, Paris @ Batofar (solo show)
24th UK, Bloc Festival
APRIL
7th France, Nevers
12th Italy, Milan @ Codice A Barre Club (solo) + Jimmy Edgar
14th uk, Liverpool @ Static Gallery
19th Italy, Rome @ Rialto (solo)
MAY
5th France, Carpentras @ Electro Circus festival
12th Manchester, Futuresonic Festival @ The Mill (+ Ultre)
16th London @ Scala (with Battles)
17th Sheffield @ The Corporation (with Battles)
20th, Leeds @ Stylus Uni (with Battles)
2006
21st Sept: London, Plastic people (Milanese album launch party)
23rd Sept: Antwerp, Trix
6th Oct: London, ICA - supporting Comets On Fire *
13th Oct: Leeds, Northern Light - w/ LFO, Plaid, Rob Hall, Flat-E, N>E>D
14th Oct: Spain, Barcelona @ Nitsa
24th Oct: Athens, Bios *
25th Oct: Italy, Milan @ Magnolia *
27th Oct: Austria, Elevate Festival *
28th Oct: Belgium, Brussles @ Bioul *
4th Nov: Denmark, Aarhus. Recession Festival @ Fabriken
9th Nov: Italy, Turin @ AB+
10th Nov: Sheffield, MAPt: Rogue Electronics @ Fez Club
16th Nov: France, Nordic Impakt Festival *
18th Nov: New York @ Webster Hall (warp show w/ Jamie Lidell & Battles)
24th Nov: Berlin, Rock Paper Scissors @ Maria Club *
30th Nov: Paris @ Nouvea Casino *
01st Dec: Sheffield @ Plug *
06th Dec: Reading @ Plug n Play
07th Dec: London @ Kilburn Luminaire *
08th Dec: Nottingham @ Rescue Rooms *
09th Dec: Ireland, Belfast @ Laverys (With Milanese)
14th Dec: Eindhoven @ Effenaar (supporting Monno)
15th Dec: Deventer @ Podium Willie *
16th Dec: Holland, Den Haag. State X New Forms Festival * (w/ J Lidell & J Egar)
Shortening his name to Clark and channeling his always restless creativity into Body Riddle, his new longplayer, Chris Clark returns. By hijacking the conventional live instrumentation of rock, draping it in the cloak of electronic composition and running it through the kaleidoscopic filters of krautrock, sunburnt psychedelia and musique concrete Clark has created a force to be reckoned with.
Album opener “Herr Barr” is a curious bit of chunky mutant funk that explores what might have happened if Liquid Liquid played Dusseldorf in the early 70’s using Kraftwerk’s homemade synthesizers. “Herzog” takes the heavy yet melodic analog fuzz of new-jacks like Justice and Simian Mobile Disco and re-casts it as a sweeping prog-rock cloud. The damaged disco bounce of “Ted” will appeal to even the most timid of dancefloor crowds, despite its underlying bizarreness. “Vengeance Drools” twists driving post-rock that recalls Tortoise, This Heat and Silver Apples at their toughest.
From undulating analog masterpieces to skittering melodic curveballs, Body Riddle is far and away one of the most original albums of the year, filling a void left in electronic music by the absence of true risk-takers. A perfect balance of abstraction and focus, this record should place Clark firmly among the ranks of maverick artists whose influence spans oceans and genres. Recent tours and performances with post-rock giants 65daysofstatic and Tortoise have sent the clear message that like these bands, Clark will not be pigeonholed.
Body Riddle tracklisting:
01. Herr Bar
02. Frau Wav
03. Springtime Epigram
04. Herzog
05. Ted
06. Roulette Thrift Run
07. Vengeance Drools
08. Dew on the Mouth
09. Matthew Unburdened
10. Night Knuckles
11. The Autumnal Crash
Chris Clark will pull himself away from the studio to play live supporting the 65 Days Of Static UK tour in Feb/March2006. The excellent up and coming Sheffield electro rock band are chuffed to have Clark playing before them on all dates. Expect a lushess mix of live band electronics and visuals.
FEB 2006
Sat, 25th: NOTTINGHAM, Rescue Rooms
Sun, 26th: NEWCASTLE, Academy 2
Mon, 27th: EDINBURGH, Gig
Tues, 28th: ABERDEEN, Moshulu
MARCH 2006
Wed, 1st: STOKE, Sugarmill
Thu, 2nd: LEEDS, Cockpit
Fri, 3rd: SHEFFIELD, The Leadmill
Sat, 4th: MANCHESTER, Academy 3
Sun, 5th: BRISTOL, Bierkeller
Mon, 6th: BIRMINGHAM, Academy 2
Tue, 7th: LONDON, ULU
Wed, 8th: NORWICH, The Waterfront
Thu, 9th: OXFORD, Zodiac
Fri, 10th: BRIGHTON, Concorde 2
As well as playing slammin live shows all over Europe, Clark has been tweaking the final tracks for his anticipated 3rd album for Warp. There will be a limited release around the tour and then a full length in the summer. Early listening sessions at Clark HQ have left us speachless and excited.
65 Days of Static + Chris Clark – UK Tour 2006
Despite what some would have you believe, it isn't 1981 anymore. While many lesser artists are content in their desperate scramble to relive the glories of a distant era some of us demand more from our 21st century rock 'n' roll. Something more relevant. Something to truly call our own. In a future that seems increasingly daunting, the rich musical past may offer comfortable sand in which to bury our heads but 65 Days of Static want no part of it. Do not be afraid of future. Come join them and meet it head on.
Formed in Sheffield in 2000 65 Days of Static have dragged post-rock kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Electronic music has always been tentative in its absorption of live instruments. Similar rock music has been similarly conservative or unsuccessful in expanding into an electronic field. 65 Days of Static are among the first to convincingly fuse and balance intelligent dance music with the most leftfield of avant-guitar music. Their current long player 'The Fall of Math' (Monotreme) is one of the few records that could genuinely be described as a successfully adventurous crossover bearing equal resemblance to the glitch noodlings of Aphex Twin and the expansive and schizophrenic landscapes of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. With much of the national media united in its praise as well as play on MTV and Radio 1 this could be the last chance to witness 65DOS's stunning live show in such intimate surroundings.
"Go home, take your play safe indie-punk records and burn them. 65 Days of Static have their heads in 2007 and everyone else is thirty years behind…Magnificent." - Simon Smerdon, Playlouder.
Also on the futurist bill is Warp Record's glitch electro brainiac Chris Clark who is probably best explained in his own words:
"I grew up on Prince. Used to bust moves to it on my lawn in the summer. I think my music sounds a lot like Prince's music. No- one else does but I don't really care that much about what other people think. Although I do care a little bit I suppose. I care about 5.34 per cent."
"When I was seven I used to divide my emotions up into percentages to decide which ones were the best. After a year of pie charts I got pissed off with this. I've hated maths ever since."
"I never really had lessons on the harp. But I've never really enjoyed lessons in anything. My drum teacher told me that if I bought a drum machine then he would give up all hope in the development of my talent and musical ability. I bought a drum machine quite soon after he said that."
"I have no idea who this man is, but chances are, if he's anything like this chime-skating chill cabinet epic then he's fucking safe." – Gareth Dobson, Drowned in Sound
Additional support comes from The Mirimar Disaster. Visuals will be provided by The Media Lounge.
