Clark - 'Body Riddle' (Warp) Released 02/10/06

Chris Clark, for those who have not heard of him, uses potent creativity to invigorate our dear senses on his album ‘Body Riddle’. With his explosions of sounds and masterful puppetry over the various electronics used, the result is one mind-blowing trip that takes the listener through a wave of musical nirvana. Comparisons to Aphex Twin and Four Tet come to mind, but the sound is still undeniably unique.

As the album begins with opener, ‘Herr Bar’ the eargasmic sounds that you are treated to, build up with mouth-watering effect, leaving you with the overwhelming desire for more. And that which follows will not disappoint, with the churning sounds of ‘Frau Wav' followed by the euphoric delights of 'Springtime Epigram’. Progressing with the synth lead ‘Herzog’, it would be easy to get lost in it’s peculiar analogue fuzz.

As you get to the fifth track, ‘Ted’, you become more aware that there is also potential for this album to be transformed in to a club rocker, with this theme continuing with the almost Prodigy-esque ‘Roulette Thrift Run’ and the dense, beat laden ‘Vengeance Drools’. Although not as impressive as the earlier, more harmonious tracks, it shows that there are no genre restrictions in force on Clark’s creativity. As you reach close to the end of the album with penultimate track, ‘Night Knuckles’, the exploration in to real quirky electronica is mesmerising. Finishing with the serene ‘The Autumnal Crash’, it rounds off what is ultimately an implausible piece of compelling electronica.

The album will effortlessly take any listener on a kaleidoscopic journey in to the wonderfully abstract. A devastatingly brilliant piece of work.