Totems Flare [CD]

One of Warp's rising stars, Clark, releases what is undoubtedly his breakthroughalbum. Totems Flare is the Berlin-based, UK native's boldest effort todate, featuring breakneck dance, driving techno and baroque melodics. It's alsoperhaps his most accessible, as it's the first to feature his own vocals. All of thehyperactive intellect and technically dazzling detail you'd expect from this masterElectronic producer is here, but there is straightforward musicianship at workthat is no longer subtle - Chris uses guitar, drums and piano (albeit unrecognizeablyprocessed at times)Following the critical acclaim of Clark's two previous full lengths, Body Riddleand Turning Dragon, this latest effort shows the steady and clear progressionof an artist who has combined his incredible ambition with a natural ability tocreate soundscapes that are as welcoming as they are hard-hitting. Thesequalities along with Clark's refusal to partition music by subculture or allegiance,and his natural desire to communicate directly without obscuring the details,pushes Clark past the "Warp sound" that was his original calling card, into acompletely new and uncharted territory.

• Format Detail: Digipak
• Format: CD
• Genre: Dance & Electronic