Clark - Totems Flare

I still like it

in fact i'm going to reburn it to include Steepgrass

I like Growls Garden (not as much as many others here, though. I think that exploding organ part only lets you guess what it COULD be, if it was done with more power), Rainbow Voodoo is, hm, funny, the acid beginning of Look Into the Heart Now is very enjoyable (but not for very long), and Absence is a bit cheesy, but good nontheless.

That's it pretty much.

 

It sounds like he's trying to be The Gasman sometimes, and it bores me now that I've listened to it not even 2 days. Growls Garden EP offers a lot more.

Edited July 22, 2009 by HokusPoker

  On 7/22/2009 at 12:20 PM, abracadabra said:

Also, I'd like to state that I haven't enjoyed anything, thoroughly, from Clark since the Chris Clark days.

Ditto.....only liked a few tracks off of body riddle and that's been pretty much it :(

I listened to it again this morning whilst walking around sunny vancouver, and Rainbow Voodoo clicked a bit more, but that solo is really just awful.

 

Firmly middle of the pack IDM.

jesus chen god, you're fucking stupid. Trying to compare it to other IDM when it's now 2009 shows how stupid you are.

sorry should have said, firmly middle of the pack music.

i think this is a very imaginative album with some great moments and a lot of good moments. there is little to nothing here that i think isn't at least good. the music flows well for me, the transitions are abrupt sometimes, but always logical. quite enjoyable, not as good as body riddle, but that album is nearly a masterpiece so it's understandable. i don't know how it compares to turning dragon. i've already listened to it more than i listened to that album, so it's probably a good thing.

it's the most audibly discernable music that i can hear (during loud wind resistance) on my headphones while biking quickly, without turning it up too loud. most other albums need to be turned up excessively, in order to compete with the passing air. the second half of the album seems to flow nicely.

I've only heard the first few tracks from this. I try so hard to listen to it, but it just doesn't appeal the way Body Riddle does. That, I believe, is Clark's best (to this date). Empty The Bones Of You is a close, close second.

anIdunevenknoifiwudevenbewuthirinlongrun

I quite like this album as a whole and in particular rainbow voodoo, look into the heart and future daniel.

better than turning dragon? right now yes yes yes yes.

This is from Koko 4th of July

 

what track is that? it's insane

 

here it is in higher quality from Bloc 07

http://files.getdrop...530/clarkid.mp3

Not sure, seems like a breakcore remix of Holiday as Brutality, Clark sure seems to like his breakcore remixes.

 

 

  Quote

I've only heard the first few tracks from this. I try so hard to listento it, but it just doesn't appeal the way Body Riddle does. That, Ibelieve, is Clark's best (to this date). Empty The Bones Of You is aclose, close second.

You really need to give it a proper listen. The first time I heard it I was in a state of perplexity, but after knowing what to expect I gave it a second listen and it really grew on me, just get past the initial unexpectedness of it all a give it a chance.

Edited July 26, 2009 by Nidhogg

guys it got a bad review by pitchfork, it cant be good then can it?

  On 7/27/2009 at 12:48 AM, AOOproductions said:

guys it got a bad review by pitchfork, it cant be good then can it?

 

no, so I just binned it..

  On 7/20/2009 at 7:00 PM, Dr Clitterhaus said:

]The cunts who say this is the future of electronic music should be hung then shot.

Edited July 27, 2009 by Awepittance

Who is saying that? Has anyone said that this is the future of electronic music? The only thing I recall reading or saying personally is the opinion that Clark is making the best electronic music currently. Obviously this is an opinion and is not held by everyone.

 

Personally, I'm really curious about what everyone else is digging at the moment if they aren't digging this album, but I don't want to derail this thread so I made a new one:

http://forum.watmm.com/topic/47666-if-not-chris-clark-than-who/

 

Who do you think is doing it big right now?

I have come to like the album quite a bit better now, although I end up skipping "Look into the Heart Now" nearly all the time.

  On 7/27/2009 at 12:48 AM, AOOproductions said:

guys it got a bad review by pitchfork, it cant be good then can it?

 

pitchfork is so ridiculous. first off, i agree that totems flare is better than turning dragon, but not quite body riddle. so why the hell is totems flare two points lower than turning dragon? also the whole carnival/theme park idea in this review is so fucking cliche. why do they feel the need to use some hackneyed metaphor in everything they write? oh yeah, because they are pretentious douche bags! the review didnt even really give any good reasons for such a low score. quick! churn out another 'artistic' review!

  On 7/28/2009 at 12:09 AM, xxx said:

  On 7/27/2009 at 10:26 PM, Deepex said:

Who is saying that? Has anyone said that this is the future of electronic music? The only thing I recall reading or saying personally is the opinion that Clark is making the best electronic music currently. Obviously this is an opinion and is not held by everyone.

 

Personally, I'm really curious about what everyone else is digging at the moment if they aren't digging this album, but I don't want to derail this thread so I made a new one:

http://forum.watmm.com/topic/47666-if-not-chris-clark-than-who/

 

Who do you think is doing it big right now?

 

That's just Clitty, an obligate agent provocateur being backed up by Awepittance, who hates %99.993 of electronic music but writes it anyway and posts on an electronic music forum. In other words, what statisticians like to call outliers

Now let me begin by saying I find the name Clitty quite a cool sounding name. It's adorable. Imagine being called in for dinner on a warm summers day, out in the fields playing around in the grass without a care in the world, when you hear the warmth of your old aunties voice in the distance "Clitty, dinners on the table". It's irresistable.

Now let me say also that the original post quoted by Ghostbusters 3 has been edited to fill his needs. He has merged two of my posts together to create an impact which has caused Deepex to start a thread in General Banter asking "If Not Clark, then who?" (or words to that effect). I had originally said a few pages ago, that those faggot fuckwits who do the reviews for pitchfork should be hung and shot. Ghostbusters 3 has been impressed by this term and tailored it to fill his provactive desires.

Now let me say how good it is to see bearikson posting on this page (scroll up a bit, he's right there!). Some of you may recall about half way through this thread we discovered that bearikson had named himself after the Interpol song "Lief Ericsson". I'd like to take this opportunity to once again congratulate him on his choice of screen name and also say that I look forward to some more fascinating input from him in the upcoming pages of this thread.

Now about the name Clitty...surely it's only a matter of time before someone gives their pet that name, it would be a cool name for a rabbit or a guinea pig or something "Clitty, your dinners out!!!" Imagine the posibilities.

I'm enjoying most other new albums I've bought recently more than Totems Flare. I do not believe people who are unhappy with it are just trying to be negative: I've played it to friends usually partial to this sort of music, and the atmosphere quickly shifted to one of boredom and disappointment. I tried listening to it all the way through again just now, and it seemed even more irritating than before - though just as bombastically an loudly produced as ever. Clark's production is top, I'll grant him that. I'm convinced this is his worst album, though - it feels like it could really punch, but it really doesn't, because there's no subtlety, no thought-out arc, no real sense of progression, nothing noteworthy to discover beneath the overused distorted element and big arpeggiated melodics. I'm really disappointed, because I've loved much of his previous work. Turning Dragon was a step down, and this is two steps down further than that.

{Sorry for the double post, but it wouldn't let me keep the newer edit, and I can't delete the old post...}

 

I'm enjoying most other new albums I've bought recently more than Totems Flare. I do not believe people who are unhappy with it are just trying to be negative: I've played it to friends usually partial to this sort of music, and the atmosphere quickly shifted to one of boredom and disappointment. I tried listening to it all the way through again just now, and it seemed even more irritating than before - though just as bombastically and loudly produced as ever. Clark's production is top, I'll grant him that (though headache inducing, for reasons many have discussed before.) I'm convinced this is his worst album, though - it feels like it could really punch, but it really doesn't, because there's no subtlety, no thought-out arc, no real sense of progression, nothing noteworthy to discover beneath the overused distorted element and big arpeggiated melodics. The structures of most of its tracks are strangely "off", in terms of how bits you'd want to go on don't go on enough and other bits drag on too long, and there's also not enough of a surprise element within these structures; I'm all for cohesion and unity in an album, but there doesn't seem to be very much variation from track to track. Also, the rhythmical aspect has become so simple that the simplistic, clumsy melodies - rather than playing off the beats in a fun way - are rendered even more annoying by the obvious, plonking beats that rub against them. And how many tracks will he end with a hailstorm of distortion and that short room reverb thing? You know what I'm talking about there. I'm really disappointed, because I've loved much of his previous work. Turning Dragon was a step down, and this is two steps down further than that.

At least now we get to see the two versions of the posts you did, we can compare and contrast them and get an idea of what was going on in your head between the time you submitted the original post and did the edit. It was quite a good edit if i may say so, a lot of extra text there, a lot of extra detail in the paragraph.

a most excellent edit, i must say

  On 7/29/2009 at 12:28 AM, Lianne said:

{Sorry for the double post, but it wouldn't let me keep the newer edit, and I can't delete the old post...}

 

I do not believe people who are unhappy with it are just trying to be negative: I've played it to friends usually partial to this sort of music, and the atmosphere quickly shifted to one of boredom and disappointment. I tried listening to it all the way through again just now, and it seemed even more irritating than before - though just as bombastically and loudly produced as ever.

 

Of course you don't, because you happen to agree with them.

 

Comparing his new work with his old work is pretty pointless considering how different stylistically they are. Its like comparing Finding Forester (the movie) to Elf, starring Will Ferrel.... well maybe not that extreme, but you get the point.

 

For me, I like his old work just as much as I like his new stuff... but for different reasons. I could go into detail about why I think Totems Flare is AOTY so far, but I'd rather not cause I am a lazy ass and at the end of the day, who really gives a shit about my opinion when music is subjective. Me explaining why I think this is great isn't going to change ones perspective... and even if it did or could... I still wouldn't... cause I am lazy and talking about music in detail bores me.

Edited July 29, 2009 by karmakramer

  On 7/29/2009 at 3:06 AM, karmakramer said:

For me, I like his old work just as much as I like his new stuff... but for different reasons. I could go into detail about why I think Totems Flare is AOTY so far, but I'd rather not cause I am a lazy ass and at the end of the day, who really gives a shit about my opinion when music is subjective. Me explaining why I think this is great isn't going to change ones perspective... and even if it did or could... I still wouldn't... cause I am lazy and talking about music in detail bores me.

 

I think you should share. Everyone should. It might sound strange, but I've had my opinion changed on 'subjective' things through other peoples' thoughts on them - films, books, jazz and classical music pieces - anything. It is a very grey area, and one obviously shouldn't feel pressured into liking or disliking something, but learning new perspectives and hearing in-depth descriptions of art from people who really love it can shift how you hear and see and read things. Yeah, these opinions are ultimately subjective, but if we stop there then we might as well all give up... There's a difference between informed, thought-out opinions that match what seems to be going on sonically in the music and "opinions" that are merely statements of feeling. For example, listening to this new one in the car with friends, I found that all the annoyances I had with it were matched by them, even without me stating them. Does that makes us "right"? No, of course not. But it suggests that those things are actually in there and aren't just me flinging mud at anything and everything that is new in Clark.

 

Then again, I know dribbling on in detail about music isn't seen as too cool here or on any music forum. I don't care, though; I'd gladly do it about Body Riddle. Now that is a special album: everytime I listen to it, I become more convinced that Clark is a genius. Everyone time I listen to Totems Flare, I find it to be more insipid than before.