Stygian Morass by C.L.A.W.S.
Radioactive Miami Bass experiments — slime-coated dubby techno — nervous electro — and beautifully melodic, selectively not-ambient electronica: The second record on nascent San Francisco label Left Hand Path, "STYGIAN MORASS" by Bay Area artist C.L.A.W.S., offers up four cuts that chart a pathway through techno's outer reaches, a perfect platter for the intrepid at-home listener and essential fodder for the adventurous DJ.
C.L.A.W.S., aka Brian Hock, is a music-maker without boundary: he came up in the early-aughts San Francisco scene, playing drums in gothy outfit THE VANISHING, eventually releasing his first solo record as C.L.A.W.S. on Tigerbass Records, the dancefloor-inclined sublabel of Kid606's Tigerbeat6. After a stint in Berlin, he returned to San Francisco where he and two similarly-minded miscreants launched BRONZE, a synth-bass-drums trio that could perhaps be reductively described as "post-punk," whose records have seen release on RVNG INT'L, NOT NOT FUN, and CASTLE FACE, among others. In 2017, he and fellow freaky disc-jock SOLAR are launching SQUIRRELS ON FILM, a record label dedicated to showcasing more brilliantly weird Bay Area artists.
As C.L.A.W.S., Hock's solo productions have become progressively more eccentric with time, culminating so far in the lurid psychedelic tones found on STYGIAN MORASS. None of its four tracks sound particularly alike, but each is clearly the work of an artist with a singular vision.
STYGIAN MORASS will be released as a ltd.300 edition black vinyl record (with full color artwork sleeve and handmade paper insert designed by the artist) and a digital download via Left Hand Path's Bandcamp on February 21, 2017. Forthcoming Left Hand Path releases include a posthumous record from Bay Area artist NACKT, aka Johnny Igaz, the debut 12" from San Francisco producer MICHAEL CLAUS, and more.
Tracklist
| 1. | Houston, We Have No Problem | 7:07 |
| 2. | Far From The Eyes of Heaven | 5:30 |
| 3. | An Idea of Being | 5:19 |
| 4. | Nightstalkin' | 6:05 |
Credits
all music by Brian Hock (except B2, add'l synths by Group Rhoda)
mastered by Mark Pistel at Room Five Studios, San Francisco, CA
cut by George Horn at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, CA
sleeve design by Brian Hock and Cal Volner-Dison
License
All rights reserved.
LEFT HAND PATH is a San Francisco-based record label focused on the liminal, the interstitial, the in-between: industrial, techno, experimental, and more.