Steep Stims
| Steep Stims | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 7 November 2025 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 47:57 | |||
| Label | Throttle Records | |||
| Producer | Clark | |||
| Clark chronology | ||||
| ||||
Steep Stims is a studio album by British electronic musician Clark, released on 7 November 2025 on Throttle Records.[1] Recorded primarily using an Access Virus synthesizer as a deliberate creative constraint, the album marks a return to purely instrumental electronic music following the vocal-driven Sus Dog (2023).[2][1] Steep Stims received generally positive reviews from music critics.[2]
Background
Clark discovered the Access Virus synthesizer at MESS (Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio), a facility run by Robin Fox.[3][4] The first patch he played on the instrument became "Blowtorch Thimble".[3] Roughly 80–90% of the album was made using the Virus and a drum machine as a self-imposed limitation.[5][6] Clark described the album as sitting alongside his self-titled Clark (2014) and Death Peak (2017) in palette and tone.[5] "18EDO Bailiff" features a piano tuned to 18 equal divisions of the octave by microtonal specialist Angus Donald.[3]
"Blowtorch Thimble" was released as the lead single on 3 September 2025, alongside the album announcement.[1] "Civilians" followed on 30 September 2025; a music video directed and choreographed by Melanie Lane and Corps Conspirators was premiered on 1 October 2025.[7]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [2] |
| Mojo | [8] |
| Uncut | 80[9] |
| OndaRock | 6/10[10] |
Heather Phares of AllMusic called it "as sophisticated in its execution as his more overtly ambitious projects".[2] Inverted Audio described it as "rich in feeling" and praised its blend of trance, IDM and dancefloor energy.[11]
The album received coverage in the French press, including reviews in Les Inrockuptibles and Le Monde.[12][13] Tsugi reviewed the album favourably,[6] and Radio Micheline named it their Album of the Week.[14]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Gift and Wound" | 2:13 |
| 2. | "Infinite Roller" | 5:22 |
| 3. | "No Pills U" | 2:13 |
| 4. | "Janus Modal" | 6:26 |
| 5. | "18EDO Bailiff" | 1:48 |
| 6. | "Globecore Flats" | 5:37 |
| 7. | "Blowtorch Thimble" | 3:30 |
| 8. | "Civilians" | 3:55 |
| 9. | "Inpatient's Day Out" | 5:10 |
| 10. | "Who Booed the Goose" | 3:18 |
| 11. | "5 Millionth Cave Painting" | 1:01 |
| 12. | "Negation Loop" | 2:45 |
| 13. | "Micro Lyf" | 4:36 |
| Total length: | 47:57 | |
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.[15]
- Clark – composer, producer, performer, mixer
- Matt Colton – mastering (at Metropolis)
- Angus Donald – 18EDO piano tuning
- Alma Haser – photography
- Charlie Noon – design
References
- ^ a b c Breihan, Tom (3 September 2025). "Clark Announces New Album Steep Stims, Hear "Blowtorch Thimble"". Stereogum. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ a b c d Phares, Heather. "Steep Stims – Clark". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ a b c "Interview with Clark". Headphone Commute. 13 November 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ Ottewill, Jim (6 November 2025). "Clark Interview: "I Love Using Music Gear That Isn't Popular and Other People Sneer At"". Juno Daily. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ a b Murray, Robin (4 November 2025). "In Conversation: Clark". Clash. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ a b Cavassoni, Cecilia (7 November 2025). "Rosalía, Clark, Charlotte de Witte : sorties de la semaine". Tsugi (in French). Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ "Watch the Premiere of Clark's New Video for "Civilians"". Autre Magazine. 1 October 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ "Clark: Steep Stims". Mojo. October 2025.
- ^ "Clark: Steep Stims". Uncut. October 2025.
- ^ Giustiniano, Alessandro (12 November 2025). "Clark – Steep Stims". OndaRock (in Italian). Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ Durston, Tom; Patterson, Will (17 November 2025). "Rave in Retrospect: Clark's Steep Stims Reawakens the Dance". Inverted Audio. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ Thevenin, Patrick (5 November 2025). "Dans les souvenirs de rave du bidouilleur britannique Clark". Les Inrockuptibles (in French). Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ "Sélection albums : Sergueï Rachmaninov, Hayley Williams, Clark, Danny Brown, Astral Bakers". Le Monde (in French). 7 November 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ "Album de la semaine : Clark – Steep Stims". Radio Micheline. 31 October 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ "Steep Stims, by Clark". Bandcamp. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
External links
- Steep Stims at Discogs (list of releases)
- Steep Stims on Bandcamp