Spencer Clark (Monopoly Child Star Searchers, Vodka Soap and more)

[spaghetamine]

I have been really into this guy recently, perhaps best known for being one half of drone/noise duo The Skaters with James Ferraro.  Whilst Ferraro's solo career has tended to conceptually focus on different aspects of human civilization (and the decline thereof), Spencer has instead gone down the route of releasing what he calls "internal brain music". Much like Ferraro, he puts out stuff under a shitload of different aliases (Vodka Soap, Black Joker and Typhonian Highlife, to name just a few). His most accessible material has largely being released under the name Monopoly Child Star Searchers. Basically it's very low fidelity ambient music with a lot of percussive elements and it makes an ideal soundtrack for inhaling strange vapors, riding your bike or simply zoning out and staring at a fish tank for a few hours.

I can't really put into words why I dig his tunes so much but he's got an uncanny knack for composing stuff that seems designed to conjure up invisible landscapes and imaginary creatures in your mind's eye. There's also repeated references to the Hellraiser films, kitschy Hawaiian memorabilia and tropical birds throughout his oeuvre which I find strangely endearing. Fans of Emeralds, James Ferraro, Oneohtrix Point Never, Jon Hassell, Eno and Byrne would likely be into this. He also collaborated with Mark McGuire from Emeralds on an excellent psychedelic rock album under the name Inner Tube.

Hopefully somebody else gets something out of this. I have attached some links below.

Monopoly Child Star Searchers - Bouganvillea's Shallow Lobe (Premier Desire)

Vodka Soap - Un Chand Pyramidelier (Pt. 1)

Inner Tube - Winners take All