Iradelphic

Iradelphic was Clark's first album in three years, following Totems Flare (2009). The recording sessions were geographically dispersed, with Clark describing the process as "a month or so here, a month or so there, each studio with a different set up and varying amounts of equipment".^[5] Sessions took place in locations including Australia, London and Wales,^[5] as well as at Snape Maltings in Suffolk, where Clark used a vintage Telefunken microphone to record orchestral drums.^[7] Vocal sessions with Martina Topley-Bird were recorded at Hot Chip's studio.^[7] At the time, Clark was based in Berlin, where he maintained a studio he described as "sparse".^[8]

Clark learned and played acoustic guitar for the album, marking a shift from the aggressive electronic approach of his earlier releases.^[5] He described his production method as not purely electronic, stating: "I don't use purely 'electronic' tools. I don't see myself as an electronic musician, even."^[9] He employed a range of processing techniques, including valve amplifiers, guitar pedals and plate reverbs, to blur the boundaries between acoustic and electronic sounds.^[7] Many tracks went through extensive iteration, with Clark noting that most had approximately 30 versions before the final cut.^[7]

Topley-Bird contributed vocals to several tracks, including "Open", "Secret" and "The Pining Pt. 2".^[7][6] Clark explained his approach to the collaboration: "I've wanted to get Martina on a track for a while now, but really wanted a proper hook/melody and set of lyrics for her to sing, rather then doing that cliché producer thing of going 'sexy female vocals chopped up over fat masculine beats'."^[6]

Ahead of the album's release, Clark held a live-streamed "Iradelphic Workshop" from his Berlin studio on 22 March 2012, performing with synthesizers and modular equipment.^[8] The album was launched with a performance at Village Underground in London on 7 April 2012.^[8]

Iradelphic represented a notable departure from Clark's previous releases. The album opens with "Henderson Wrench", built around fingerpicked guitar rather than the distorted electronics of Totems Flare.^[10] Clark described the album as playing "as one long track, more than anything I've ever done, really", with recurring musical themes throughout.^[9]

The album blends acoustic and electronic instrumentation across its twelve tracks. "Com Touch" features modular synthesizer work and what Clark described as a Prince-inspired snare drum sound.^[7] "Tooth Moves" was built from a guitar jam processed through eight layers of guitar pedals.^[7] "Black Stone" is a solo piano piece, completed in approximately thirty minutes at Snape Maltings.^[7] The album's final section is dominated by "The Pining", a three-part suite spanning over ten minutes that moves between electronic production, live instruments and Topley-Bird's vocals.^[10][7] The closing track, "Broken Kite Footage", features guitar layers processed through valve amplifiers with pitchshifters and plate reverbs.^[7]

Clark cited Sun Ra, early drum and bass from the No U-Turn label, and M83 as influences during the album's creation.^[9]

Iradelphic received mixed-to-positive reviews from music critics. On Metacritic, the album holds an aggregate score of 67 out of 100, based on professional reviews.^[4] The Quietus described it as "less ethereal, more compact and cohesive" than Clark's earlier work.^[16] Clash gave the album 8 out of 10, noting Clark remained "self-assured in its odd-ball-ness" while exploring new territory.^[5] XLR8R described it as "an electro-acoustic jazz-fusion record",^[2] while Consequence of Sound called it "deceptively ambitious" and potentially "one of the most interesting releases this year".^[3] Beats Per Minute highlighted Clark's "graceful abandon and willingness to explore an unprecedentedly wide palette of instruments and moods", awarding 82 per cent.^[10]