C.L.A.W.S. - Splat City II [Dark Entries]

Format: LP in printed sleeve.

C.L.A.W.S. lands on Dark Entries with a devastating new LP: Splat City II. C.L.A.W.S. is the solo project of musical luminary Brian Hock, who has been a key figure in the Bay Area underground for over two decades, thanks to his involvement in projects like Bronze and The Vanishing, as well as helming the Squirrels on Film and Immortal Sin labels.

With C.L.A.W.S., Hock throws himself headfirst onto the dance floor, drawing references from The Hague's giallo-tinged electro, the twisted minimalism of Chicago acid, and the hallucinatory explorations of San Francisco post-punk icons like Chrome and Tuxedomoon. Following the 2019 debut EP Splat City, Splat City II continues to chart the psychogeography of a metropolis both alien and immediately recognizable, where life is cheap, but emotions are too.

Originally released digitally by Squirrels on Film, this expanded vinyl edition of Splat City II includes two new tracks. The journey kicks off with “Route 505” and “One Tear,” a duo of incendiary tracks that vibrate as if Tom Ellard and Chip E had been locked in a room with a jar of liquid. Next, Bay Area deckmaster Tyrel lends his editing talents to “Vigilant Slimy Monsters,” shaping a beast of dark, enveloping space disco.

Squirrels on Film co-founder Solar joins Hock on “Black Magic Carpet Ride III,” a cavernous downtempo banger. The slow-motion tempo continues with “Wild Slugs United,” featuring a no-wave spirited clarinet by Paul Costuros. The closer, “Don’t Flip the Crystal Ship,” pays homage to the Bayview Bay Area 51 venue with melancholic strings and a quartz-solid electrofunk bassline.

Splat City II comes in a sleeve with art by Bert Bergen, depicting a vampiric cat and sci-fi cityscapes.