A Pocket Guide to Dream Land is a large-scale electroacoustic creation, which was recorded in several British locations – Rhyl, New Brighton, Blackpool, Porthcawl, Northumberland, Margate and Hastings. Besides the use of electronics the main instrument of the musician was a recorder, on which a lot of field recordings were captured. Mysterious, atmospheric and sometimes nostalgic cyclic parts form a surprisingly rich soundscape, the tracks have a development, they are as diverse as possible. It is impossible not to deny the influence of the deconstructed club on Clarkson’s sound, it becomes especially obvious while listening to the track Illuminations (Dirty Electricity). The care in drawing out the sonic details makes the plot even more fascinating and exciting.
It was a great paradox to me how Dave was able to combine the dystopian feelings and the everyday mundane naturalness around us in the album. As a master manipulator of sounds, he ingeniously portrayed what an art connoisseur would call “real” and authentic.
Author: Ilya Kudrin
