When Clark branched out from his electronic roots on Playground in a Lake and Sus Dog, he earned plenty of rightful acclaim. However, anyone concerned he’s ventured too far from his foundations will welcome Steep Stims, a reminder that he’s just as adept at making powerfully original music with a few well-chosen pieces of gear as he is with strings and a choir at his command. In this case, it’s a late-’90s model of the Access Virus synth that was a staple of the era’s dance music. Though Clark tweaks it to his own liking, the heyday of rave and trance still echoes in its brassy and stringlike tones. On “Janus Modal,” that signature sound is joined by an oompah-like bass and mewing lead synths borrowed from acid techno, and as it pivots from…

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