Clear (Bomb the Bass album)

Clear
Studio album by Bomb the Bass
Released	3 April 1995 (1995-04-03)
Studio	Eastcote (London)
Genre	Trip hop
Length	53:18
Label	4th & B'way
Producer	Tim Simenon Keith LeBlanc Doug Wimbish
Bomb the Bass chronology
Unknown Territory (1991) Clear (1995) Future Chaos (2008)
Singles from Clear
"Bug Powder Dust" Released: 19 September 1994 "Dark Heart" Released: 1994 "One to One Religion" Released: 20 March 1995 "Sandcastles" Released: 4 September 1995

Clear is the third studio album by English electronic music act Bomb the Bass released on 3 April 1995 by 4th & B'way Records.

Release

Clear was released on 3 April 1995 by 4th & B'way Records.[1] It peaked at number 22 on the UK Albums Chart.[2]

"Bug Powder Dust" was issued as the lead single from Clear on 19 September 1994,[3] peaking at number 24 on the UK Singles Chart.[4] "Dark Heart" followed later that year, reaching number 35 on the chart.[5] A further two singles were released in 1995: "One to One Religion" on 20 March,[6] and "Sandcastles" on 4 September.[7] They charted in the UK at numbers 53 and 54 respectively.[8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[9]
The Guardian	[10]
Q	[11]
Rolling Stone	[12]
Select	4/5[13]

NME named Clear the 42nd best album of 1995.[14] In 2015, Fact placed the record at number 49 on its list of the best trip hop albums of all time.[15]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Bug Powder Dust" (with Justin Warfield)	Tim Simenon Warfield	4:18
2.	"Sleepyhead" (with Bim Sherman)	Simenon Sherman Keith LeBlanc Skip McDonald	3:59
3.	"One to One Religion" (with Carlton)	Simenon Carlton McCarthy Dave Clayton Ben Wolff Andy Dean Ben Barson Kent Brainerd	4:14
4.	"Dark Heart" (with Spikey T)	Simenon Trevor Rennie Clayton	6:47
5.	"If You Reach the Border" (with Leslie Winer)	Simenon Winer	3:53
6.	"Brain Dead" (with Justin Warfield)	Simenon Warfield	5:33
7.	"5ml. Barrel" (with Will Self)	Simenon Self Atticus Ross John Wardle Clayton	4:59
8.	"Somewhere"	Clayton	5:03
9.	"Sandcastles" (with Bernard Fowler)	Fowler Doug Wimbish	4:34
10.	"Tidal Wave" (with River)	Minnie Driver Adam Holden Ross Ivor Guest	4:08
11.	"Empire" (with Benjamin Zephaniah and Sinéad O'Connor)	Simenon Zephaniah O'Connor	5:50
Total length:			53:18

US edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"One to One Religion" (Skankapella mix; with Carlton)	Simenon McCarthy Clayton Wolff Dean Barson Brainerd	4:29
2.	"Tidal Wave" (with River)	Driver Holden Ross Guest	4:07
3.	"Somewhere"	Clayton	5:02
4.	"Dark Heart" (7" edit; with Spikey T)	Simenon Rennie Clayton	4:28
5.	"Brain Dead" (with Justin Warfield)	Simenon Warfield	5:32
6.	"Empire" (with Benjamin Zephaniah and Sinéad O'Connor)	Simenon Zephaniah O'Connor	5:49
7.	"If You Reach the Border" (with Leslie Winer)	Simenon Winer	3:52
8.	"Sandcastles" (with Bernard Fowler)	Fowler Wimbish	4:34
9.	"Sleepyhead" (with Bim Sherman)	Simenon Sherman LeBlanc McDonald	3:58
10.	"Bug Powder Dust" (Kruder & Dorfmeister session; with Justin Warfield)	Simenon Warfield	7:25
Total length:			49:16

Sample credits[16]

• "Bug Powder Dust" contains samples of Naked Lunch.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[16]

Musicians

• Tim Simenon – drum programming, sampling
• Carlton – vocals (track 3)
• Dave Clayton – keyboards (tracks 1, 3–11), keyboard effects (tracks 10, 11), sampling (track 8), additional sampling (tracks 3–7)
• Danny Cummings – percussion (tracks 3, 4, 9–11)
• Bernard Fowler – vocals (track 9)
• Ivor Guest – drum programming (track 10), keyboard effects (track 10), sampling (track 10)
• Adam Holden – bass (track 10), additional programming (track 6), additional sampling (track 6)
• Kenji Jammer – guitar (tracks 2, 3)
• Keith LeBlanc – drum programming (tracks 2, 9), drums (track 4), sampling (tracks 2, 9)
• Inder "Goldfinger" Matharu – percussion (track 2)
• Skip McDonald – guitar (tracks 2, 9, 11), backing vocals (track 2)
• Sinéad O'Connor – vocals (track 11)
• River – vocals (track 10)
• Atticus Ross – programming (tracks 1, 7), drum programming (track 10), sampling (track 10), additional programming (track 6), additional sampling (tracks 1, 6, 7)
• Claudia Sarne – bass (track 6)
• Jeff Scantlebury – percussion (track 2)
• Will Self – vocals (track 7)
• Bim Sherman – vocals (track 2)
• Sista Joy – backing vocals (track 4)
• Spikey T – vocals (track 4)
• Justin Warfield – vocals (tracks 1, 6)
• Doug Wimbish – bass (tracks 1, 9, 11), bass effects (track 11)
• Leslie Winer – vocals (track 5)
• Jah Wobble – bass (track 7)
• Benjamin Zephaniah – vocals (track 11)

Production

• Tim Simenon – production, mixing
• Don Hozz – programming engineering
• Keith LeBlanc – production (track 2), mixing (track 2)
• Lee Boy – assistance
• Mike Marsh – mastering
• Q – mix engineering, recording
• Tom – assistance
• Doug Wimbish – production (track 9), mixing (track 9)

Design

• Richard Baker – editing
• The Baron von Kallstein – photography
• Cally on U Art – artwork, design
• Rob Crane – typography
• Phil Smee – photography

Charts

Chart (1995)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[17]	122
European Top 100 Albums (Music & Media)[18]	59
Scottish Albums (OCC)[19]	38
UK Albums (OCC)[2]	22
UK Dance Albums (OCC)[20]	1
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[21]	3

References

1. "New Releases: Albums" (PDF). Music Week. 1 April 1995. pp. 34–35. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
2. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
3. "Single Releases" (PDF). Music Week. 17 September 1994. p. 27. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
4. "Bomb the Bass feat. Justin Warfield". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
5. "Bomb the Bass feat. Spikey Tee". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
6. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 18 March 1995. p. 35. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
7. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 2 September 1995. p. 31. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
8. "Bomb the Bass". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
9. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Clear – Bomb the Bass". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
10. Smith, Andrew (7 April 1995). "Bomb the Bass: Clear (Stoned Heights)". The Guardian.
11. "Bomb the Bass: Clear". Q. No. 128. May 1997. p. 135.
12. Palmer, Tamara (18 April 1996). "Bomb the Bass: Clear". Rolling Stone. p. 68. Archived from the original on 9 February 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
13. Collis, Clark (April 1995). "Bomb the Bass: Clear". Select. No. 58. p. 99.
14. "NME's best albums and tracks of 1995". NME. 10 October 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
15. Twells, John; Fintoni, Laurent (30 July 2015). "The 50 best trip-hop albums of all time". Fact. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
16. Clear (liner notes). Bomb the Bass. 4th & B'way Records. 1995. BRCD 611.
17. "Bubbling Down Under Week Commencing 3 February1992". Bubbling Down Under. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
18. "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 16. 22 April 1995. p. 17. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
19. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
20. "Dance Albums" (PDF). Music Week. 15 April 1995. p. 21. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
21. "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 June 2021.

External links

• Clear at Discogs (list of releases)