Surgeon unveils first album in 5 years

In March 2023, Tresor Records will release “Crash Recoil”, a new album by Surgeon. It marks Anthony Child’s  first techno LP in five years, following a period in which he felt uncertainty in his role as a techno producer and  found it tough to locate inspiration. This new album encounters him drawing on spontaneous techniques to arrive  at unchartered topographies. 

“Crash Recoil” originates from Surgeon’s recent live sets, where he experimented with constraints in performing  and embracing the twists, turns and paradoxes that arrive from this. Each fresh iteration on consistent MIDI  sequences and hardware reconfigured tracks into different constellations, creating an inspiring vortex of  unpredicted events where ideas could flourish. This new approach allowed him to capture the spontaneous  energy of his live shows in a way he had never done before. “This is not a live album, since it has not been  recorded in one go during a live performance. In the same way that bands tour songs before going into the studio  to record an album, I was able to explore these songs and hone their effectiveness during my live performances  before creating a studio version.” 

The result is eight tracks that emphasise a new techno sound for Surgeon, drawing in references from across the  musical spectrum. “I can hear Coil, King Tubby, Detroit Techno and The Cure all wrapped up with 30 years of  DJing,” Surgeon says of the album. Melancholic hum-like ambiences smudge around unadorned, near-droning basslines, crunching rhythm and percolating arpeggiations. The tracks carry unique and potent locomotion, with  a low-slung grind through toughened terrains, breathing with a free spirit, untethered by a studio-based  perspective. We hear manifestations of the same raw material across the album, like a textural motif, carving  new variants and creating a cohesive work full of recollection.

Pre-order via Bandcamp


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Loves long walks along the beach, holding hands and romantic 80's power ballads, partial to electronic music and likes to make the odd mix or two.