ARLSMD022 Dead Seal - Corpus Animus LP (Set 1)

San Francisco techno producer Derrick Boyd AKA Dead Seal delivers one of the more interesting and forward-thinking releases of 2009 with his debut album Corpus Animus for Auralism Records. The release, due out on October 13th is a dynamic translation of Dead Seal's frenetic live performances and years of home recording which have incorporated his mastery of the clarinet, guitar, and bass into the mix. The results are equal bits shoegazer techno, solid San Francisco house groove, and strikingly original musical portions- often in the same track. There is a clear vision of songwriting and cutting edge production ideas on Corpus Animus as Dead Seal ties together many disparate influences from Balearic to dripping psychedelia.

Dolgama– An icy foray into what sounds like an Eastern European modality with a rich aristocratic feel. "Dolgama" can best be described as somber with a digitally treated clarinet is transformed into a string lacrimosa.

The Triangle– Perhaps the most futuristic of the tracks on this release "The Triangle" is a nice mix of glitch and a strong organic musical aspect. Carried by a warm, dubby bass line and dense layers of intricate percussion the track is filled out by some glitchy vocal and piano snippets and some fine guitar work.

Bone Apple Tit.– Haunting synth pads, ominous vocal sounds, and a shrieking loop color this track. Interesting percussion drives it but the tension-inducing theatrics and intricate melodies add interesting new, almost gothic, dimensions to the track.

Above Lies– A dreamy roller coaster of deep, head swirling techno with a twist of goth. The melancholic arpeggios note a distinct sojourn into reflective, shoegazer techno.

Oklearance– Imagine ghetto house complete with P-Funk synth squiggles and bumpin' vocal hook as the bones skeleton for this track . Now add liberal amounts of dense melodic sequences unravelling around that minimal boompty bounce and "voila!"

Pull The Lever– This track has a low-key deep funk/West Coast house but also includes a proper "middle eight" as found in a pop song. This section is a strong contrast to the intro with a dark, post punk influence that is skillfully worked into the overall dynamic and feel of the entire track. The two parts interlace for something that sounds equal parts Ziggy Stardust and Berghain.

King Burk– "King Burk" is ominous, sounding like a lost Joy Division demo. Everything about this track is spine-tingling as if it was drowned in aged absinthe and the works of Poe from the wicked bass line to the dark and doomy lyrics. Atonal string sounds and a steady techno pulse help push this track into a unique creative space that lies somewhere between dance and pop.

Sword Play– Tracks like this were commonplace in the late 80s, ones that combined a dark, aggressive menace with a good danceable groove. Dead Seal revisits that vibe here with buzzsaw synths but adds strings and dub elements to give it techno's deep sense of space.