Surgeon - Shell~Wave *Pre-Order

Release Date Friday 2nd May 2025
All pre-orders will be dispatched/made ready for collection on that day.

Two years after releasing the acclaimed Crash Recoil, Anthony Child aka Surgeon returns to
Tresor with new LP, Shell~Wave. Retaining the minimal equipment list and studio-version-of-live-
show-sets approach of the previous album in order to focus on the work itself, Shell~Wave is a
deeply personal document of both where Surgeon is and has been, converging three decades of
experience with a continued curiosity in the untested.
“To make this project, I had to dig really deep in terms of what my relationship was to techno; I’ve
been involved with it for a really long time and there’s a lot about it I feel dislocated from, so I had
to really think hard about what techno is to me. I often get asked “what is techno to you?” but I
can’t answer that with words; this album is the answer.” From the complex, twisting track Infinite
Eye to the caustic Soul Fire, the eight tracks that make up the body of the album are single-take
explorations of the vast, hard yet minimal techno Child is synonymous with.
Neatly dividing the record in two, the emotional centre of the record comes in the form of
Dying, a vibrating, beatless piece that with a mantra-like vocal loop steeped in
reverberating effects. Further echoes of dub production appear throughout the record as
tracks like Divine Shadow, and Empty Cloud have an almost ever-present mist of
reverberation, driven by the appearance of a new delay unit in the equipment list; while
much of the philosophy of Crash Recoil’s creation is present, the process and the
instruments have changed as Child again switches up his approach to studio work.
This insistence on trying novel techniques doesn’t preclude returning to old ones, as this
use of modern digital machines with live, hands-on takes that are as inspired by 60s
producer Joe Meek and 70s reggae as they are by this year’s synthesiser expos. “For me,
it’s an interesting experience returning to old techniques again after 30 years. [I’m] always
exploring and finding myself back at the beginning. Connecting the present with the past.”
This philosophy of ‘time travel’ is inherent to the music itself as the synchronised loops
repeat while the delay and effects branch out, forming unique eddies; distinct quantum
moments within the circular whole; the future leaking through the spaces between the
sounds. All of the concepts on the album are perfectly communicated through the painting

by Taiwanese artist Jazz Szu-Ying Chen which suggests the movement of water, sound
waves, and the chitinous shells of sea creatures.
1. / A1 Serpent Void 05:42 2. / A2 Soul Fire 06:06 3. / B1 Divine Shadow 05:36 4. / B2
Forgotten Gods 06:12 5. / B3 Dying 03:05 6. / C1 Infinite Eye 06:26 7. / C2 Triple Threat
06:35 8. / D1 Empty Cloud 04:29 9. / D2 Fall 04:57

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for looking at our listing, below are a few points to consider before making a purchase:

- All records we sell are Brand New - pre-orders will normally come sealed but if you are purchasing in stock items, please note the copy may have been unsealed for display in the shop. Please email straight after purchase to enquire if this is of importance to you.

- Orders won't ship until all items are released, so keep this in mind when purchasing multiple pre-orders or a mix of in stock and pre-order items.

- The 'Product' page will show the most up to date info we have with regards to the item and its release date, but this information is subject to change so check in with us if you have any questions.

- We unfortunately don't offer tax/vat outside of the UK via the website so please keep in mind that when the items arrives in your country you may be liable to pay a further charge before delivery. (all UK orders the price you see is the price you will pay). Please also note that we are unable to adjust the declared value on items sold internationally.