meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
RA Podcast

EX.766 Surgeon

RA Podcast

Resident Advisor

Music

4.6640 Ratings

🗓️ 21 May 2025

⏱️ 58 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

"My mission is to explore the boundaries of psychedelic music." The revered techno artist talks about expanding consciousness, breaking the rules and his new album on Tresor. There has always been a strain of dance music that has leant psychedelic, from the leftfield psychoacoustics of pioneers like La Monte Young to the proggy techno taking over today's dance floors. One artist who embodies the spirit of psychedelia is Anthony Child, AKA Surgeon, a revered DJ and producer who has historically been placed in the world of industrial techno, but whose output over the years has consistently flirted with altered states of consciousness and a strong opposition to the mainstream. Child is originally from Birmingham, where he and Karl O'Connor, AKA Regis, helped birth a style of powerful, loop-driven techno. Together, they're British Murder Boys and have released music on O'Connor's seminal label Downwards. But they've also ploughed successful solo careers, with Child putting out several releases on Tresor and performing live improvised electronics as Surgeon and as part of ambient listening duo The Transcendence Orchestra. In this interview, Child talks about his most recent release on Tresor, the album Shell~Wave, and its innovative use of techniques associated with Jamaican dub. He also discusses the through line of psychedelia in his work and what it means to surrender oneself to sometimes uncomfortable processes—both creatively and in life—and come out the other side. There are strong links to spirituality and Buddhism in Child's work, many of which are designed to prompt listeners to question and reconsider the boundaries they've set around the reality they live in. Listen to the episode in full. -Chloe Lula

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

RA Exchange

0:02.0

Welcome to Resident Advisors Exchange.

0:04.0

I'm Chloe Lula, your host in the Exchange's Senior Producer.

0:20.0

I'm Chloe Lula, your host in the Exchange's senior producer.

0:24.2

There's always been a strain of dance music that's lent psychedelic,

0:29.2

from the left-field psychoacoustics of pioneers like Lamont Young

0:33.8

to the Praguegy Techno taking over today's dance floors.

0:37.0

And one artist who embodies the spirit

0:39.2

of psychedelia is Anthony Child, otherwise known as Surgeon, a revered DJ and producer who's

0:45.4

historically been placed in the world of industrial techno, but whose output over the years has

0:50.1

consistently flirted with altered states of consciousness and a strong opposition to the mainstream.

0:56.7

I love it when art goes off-road, if you call it that.

1:01.1

You know, and people who think of a new way, a new, you know, incorrect, in quotes, way of doing things.

1:12.6

I just love hearing that.

1:14.4

That's raw creativity.

1:17.2

Child is originally from Birmingham, where he and Carl O'Connor, otherwise known as Regis,

1:22.3

helped birth a style of powerful, loop-driven techno.

1:26.5

Together, they've put out music as British Murder Boys and put out records on O'Connor's

1:31.9

label downwards.

1:33.8

But they've had equally successful solo careers, with Child putting out several releases

1:38.5

on Trezor and performing live, improvised electronics, as surgeon and as part of the ambient listening duo,

1:46.0

The Transcendence Orchestra.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Resident Advisor, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Resident Advisor and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.