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Alex Van Gils + Carrie Frey - Lesser Arcana (Long Echo Records)

Sal Sal - Love Spirals Horror (Bandcamp)

BCMC - Stash (Drag City)

Space Afrika - Quiet Storm (Dais)

M. Geddes Gengras - Guest List (Hausu Mountain)

Michael Cloud Duguay - Kingdom Come, Kingdom Go (Watch That Ends the Night)

 

Track Listing

 

Alex Val Gils + Carrie Frey - Best Western [0:00]

Sal Sal - Shade Solace [4:41]

BCMC - Kaleidosmoke [8:39]

Space Afrika - MLN ft. Tony Njoku [16:23]

M. Geddes Gengras - Motore [20:41]

Michael Cloud Duguay - Little Seldom [25:12]

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This week's episode is a subtle break in the standard formats. Rather than either a spotlight or a new music episode I'm calling this the "algorithm experiment." It features artists that, from what I gather, have not been heard on Surgery before and came up as suggestions from one of the evil services that we often find ourselves uncomfortably tethered to. Enjoy? Enjoy.

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Phil France - Circle (Gondwana)

Tomo Katsurada - Dream of the Egg (Future Days Radio)

Martin Brugger - The Shell (Squama)

Fohn - Seanteach (Odda Recordings)

Keinseier - Particles (Bandcamp)

Oliver Okkolin - Tarharovokki (Bandcamp)

Public Service Broadcasting - The Last Flight (Bandcamp)

 

Track Listing

 

Phil France - Circle [0:00]

Tomo Katsurada - Moshimo [4:08]

Martin Brugger - Downward Curving [8:03]

Fohn - Tra [11:35]

Keiseier - Particles [16:01]

Oliver Okkolin - Herää [19:31]

Public Service Broadcasting - I Was Always Dreaming [24:28]

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Simon Goff - Interior Realms - vol. I (Sonic Pieces)

Klara Lewis - Opening (Editions Mego)

Carmen Villain - Memoria (Smalltown Supersound)

Tomoyoshi Date + Stijn Hüwels - 廊下 / Tatetmono (Laaps)

Windy & Carl with Optigan Conservatory - Windy & Carl Meet Optigan Conservatory (kranky)

Tokyo Bedroom Orchestra - Tsuioku / 追憶 (Kitchen.Label)

 

Track Listing

 

Simon Goff - Dream Sequence i [0:00]

Klara Lewis - Ta Min Hand [4:43]

Carmen Villain - Entre Nosotros [8:03]

Tomoyoshi Date + Stijn Hüwels - Corridor / Rouka [15:18]

Windy & Carl with Optigan Conservatory - Apparition on 3rd Street [20:51]

Tokyo Bedroom Orchestra - Sagani / 砂蟹 [27:35]

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Mayerling - Finis Terrae (Hands in the Dark)

Nonturn - Repeating Town (Audiobulb)

Roy Montgomery + Martha Skye Murphy - Nebular (AD93)

Lynn Wright - Before the Sinking Plains (Miasmah)

Danny Clay - A Moment Beyond (IIKKI)

 

Track Listing

 

Mayerling - She Builds Myths [0:00]

Nonturn - Atonement [5:58]

Roy Montgomery + Martha Sky Murphy - Cloudburst [10:33]

Lynn Wright - El Cabanyal [17:49]

Danny Clay - Part 1 [21:34]

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You could say Mike Cooper is the Jimmy Buffet of ambient abstract blues. The UK guitarist's first releases date back to the late 1960s, and now in his 80s he shows no signs of slowing down. With an abiding love island music and a continuing curiosity towards the more sound forward aspects of recording, I've concentrated on the last decade or so of his output for this last June spotlight. Enjoy.

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Mike Cooper - Island Songs (Bandcamp/2019)

Mike Cooper - New Guitar Old Hat Knew Blues (Room40/2016)

Mike Cooper - Tropical Gothic (Discrepant/2016)

Mike Cooper - The Purple Palms of Bluesealand (Bandcamp/2023)

Mike Cooper - When a Screaming Comes Across the Sky (Room40/2025)

Mike Cooper - Globe Notes (Room40/2020)

Mike Cooper - Truth in the Abstract Blues (Bandcamp/2019)

Mike Cooper - Stochastic Parrot (Room40/2026)

 

Track Listing

 

Mike Cooper - Hilo Hanakai [0:00]

Mike Cooper - Tristes and Milongas [3:18]

Mike Cooper - Onibaba [7:39]

Mike Cooper - Crystals of Dew [11:41]

Mike Cooper - Dark Are These Nights, Cold is This Ground [14:16]

Mike Cooper - The Green Mountain-Fiji [19:41]

Mike Cooper - Ghosts Again [24:40]

Mike Cooper - Auditory Ambiguity [29:18]

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This week's spotlight provided an overabundance of choices. Artist and Room40 label boss Lawrence English has a grand back catalogue of work as a sound artist and curator, but to help winnow things a little I concentrated on tracks from across the years that have some watery attachment. Felt right. You can also have a quick read of an interview and label profile I did a while back on the Indie Dependence Substack, but for now enjoy this!

 

Lawrence English + Stephen Vitiello - Fable (Room40/2020)

Lawrence English - Liminology (Autumn Records/2005)

Lawrence English - Kiri No Oto (Touch/2008)

Lawrence English - A Colour For Autumn (12k/2009)

Lawrence English - The Rocks That Tear the Ocean (Room40/2013)

Lawrence English - Cruel Optimism (Room40/2017)

Akira Kosemura + Lawrence English - Selene (Temporary Residence Ltd/2024)

 

Track Listing

 

Lawrence English + Stephen Vitiello - Over Inland [0:00]

Lawrence English - Dark Water [4:27]

Lawrence English - Waves Sheer Light [8:13]

Lawrence English - Droplet [13:28]

Lawrence English - Coronach Adrift [20:04]

Lawrence English - The Quietest Shore [23:57]

Akira Kosemura + Lawrence English - Twilight Wave [26:31]

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To fill out the rest of June, while I recover from surgery, ironically, it is time for a triptych of veteran spotlights. First up is the youngest (I think) of the trio: Saxophonist and composer Colin Stetson. Always busy, Stetson's most recent work has included a collaborative album with Greg Fox and Trevor Dunn as well and the soundtrack to the Netflix series Something Very Bad is Going to Happen. Enjoy the spotlight!

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Colin Stetson, Greg Fox, Trevor Dunn - Nethering (Envision/2026)

Colin Stetson - When were were that what wept for the sea (Bandcamp/2023)

Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol.1 (Aagoo/2011)

Colin Stetson - All This I Do For Glory (Kartel Music/2017)

Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol.3: To See More Light (Constellation/2013)

Ex Eye - Ex Eye (Relapse/2017)

Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol.2: Judges (Constellation/2011)

Colin Stetson's Slow Descent - Slow Descent (Flying Tigers Music/2003)

 

Track Listing

 

Colin Stetson, Greg Fox, Trevor Dunn - Moleman [0:00]

Colin Stetson - Passage [4:44]

Colin Stetson - Tiger Tiger Crane [7:59]

Colin Stetson - Between Water and Wind [11:05]

Colin Stetson - What Are They Doing in Heaven Today? [17:19]

Ex Eye - Xenolith; The Anvil [20:48]

Colin Stetson - A dream of water [24:35]

Colin Stetson's Slow Descent - For Fear of What's to Come [28:04]

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There's an argument for Summer starting right as June appears, though it's also locally the time where the temperature swings about 30 degrees from day to night to day. In that frame of mind I thought I'd dig into the digital catalog for a clutch of appropriately moody "summer" songs. Enjoy.
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Six Organs of Admittance - Time Is Glass (Drag City)

Strom Noir - Urban Blues (Zoharum)

Milieu - Colortone (Milieu Music)

Imbogodom - Metafather (Thrill Jockey)

The Sly and Unseen - Summer Passes / Evidence Of Fractures (Rural Colours)

Library Tapes - Sun Peeking Through (Auetic)

The Declining Winter - The Waning Mill Chronicles (Self-release)

 

Track Listing

 

Six Organs of Admittance - Summer's Last Rays [0:00]

Strom Noir - All Summer in a Day [6:45]

Milieu - Summer Friends [11:51]

Imbogodom - Summer Fungus [15:32]

The Sly and Unseen - Screaming Through Summer Skies [18:39]

Libary Tapes - End of the Summer [23:44]

The Declining Winter - Summer Circuit [26:32]

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Aho Ssan - The Sun Turned Black (Subtext Records)

One Leg One Eye - Crone (AD93)

Boduf Songs - Selected Instrumental Works (Bluesanct)

I'A'V - Volatile Poem (Discrepant)

Arctic Diva - Circled Green (Scorpio Red)

Gaspard Claus - Cells (InFiné)

 

Track Listing

 

Aho Ssan - 100 Suns Pt. II [0:00]

One Leg One Eye - What I Shall Follow I Shall Hunt [7:16]

Boduf Songs - Das Liebetodesdrang Pt. 4 [11:11]

I'A'V - Echoes [15:24]

Arctic Diva - Circle's End [18:57]

Gaspard Claus - Désir des astres [23:19]

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As is our usual way, milestone episodes are spotlight episodes. For 400 the spotlight falls on Matt Christensen. A steady presence within the confines of Surgery with both his solo work and as part of Zelienople, he has been especially prolific of late, so we've been listening and marvelling and in a sharing mood. So enjoy!

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Zelienople - Show Us The Fire (Immune Recordings/2015)

Zelienople - Hold You Up (Miasmah/2020)

Matt Christensen - I Know What The Fight Is (Morc Tapes/2017)

Zelienople - His/Hers (Type/2007)

Matt Christensen - Honeymoons (Miasmah/2016)

Zelienople - Everything is Simple (Shelter Press/2024)

Zelienople - Bachelor's Grove (Self-Released/2004)

Matt Christensen - A Cradle in the Bowery (Under the Spire/2011)

Zelienople - The World Is A House On Fire (Type/2012)

Matt Christensen - Coma Gears (Bathetic/2011)

Matt Christensen - Constant Green (Miasmah/2021)

 

Track Listing

 

Zelienople - Blue Sands [0:00]

Zelienople - Just an Unkind Time [4:23]

Matt Christensen - Sweet Child, I'll Fix You [9:12]

Zelienople - Family Beast [14:38]

Matt Christensen - Honeymoons [23:54]

Zelienople - Hold in My Hands [29:34]

Zelienople - Untitled(5) [33:42]

Matt Christensen - Someday I Won't Matter [39:15]

Zelienople - The Real Devil [45:07]

Matt Christensen - California [50:29]

Matt Christensen - It's Not Hard to Love Everyone [54:27]

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