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Eyeballs, "Seal-Skin Satellite"
Richard Dawson's work under this pseudonym is not far from the classic '70s Kosmische drone groups, there are certainly elements of Tangerine Dream in the glittering pulses of Seal-Skin Satellite. However, there is a more modern sheen to the electronics; the precise and sharp sounds that make up the details of this one track album are a world away from Dawson’s influences. The modernity luckily does not mean that the music falls into the trap of being cold and machine-like. Throughout the half an hour or so that this CD lasts, the sounds produced by Dawson are more like an artist's impression of travelling through the solar system.
The background tones hum and pulse, moving so slow as to be almost static (and thus nearly perfect drones). Above the drone foundation is a glassy electronic chittering that is reminiscent of the period in Coil’s career where they returned to playing live, Seal-Skin Satellite would sit proudly next to Time Machines or Queens of the Circulating Library. The drone creates a huge space in the music, forcing the other sounds to the front of the mix where they stand out against the slowly shifting backdrop like stars in the night sky. The end result is very natural sounding electronic music that encapsulates all the best cosmic feelings that good electronic music usually captures.
Overall, Seal-Skin Satellite is just the right length at 30 minutes. Any longer would have been too much. As is, Dawson’s pacing is perfect with its long build-up and substantial climax. At the speed Seal-Skin Satellite moves, it is easy to forget how empty the start of the piece is once it gets going. Although it must be said that Dawson never lets the music become cluttered, there is always enough going on to make it interesting but not too much as to be overly-complicated (I guess it is a Goldilocks moment: just right).
One problem that I do have with Seal-Skin Satellite is that it is one of those highly limited CD-R type releases and will probably not reach anywhere near the number of people that it should. Perhaps a digital release is in order as this is a fine piece of drone work that deserves a wider audience.
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