Birmingham techno artist Anthony Child has rapidly built a solid and, to a certain extent, innovative catalogue of minimal dance floor techno since his surgeon releases began appearing in 1991. Compared favourably with Detroit original Jeff Mills from his earliest Downwards singles, Surgeon’s tracks have been a mainstay in many high profile techno sets.

Surgeon’s entry into production was also noteworthy: urged on by producer Mick Harris (Child is a fan of Harris’ Scorn project), the former Napalm Death drummer locked Child in his tiny studio, imploring him to ‘go mad’. The result, the self-titled debut EP, was released on Downwards, and was instantly hailed as some of the highest quality UK techno of its time. Releases for Soma, Blueprint, Ideal Trax and the ultra-exclusive Tresor label followed, with the debut LP, Basic Tonal Vocabulary, appearing on Tresor in 1997. Balance followed in 1998, as did Force and Form in 1999. Equally influenced by early electro-pop innovators like Tomita and YMO, experimental groups like Can, Faust and Suicide, and the tough grit of American electro and techno (Robert Hood, Hashim), Surgeon’s style of techno is both straightforward and subtly experimental.