dead souls by steven leak

released January 27, 2025

it was late october of 2024 and i was reading a book by nikolai gogol . . . such a really cool (longgggg) book that alternately lead me into feelings of despair for the human condition, while also leading into hilarity about the very same matter. at one point in the novel, nikolai writes: “what is there so splendid in these melancholy songs? they do but increase one’s depression of spirits.”
well, that's a fair call nikolai. I can't push past the truth that this album is made up of "difficult and sometimes melancholy music" . . .

“dead souls” represents the third element in a trilogy of music that arrived in october and november of 2024. “dark waves” has already been released on MIST.
its sister album “lightwave swimmers” has not been released yet.
my goal with this trilogy was to develop approaches to integrating human voices into my music. what i didn’t anticipate was that in so doing, a lot of music i otherwise wouldn’t have welcomed and made my own also arrived.

"dead souls" was created using Arturia Minifreak and Microfreak synthesizers. i ran many of the signals from these two synths through Red Panda Tensor and Particle pedals, a TC Infinite pedal, a Zoom multiplex pedal. I also incorporated shortwave radio signals, my own treated voice, tuned wine glasses, a tuned and treated stainless steel water container . . . and found objects and sounds. All of this was at some time or another, live-room recorded onto a Zoom H4N.

Composed and produced by Steven Leak Canada
Additional sonic treatments and reconfigurations by Erik Emil Eskildsen Denmark
Cover art Tobias Reber Switzerland
Mixed and mastered by Erik Emil Eskildsen Denmark