''Submers'' is an album by Canadian musician Scott Morgan under the alias of

Loscil Loscil is the electronic/ ambient music project of Scott Morgan from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Morgan launched the project in Vancouver in 1998 while a member of the multimedia collective Multiplex, which curated audiovisual events at a ...

. It was released in 2002 by Kranky.

Production and style

Large portions of the music on ''Submbers'' was from

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

that had been sampled and distorted by Morgan.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

described the sound on ''Submbers'' as not being very different from than Morgan's previous album ''Triple Point'', noting that the "only significant difference is the emphasis on waves of rhythm over thumps and pulses." Each track on ''Submers'' is named after a

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

. These ranged from early submarines such as the

Gymnote ''Gymnote'' was one of the world's first all-electric submarines and the first functional submarine equipped with torpedoes. Launched on 24 September 1888, she was developed in France following early experiments by Henri Dupuy de Lôme, and, a ...

to the

Russian submarine Kursk (K-141) K-141 ''Kursk'' (russian: Атомная Подводная Лодка «Курск» (АПЛ «Курск»), transl. , meaning "Atomic-powered submarine ''Kursk''") was an Oscar II-class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine of the Rus ...

Release

''Submers'' was released by Kranky via compact disc on November 4, 2002. The album was reissued on vinyl for the first time on November 23, 2018 by Kranky.

Reception

gave the album four and a half stars out of five, stating that the album "tops Morgan's impressive debut and provides further proof that the field of ambient techno continues to have plenty to offer"

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...

gave the album an 8.0 rating out of a possible 10, noting that "the delicate touches are what really make it." ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

'' praised the album for "spellbinding songs and creating a continuously absorbing record" and that "Submers resonates with remarkable elegance from its opening tones to its closing echoes" Reviewing the reissue in 2018, Rob Nay of ''

'' noted that "These low end-heavy grooves sound perfectly aquatic on wax; kudos are in order for Kranky, who have polished up an already glistening gem for further appreciation."

Track listing

All songs composed and produced by Scott Morgan. # "Argonaut I" – 7:07 # "Gymnote" – 5:57 # "Mute" – 7:30 # "Nautilus" – 6:59 # "Diable Marin" – 4:13 # "Resurgam" – 7:35 # "Le Plongeur" – 7:07 # "Triton" – 6:43 # "Kursk" – 7:10

Credits

Credits adapted from the album's sleeve. * Scott Morgan – composer, producer, music * Emplus Creative Solutions – cover design

Notes