♫♪  Heatsick - “Tertiary”

So, you may have noticed PAN Records just shat out a whole bunch of good shit (so to speak). Well, a piece of said shit is Steven Warwick’s new record as Heatsick, entitled Intersex. Warwick, who is one half of Birds of Delay, titled the album as a nod to “the work of German sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld,” according to a press release. I will admit I had never heard of the guy, so I Googled his ass and learned he was a pioneer for sexual reform and gay rights who wrote essays and books regarding these subjects (many of which were later burned by Nazis). In the 1890s, he founded an organization called the Scientific Humanitarian Committee that aimed to repeal a German penal code that criminalized homosexuality. The committee’s motto was “Justice Through Science,” and it hoped that a better scientific understanding of homosexuality would help eliminate hostility toward homosexuals (thanks Wikipedia :p). And that was over a century ago! The world still hasn’t figured this shit out! Well, without getting too opinionated-college-thesis on yo’ ass, it is obvious this guy is important to a movement that’s still suppressed and misunderstood.

Admittedly, it’s kind of hard to hear a direct reference to the grandfather of gay rights in a recording that is essentially instrumental. When I think of music that is sexual or seductive, I think of “Let’s Get It On” and Ginuwine, not electronic music made entirely by a Casio keyboard and guitar pedals. In fact, the album starts out with a short track featuring Warwick wordlessly singing along to a familiar string melody, and it doesn’t feel sexy at all.

But as the second track creeps along a pre-programmed tango beat on the Casio, a steady bass line chugs through electronic trills, and finally an effeminate male voice emerges from the background, discussing “adventures,” “planets,” and “running around.” At this point, I realize this isn’t a sexy album in the way that Barry White gives you a wide-on; it’s more about personal fantasies, even feeling voyeuristic if you let it (the track repeats itself for 13 minutes, so there is a lot of time to think about this). “Tertiary,” the one you can enjoy for now below, is slightly shorter and just a tad sexier, with a more seductive bass line and playful vibes tickling the otherwise robotic groove.

Sex-driven or not, Intersex is a fun ride, and y’all should just tear your pants off and join in!

• PAN: http://pan-act.com
• Heatsick: http://pan-act.com/pages/releases/pan19.html

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CHOCOLATE GRINDER is our audio/visual section, with an emphasis on the lesser heard and lesser known. We aim to dig deep, but we’ll post any song or video we find interesting, big or small.

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