Step into a sick rhythm. Surgery Channel is a constructed world where everything is piercing and pinpointed. Every word brings confrontation – The C.I.A. make you question what could be happening here…or what they’re after. Denée Segall (vocals, lyrics) is both haunting and seducing us at once with her voice. Something unhinged might be about to happen and they’re calmly dangling it over your head.

Sonically it’s all about precision and aim. But really, it’s a warning… amplified by the suspense of tick-tocking drum machine beats that resemble a hospital room. Ty Segall (bass, percussion, back up vocals) and Emmett Kelly (bass, synth, back up vocals) have painted a jarring and dissonant landscape behind Denée’s story. 

Surgery Channel’s lead single “Impersonator”beckons a new groove, with call and response bass hooks that resemble a sequenced dance track and background vocals that invite a very steamy dynamic. “Impersonator” was revealed today alongside its warped video.

Both Surgery Channel and The C.I.A’s first S/Trecord are ripe with straightforward conviction. However this most recent installment reveals a new side of their personality. Now The C.I.A. is communicating from an electrified, pulsating, metallic playpen that wants you to strut. Surgery Channel shows punks a new way to move while remaining loyal to the traditions of catharsis and social commentary. 

This record is an astute observation and blunt critique. Both inward and outward. It is an exploration into how harshly intimate that process can be. Surgery Channel was written in 2021 and was recorded by Mike Kriebel at Segall’s own Harmonizer Studios. The album sees its release January 20, 2022 via In The Red on vinyl and across all digital platforms.