Three minutes into the title track of Sexy Merlin’s Heater, having built up a thicket of layered percussion loops, synthetic bass, and echoing disco keyboards, Sean Dunal begins to sing. Somewhere between a chant and a whisper he intones “Deeper and deeper into the night,” before mysteriously adding “you’re gonna be my heater tonight.” As the sole member of Sexy Merlin, Dunal has spent the last few years constructing enigmatic dance music from the barest of means.
Dunal, drummer for gloomy synth punks Mausoleum and psychedelic folk group Moon King, Dunal started Sexy Merlin as a percussion-only project, but has slowly expanded his musical palate to incorporate dense electronic textures. With the October release of Heater on Pleasance Records, Sexy Merlin’s stripped-down and playful DIY disco has the potential to go far beyond Toronto. Dunal dropped by the office to talk about recording, dance culture, and the occasional advantages of bad sound systems.
The Varsity
Tell me a little about the album Heater — what makes it different from what you’ve done before?
Sean Dunal
I started using a sampler over the past five or six months. This is kind of the evolution of what I’ve been working on. I did this seven-inch about a year ago and I was still experimenting … I was using acoustic percussion mainly, like pitched cowbells, and I was trying to do everything live. [But] it sounded like one person, and that’s not what I really wanted. So I started using loops, samplers, and electronic drums primarily. I started singing, so that was also pretty new. Although “Heater” the single was different, because it was kind of me and the producer, Brandon Hocura. I had this idea for a long, 10-minute, classic disco single, that could be remixed or whatever. The form wasn’t all there, and I just messed around with some synthesizers in his studio and started doing some pretty basic drum programming, but having layers of four or five different beats that would create a nice texture. Then the song just kind of came into creation.
The Varsity
Is there a specific time of day that you think your music is suited for in terms of when you play it or when you want people to hear it?
Sean Dunal
I guess the nighttime generally works, but within that — I’ve played some really late shows recently and that seems to have a bigger effect, because people are just in a different mood at one in the morning. But I’ve done afternoon festivals, and as long as people are just in that kind of happy zone, it doesn’t really matter. But yeah, the style of music I’m playing has always been associated with late-night clubs, all night dance parties.
The Varsity
How interested are you in the idea of dance music? Like clubs in New York in the late ‘70s or more techno-like stuff in Europe?
Sean Dunal
I like it a lot. I like how with dance music there’s so many possibilities. A lot of people when they consider dance music, it’s like … a big club downtown. But it doesn’t have to be that, and it isn’t. The most interesting dance music is stuff that’s weird. It can be experimental, but it still make you dance. There’s a couple guys from that late ‘70s New York scene that I really like. Arthur Russell for instance is a personal favourite, but Larry Levan has some really great remixes. And now there’s a lot of good DJs, like Azari & III. They’re doing some cool techno, house stuff, and they’re playing arenas. It’s not exclusive to the club anymore. Then just the number of venues in Toronto now, it doesn’t have to be a club with a sound system. It can be an art-gallery basement, or somebody’s backyard. It’s really versatile I think. That’s almost more exciting than going to a big club where all you can hear is the sub-woofer.
The Varsity
When do you write songs and practice? Is it just sort of the on-the-go thing?
Sean Dunal
Yeah, I do it when I can. Because I’m using a lot of electronic drums I can practice at home. I just have a set-up in my back room with headphones, and that’s where I make a lot of my samples. I’ll just be messing around there and because it’s my house there’s no pressure. But before a show I do like to get into a real space with drums, and I’ve done hourly rooms cause when you’re paying by the hour the pressure is on. You’re motivated to get it done.
The Varsity
Do you think you’re in an interesting position because what you do is sort of in-between live and more programmed music?
Sean Dunal
I think I straddle that world of live performer and DJ because a lot of what I’m doing now is sample-based. So I can do sets that are completely electronic. Like if I was in the position where like, “Oh this place has a really great sound system,” it might be better if I just used electronics. Or I can do like some dirty punk show in a garage with mainly acoustic drums.
The Varsity
Have you done a completely digital set?
Sean Dunal
I have, for NXNE this year I had a bunch of shows on the same day. So I managed to fit my electronic stuff into my backpack, and I could bike to the shows. I just had the sampler, and then four pads and a mic. It worked nicely. But with the electronic stuff … I find you really have to commit to the performance, and you’ve gotta bring a lot of the energy. It’s easier to get into with an acoustic drum kit, which is why I still use them I think.
The Varsity
Because people can connect with them better?
Sean Dunal
Yeah, or I can connect as the performer. When I’m hitting something and getting that instant sound back, it’s like “Ok, this is happening.” Versus the pads, it’s synthetic. You gotta provide all that live energy. The machine’s not going to do it for you.
