Pleasure Dome EP

‘Deep inside my pleasure dome…’
Following an appearance on the 2022 WE ARE NOT ALONE compilation, Berlin via-Toronto resident Callum Magnum presents Pleasure Dome, his debut solo EP on BPitch.
Inspired by time spent as a resident bathhouse DJ at Steamworks Baths in Toronto – as well as his involvement with queer communities at large – Pleasure Dome appeals to a dark, sensual nature, exploring the dynamics of modern sex culture with an almost voyeuristic viewpoint. Drawing upon notions of love that can be emotionally distant but deeply sexual, Callum’s productions here lean into both subtle sonic detailings and maximal effects that speak to all kinds of sensorial response. Guiding the EP are Callum’s own vocals, delivered in a seductive yet detached manner, as if the narrator is both part of and outside the experience.
Opening the proceedings, the title track gently expands from a distant acid loop, driven forward by a tripped out robotic voice over pummelling hammer bass. ‘Seductor’ heightens the tension with a faster, bouncing cut of echoing bells and buoyant percussion. Heading into a more explosive realm, ‘Welcome To Nu Rave’ features euphoric builds that rise and fall over pounding drums. ‘Come to Play’ keeps the peaktime energy rolling with industrial leads and playful lasers. Closing things off is ‘Dangerous Obsession’, a headspin of distorted percussive effects and pitch bending acid spirals; a fitting climax to the EP.
Pleasure Dome reflects on underrepresented aspects of queer culture, documenting the experience of a bathhouse in all of its allures and contradictions.