OMMA Catalogue Number
OMMA-0081
Artist
Drexciya
Title
Deep Sea Dweller
Release Details
Issued in 1992 as a 12-inch record on Shockwave Records (catalogue number SW1007), pressed in the United States and distributed as a commercial retail issue.
Edition & Variant Identification
First press, commercial retail edition, corresponding to the “First Pressing” variant as recorded in OMMA holdings.
Matrix & Pressing Data
Matrix / runout (A): SW-1007 A ≡ TECHNO FROM THE DEEP ≡ NSC. Matrix / runout (B): SW-1007 B DEEP H2O NSC National Sound – Detroit.
Physical Description
12-inch vinyl record on black vinyl, housed in a generic glossy blue sleeve. No inserts are present.
Factory-Origin Characteristics
No factory-origin anomalies are observed on the present copy.
Condition Report
The sleeve is graded VG+ and remains clean and visually sharp overall, with a sizeable corner bend at the upper corner. The vinyl is graded EX, retaining a fresh, glossy surface with only the lightest sleeve scuffs or superficial hairlines. The labels are graded VG+ with visible spindle trails and minor discoloration consistent with handling; the A-side label also bears neat, hand-drawn red-ink annotations, including highlights of Track 1 and a small sticker that includes a BPM notation. The sleeve carries a small working-DJ sticker noting “130 BPM” and “Techno” at the upper right of the front.
Provenance
Provenance: Discogs (seller: RecordParlour), 11 January 2026; acquired by the Origins of Modern Music Archive.
Market Context & Historical Notes
Deep Sea Dweller, Drexciya’s debut release, is the earliest foundation of the remarkable aquatic world-building the duo engaged in, with motifs that recur throughout Drexciya’s discography. The the group’s Afro-centric aquatic mythology of an undersea Atlantis-like culture that arose from the horrors of the trans-Atlantic slave-trade, begins here. The music, too, is otherworldly: precision drum programming and a deliberately severe rhythmic grid set against motifs of immersion, pressure, and engineered surreality. The group’s vision, a consistent story-telling that began with this first release, was ultimately immortalized by the Smithsonian (and bashed by the incoming Trump Administration as being anti-American).
Canonical Status in OMMA
This release is recognized by the Origins of Modern Music Archive as the artist’s canonical debut.
References and Source Documentation
