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Elegy for a Lost Cosmonaut E​.​P

by Sumatran Black

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The Mission 10:05
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about

It’s clear pretty much from the jump that the astronaut on the cover of the new EP from the Turkish label Sumatran Black is in some kind of trouble. He’s just sort of hanging there, in close-up, against the deathly blackness of space. Whatever ship he took to get out there is nowhere in sight. The three songs that comprise this EP perfectly capture that feeling of sickening desolation. Sumatran Black describe the music they release as “Necro Chill,” and that pretty much nails the vibe. Album opener “The Mission” starts with a long, deep drone, gradually layering an extended, smoky, three-note synth melody. They extend each note for what feels like an eternity, and the fact that the song evolves so slowly only adds to the feeling of chilling isolation. On “Is This Heaven? (это рай)”—I’m going to guess the answer to that question is “Nyet”—high, keening notes extend far into the horizon, spilling across the song as slow as morning sunlight. The title track is by far the most chilling: there’s a blur of static in the background, and then a sustained orchestral swell that gradually pitch-bends into something sickening and uneasy. They repeat this pattern again and again—coming back down to the calm stasis of the crackling tones, then introducing the strings all over again. It feels like the awful internal cycle of panic, calming down for a few moments, then remembering your situation and panicking all over again. Sumatran Black say their music is designed for “contemplation”; they never tell you that what you’ll be contemplating is “the void.”

-J. Edward Keyes - Bandcamp Editorial Director

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released August 6, 2019

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Sumatran Black Records Istanbul, Turkey

Welcome to the home of Sumatran Black and his various associated side projects.

Sumatran Black - minimalist ambient blackness for dark relaxation and contemplation - "Necrochill"

Black Box Memories - nostalgic melodic lo-fi synthcore and dreamy themes of loneliness

Ataşehir - aspirational dystopian dark ambient drone

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