The vacuum of space is an almost perfect void, where sound cannot travel due to the lack of a medium. In this silent expanse, temperatures vary dramatically depending on exposure to sunlight or shadow; objects in direct sunlight can reach scorching temperatures over 250°F, while those in shadow can plummet to frigid lows near -450°F. This extreme environment, characterized by its silence and thermal extremes, challenges both human exploration and technology.
But it also inspires imagination.
It’s no mystery that mostly instrumental Miami band SUMO identifies with the most ethereal subgenres of rock n’ roll: post-rock, space Rock, shoegaze, and experimental. Helmed on guitar by Chris Salazar and bassist Amado Ventura, the lineup now counts on Hector Mojena behind the drums.
Years ago, I referred to the band as a “sum of its parts forever locked in the turbulent cycle of creation and destruction,” a description I continue to stand behind. I continued the description by juxtaposing opposite forces, forces that all makeup the larger canon of science fiction and man’s relationship to space exploration. I can only think of 90’s darlings Failure having a stronger connection to all that lies beyond the stars.
This time around, I’ll add that in my opinion, they have now surpassed former locals, The Axe & The Oak, as South Florida’s foremost eternal tinkerers. And I say this with the utmost respect for their process and methodology – a friendly jab at the length of time between releases and the few opportunities to see them live during the year. But I guess that if I must take the spirit of outer space into consideration, we haven’t exactly learned how to fold space and hyper jump between stars yet. So patience will be the key.
SUMO New Album
SUMO’s upcoming third album, the aptly titled III, drops December 13th and was recorded by Jonathan Nuñez at Sound Artillery Studios. Before we discuss the music, I’d like to point out the creative choices behind the cover’s design. In other releases the band has adhered to style. For the ATMOS EPs, they’ve maintained name placement with backgrounds showing planetary approximation. For their first two albums, they’ve gone with a 60’s vibe that incorporates the labyrinthine look of their logo. For III, I’m getting a weird cross between the Cube movie series, LeMarchand Boxes, and Marvel’s tesseract that can somehow also be a postcard from a beachside town – all that simply from choosing a cursive font for their name.
Maybe I’m reading too much into that. I probably am.
The album takes listeners through an unrelenting sonic odyssey opening with “Alyssa” and then weaving a textured landscape of tonal odes to constellations and galaxies. The journey intensifies as it winds toward the haunting lead single, “Shadow of Antiope,” a track that effortlessly ebbs between feelings of nostalgia and pounding rhythms that rumble with unrestrained heaviness. Easy standouts “Eta Carinae” and “Cygnus” tie it all together after the appropriate disruptions of their micro-homages to the Search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) with “SETI 3” and “SETI 4.”
Founded in 2013, SUMO has independently released two full-length albums (ONE in 2018 and TWO in 2021) and three ambient singles (the ATMOS series) on their own label, Rikishi Records. All are available on sumomiami.bandcamp.com.
