I’ve followed Sheffield based cosmic proggy post-rockers Dead Cosmonauts since purchasing their very first EP on cassette back in early 2020. And to top that, my old band Agvirre did a very special split single with them on a quirky 8″ (yes 8″) vinyl. So I was incredibly pleased that the stars aligned for me to work on their debut full length album Parasomnia.
I was so excited when the album landed in my inbox and I got to experience an advance listen. Recorded by Sheffield legend Adam Zejma at Tye Die Studios, I could tell immediately that the guys had gone next level and really stepped up the scope of their songwriting, the ambition of their craft, as well as capturing their wild live energy. This dystopian sci-fi concept album is thoughtful, challenging, complex and versatile, spreading far beyond any one genre tag you can throw at it. The sound, depth, atmosphere and variety the album has to offer just blew my head off! Topping this, the album received a beautiful orange and blue splatter vinyl record in collaboration with Do It Thissen and Trepanation Recordings. Sadly Dead Cosmonauts decided to call time on the band in early 2024, leaving behind a small but very impressive discography.
ACCOLADES
“This fear is realised through Dead Cosmonauts’ surreal post-orientated soundscape, the group leading us through the choking gloom, offering moments of vibrancy and always showcased in a dynamic way.”
~ GBHBL – 9/10
“Dead Cosmonauts take you into the turbulence with an expectation that you might not come out of it alive. The outcome is as immersive as a daydream of strolling among the Moon’s craters.”
~ Scream Blast Repeat – 8/10
“Parasomnia is ambitious, intelligent and emotive art. Instrumental music may not be to everyone’s liking, but Dead Cosmonauts deliver hooks, riffs and thunderous drumming, coupled with a tenderness and narrative that begs to be heard.”
~ The Sleeping Shaman
FROM THE PRESS KIT
An Orwellian dystopian sci-fi concept album at heart, Parasomnia is a surreal and dreamlike psychodrama for the ears built on labyrinthine song structures, exuberant musicianship, brilliant textures, angular rhythms, and thrilling twists and turns. Largely instrumental in approach, each track is woven together through the stark voice narration by radio presenter Alibhe Waterhouse, depicting an inhospitable endtime society polluted by chaos, despair and hostility. Just looking at the striking, surreal album cover art solidifies the idea of the lines blurring between reality and nightmares, and how the coldness and austerity of modern living seeps into our unconscious fears. Dead Cosmonauts’ fiery, energetic and cerebral performances play off of these themes in defiance and rebellion, bringing new life, hope and possibilities to the fore.
Parasomnia came to life during a world in lockdown and turmoil, finding new creative energy from such stagnant times. Dead Cosmonauts recorded with unsung producer, engineer and Sheffield hero Adam Zejma at Tye Die Studios – who has a proven ear for bringing out bold dynamics, density, nuance and textures in his recordings, having previously worked with Ba’al, Aidan Baker, Lo Egin, Sister Wives and his own band Naisian. Dead Cosmonauts truly utilise space and considered dynamics across these six tracks to tell a story not just through the album’s bold conceptual themes, but through the music, the interplay, plus the narrative ebb and flow. The band have brought in instruments from outside their live setup into the sonic environment to add extra spice and variety. Scraping violin and wandering double-bass punctuate the sorrowful lament ‘Swallowed In Dark Waters’, whilst mournful synths and effects pedals broaden the contemplative ‘Beneath The Choking Sky’. The album’s two centrepieces dazzle from the ten minute workout and lead single ‘Kenopsia’, which bursts with ideas and urgency, whilst ‘In Spirals It Took Everything’ is the sweetest and most subversive spot – a beautiful and chilling ambient modulated synth composition sounding akin to Sigur Ros or Jon Hopkins. Parasomnia concludes as fiery as it begins, with crunchy stabbing basslines and angular metal riffage, culminating in a record that bursts with flavour and versatility, built on daring ideas, surprising moments and a fully realised concept at its heart.
“We want Parasomnia to be a reflection of the world and current affairs that we feel trapped within, highlighting themes of mental health struggles, societal collapse, political unrest – and how the news and social media have become things to fear and keep us up at night, unwillingly ingraining into our collective subconscious. It’s our nightmare and unfortunately everyone else’s too.”
~ DEAD COSMONAUTS
Released on November 17th 2023 on Vinyl, CD, Cassette and Digital through Do It Thissen and Trepanation Recordings.
PR TRAIL 