Sophia Oscillations, the second studio offering from Detroit’s Mission to the Sun, drenches the listener in the murkier recesses of post-industrial soundscapes. Keeping with the aural journey they commenced in their seminal work, “Cleansed by Fire,” the duo delves further into the abyss of alienation and broken dialogues. Mission to the Sun is comprised of Chris Samuels (Ritual Howls) and Kirill Slavin (vocals/lyrics).
Samuels’ orchestration of synths, samples, and rhythmical algorithms blends seamlessly with Kirill Slavin’s ghostly vocal renderings, drawing in the listener to receive intermittent auditory dispatches from the cosmic void of introspective dimensions. An offering that challenges the boundaries of traditional music, “Sophia Oscillations” is a testimony to the duo’s relentless commitment to their craft and their pursuit of novel sounds, yet brings to mind Throbbing Gristle, Coil, and Fad Gadget.
The single and album title track, “Sophia Oscillations,” dishes up a hauntingly spectral and labyrinthine experience. Displaying a deft hand at fusing the organic human voice with synthetic auditory components, they serve up compositions steeped in an uncanny symphony of sonic disturbance. With this bizarre offering, Mission to the Sun has harnessed the cosmic static to bring forth an immersive soundscape that blurs the line between the familiar and the alien. “Sophia Oscillations” lays the groundwork for the rest of the record’s recurring theme of remoteness and isolation, rhythmically undulating through a spectrum of sentiments.
Although it doesn’t have the hallmarks of a typical club hit banger, the song is a pensive, intellectual, and peculiar piece – akin to deciphering coded pulses from an elusive, far-flung cosmic journey. It’s a deep dive into post-industrial, musique concrete sound experimentations, invoking imagery of the vast space-time expanse. The listener is coaxed to stop, reflect, and delve into the mysterious depths of its intricate patterns.
The nightmarish video clip directed by Socpens feels like ‘wandering the backrooms,’ as we encounter a series of mysterious people in a strangely lit basement hallway. Who are they? What are they doing? Are they demons, moments from a dream, or spirits warning us? It’s an unsettling, frightening bit of eerie cinema – yet absolutely spellbinding to watch: its DIY Blair Witch feel makes it all the creepier.
Watch the video below:
Sophia Oscillations is out July 14th via Felte. Pre-order the album here.
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