I was delighted, back in March, to have the opportunity to play Stupid Cosmonaut‘s debut single, ‘Salvia‘ on my ‘chromaticism’s revolutions on the radio‘ podcast.

“Stupid Cosmonaut are a Manchester-based pseudonymous musical entity consisting of Sam Read and Steven McNamara amongst others, experimenting with electronic, ambient and psychedelic soundscapes.”

Not ones to rest on their laurels, Stupid Cosmonaut return with a 5 track EP called ‘Abstract Concepts‘ – of which their bandcamp page enlightens, “Advancements in technology, our current understanding of our place in the universe and our ability to reach out into space would not be possible were it not for the minds of a select few individuals. People such as Nikola Tesla, Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking all formulated abstract concepts which were not readily accepted by the established scientists of their day. ‘Abstract Concepts‘ by Stupid Cosmonaut explores this notion.”

‘Long Term Survival‘, opens to the shearing metal whine of escape velocity, in search of space, white noise colonists, jettisoning booster stage rockets, humanity’s metaphysical outpouring; ‘Obsolete‘, intones a subtle anti(-e)quation, strains of balalaika, disturb dust motes dancing in sunbeams, a Kazakh launch-site, deserted by all bar a disembodied, repeating radio signal; ‘Tesla Is Not Dead‘, syncopates the great man’s cosmic heartbeat, via then New York Mayor, Fiorello Laguardia’s eulogy, to paraphrase – Stupid Cosmonaut, “are playing some music… Nikola Tesla would have liked.” Tesla and his ideals live on, in all who seek a paradigm, free from the tentacles of corporate, crypto-fascism; ‘Abstract Concepts‘, is underpinned with an Einstein quote, outlining the dangers of misinterpretation, this music box woven spell, suggestive of a simpler approach, where humanity’s welfare depends ultimately, on the realisation of shared and common goals; ‘Space Music‘, is a pirouetting, freeform, floating jazz soup, a vacuum vortex, of astronautical soundbytes; ‘A Complete Theory Of Everything‘, thrums with axiomatic soothing, stretching across aeons, of mankind’s ceaseless searching…

With ‘Abstract Concepts‘, Stupid Cosmonaut triumph in putting the Hawkwind into Hawking. This is an EP pregnant with suggestion, meteor shower shot through, with star gazing contemplation, an ambient drone tour de force.

Available now from Stupid Cosmonaut’s bandcamp page as a digital download, or as a limited edition of 50, hand lino-printed and signed cassettes.