Italian psych band Cosmic Room 99 recently released their debut self-titled album on Sister 9 Recordings (UK), Little Cloud Records (US) and Shyrec (Italy).
The band’s name was inspired by a documentary called ‘The Cosmic Room’, which tells the story of NATO employee Bob Cohen accidentally discovering a top-secret plan to eradicate part of the world’s population to maintain Earth’s sustainability. The number 99 in numerology represents someone who uses their gifts to make the world a better place, encapsulating the band’s ethos.
Drawing influences from a diverse range of sources, including the obsessive rhythms of The Velvet Underground, the dreamy psychedelia of Syd Barrett’s Pink Floyd, the harmonies of The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, the sharp feedback of The Jesus and Mary Chain, the austere wave of Joy Division, and the deep, abysmal worlds of Bauhaus, all linked by a punk attitude. The album was recorded primarily in their home studio in Treviso, Italy, where band members played various instruments, creating a collaborative and cohesive work.
Opening with the haunting ‘Mastermind’, ethereal vocals couple with removed beats and distorted guitar, this track is the perfect opening, and despite their being singles prior to the release, is a perfect introduction to what this band are about. ‘Plastic Venus’ is a softer entity, with a bouncier countenance. The band explains “everything is fiction, everything is altered, everything is seen through filters, nowadays even Venus is made out of Plastic”. ‘E-Corp’ could be considered too happy for a post-punk track, with its dreamscape producing harmonies which float you along the edge of your own consciousness. ‘Red Lights’ picks up the pace once again and has elements that fans of A Place to Bury Strangers will really enjoy. ‘One Side Dice’ and ‘Atmosphere’ make a heady cocktail that combines sound in such a way its hard to pinpoint what is so so enchanting about them, its best to just turn the volume up and soak them in.
‘Days of Violence’ is another dreamy number, but yet always on the edge there is a hint of something darker, something feral that is being held at bay. ‘Dreaming Wonder’ stands out as being a little different, perhaps because the lyrics hint at that aforementioned darkness being released. ‘Breathe’ pulls you along with it, partly due to the repetition created until it changes track mid way, keeping you on your toes. ‘20 Force Heaven’ is pacey, and relentless, with an energy that doesn’t let up and leaves you breathless. The aptly named concluding ‘Way Out’ channels a lot of their influences with splashes shining through, yet at the same time something new and unmatched resonates.
Its evident to any listener Cosmic Room 99 know what they are doing, their careful manipulation of sound, tempo and texture have resulted in a debut that’s quite unlike anything else.
