Release of the Day: Lumerians - Transmissions from Telos vol. 3

Lumerians have a new record called Transmissions from Telos vol. 3. What's Telos? I actually think I know, and it's because I've always been a bit of a Greek logic/philosophy nerd. There's a haunting Greek word "Telos" that means the "end" or the "goal" or the "purpose" - this is where "Teleology" comes from, which is the study of purpose - why do objects or forms have purposes or intentions and what purposes exist? It's a pretty haunting question that hasn't been answered since Aristotle was alive, and probably never will be.

The reason I'm so sure that this is what Lumerians are signifying is that they continually run on the themes of consciousness, reality, space, and change throughout their work. Their tape The Weaning and the Dreaming, for instance, features the two songs "Consciousness Without An Object" and "An Object Without Consciousness." It's heavy stuff and these phrases are paramount examples and questions in teleology. Consciousness, especially considering whether or not it exists, plays a massive role in teleological meditations throughout Aristotle's Ethics and in Plato's Phaedra.

So this is a band that finds meaning (teleology in action, my boys!) in searching for purposes to search for, if you catch my drift. It's perfect for droning, abstract psychedelic music that puts the listener in a thoughtful headspace. The backbone is a psych groove that tends to rest on a bassline and a soft drum pattern, but synthesizers and guitars are what allow the music to journey, crackling surprisingly here and there throughout the four pieces on the record. A melodious synth may shift into a spaced-out cloud of electronics.

The record is as good as anything the band has released before, and if you're in the market for a pensive psychedelic mood, this should be the soundtrack for you.

Full album stream below