Lowsunday – Low Sunday Ghost Machine Black EP
Lowsunday returns with Low Sunday Ghost Machine: Black EP, their second album of all-new material since 1999. According to Shane Sahene, the EP formed almost naturally during the creative process, with the band using what he refers to as a “Jungian shadow” approach, digging into deeper emotions and personal themes while allowing the songs to evolve organically beyond conscious control. That openness to emotions becomes one of the release’s distinctive characteristics.
You’re So Wired: The EP begins with “You’re So Wired,” a single with a retro-futuristic vibe formed by synth sounds and deep bass-driven drumming. When the bass and guitars fully join the mix, the song sounds like a forgotten gem from the early 1980s darkwave era. The distant, isolated vocals, along with the reverbed production, create a dreamy, and sometimes dark, atmosphere that seems deep through headphones. The atmosphere is hypnotic and dramatic, encouraging the listener to completely lose themselves in the colours and mood.
Shattered: “Shattered” takes a significantly warmer and more uplifting tone while maintaining the band’s dark rock sound. The bass is more obvious in this audio mix, allowing the listener to focus on the rhythmic complexities and layered instruments. There are moments that somewhat recall The Stone Roses’ melodic warmth, particularly the interaction of groove and mood. The mastering sounds polished and professional, though a little more separation between the instruments would have improved the clarity even more. However, the atmosphere maintains one of the track’s strongest aspects.
Someone To Talk To: “Someone to Talk To” is one of the EP’s standout tracks. Groovy drumming allows the bass to progressively complete the arrangement, eventually resulting in a dark but playful groove with experimental synth noises in the background. Through headphones, the melody becomes deeply engaging, with hypnotic bass rhythms, layered drum patterns, and weird electronic details creating a nearly psychedelic experience. The combination of groove, mood, and audio experimentation makes this one among the EP’s most intriguing and engaging moments.
This Is Not Heaven: “This Is Not Heaven” begins with groovy percussion and reverbed guitars, creating a lovely but chaotic mood. The layered production offers a surreal atmosphere that combines melancholy and mystical peacefulness. The music has a philosophical effect, taking the listener to a state midway between dreaming and spiritual surrender, when melody and atmosphere become unavoidably interconnected.
Don’t Want To Dream Again: “Don’t Want To Dream Again” concludes the EP by diving deeper into post-punk and darkwave aesthetics with a mid-tempo composition that mixes atmospheric romance with soft, dance-oriented rhythms. The track expresses the EP’s intellectual character especially well, mixing groove, thought, and complex production into a single finale with long-lasting feeling.
Overall, Low Sunday Ghost Machine: Black EP works as a fascinating journey through darkwave, post-punk, and atmospheric rock. Its power is not only in the lyrics, but also in the mental truth and hypnotic production, which take the EP to a very dark and meditative listening experience.
photo by Christina Sahene
https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com
