PSiloMine Sun - Instrumentality

PsiloMine Sun

Instrumentality
self-released; 2025

TOP ALBUM

​By ​Dino DiMuro

My earliest band with my best friend began as a wild, raucous endeavor, but gradually became more space-like and proggy. When playing our tapes for friends, we insisted on their full attention in a darkened room, with other enhancements optional but encouraged (we called it “Zar Music”). Therefore it was fun for me to discover PsiloMine Sun, a mysterious musical duo who also create “music that is intended for active listening. Although this music is greatly enhanced on certain chemical compounds, it can still be very immersive no matter what state of mind the listener is in.” The band rightly fears that the “art of listening” is being lost, and they hope to reverse this trend with albums such as their newly released Instrumentality. 

Their stated purpose is to create music for “psychedelic therapy and beyond.” They hope to create music and videos to help manage grief, loss, depression and anxiety, coming out of their music with a greater sense of well-being. They use real instruments which undergo “a lot of granular synthesis.”  They describe their music as “ambient but kinetic, but also containing some catchy melodies.” They’ve designed the album to be played from beginning to end. With all this in mind, I was expecting more of an Eno Ambient-type project, and was surprised to actually encounter dream pop-style song structures along with some folk and Americana. 

“Into The Night” fades in on a wave of synth-like textures, both extended chords and bubbling Moog-like sounds. It reminds me of late nights fiddling with Ham Radio frequencies and how eerie and mysterious that could be. These sounds (without ever totally going away) lead into gently picked guitars playing a lovely, bittersweet chord cycle. The vocals are processed to the point where it’s not easy to decipher any of the lyrics, which may be the point: without the words right in your face, it’s easier for them to seep into one’s subconscious. This track leads without a pause into “Walking Each Other Home” which features synth pads plus animal-like electronic chirps, like a zoo on Mars. Slowly a slap-back beat appears, surrounded by swirling clouds of chords bathed in sweet feedback. The vocal here is slightly less murky, and overall I’d call this track dream pop, with elements of your favorite space-prog bands.

“Fables” has both a David Bowie-like title and music that recalls the Thin White Duke’s German period. After the first two, it’s nice to have a track with more of a forward drive, perfect for those who are tired of meditating and appreciate a little action. The ending has a bit of that classic weird late-Beatles vibe too.

With “Blood” we’ve moved even further away from the purely meditational model, with a lively trap beat, sweet picked guitars and a pop-inflected lead vocal. Imagine the Byrds even more psychedelic and you’re almost there. “Closer” has a similar vibe, with smartly constructed electric guitars following a paramilitary beat. Here I might point to Radiohead as a base line. Though most of these songs follow their patterns pretty faithfully, I have to say that melodically these guys always deliver the goods. 

“Two Sides One Way” starts very strangely, like an old folk song broadcast from space, then kicks in like Americana played by androids. You hear all the tropes you’d expect but they’re coming at you sideways, seemingly bouncing off metallic baffles. I’m fighting with myself about saying it, but I’m actually hearing a Monkees B-side here. There’s even a twisted banjo and acoustic piano! Given all that, I’d say this is my favorite track of all since I’m not really in the mood to space out. For those who prefer the folkier side of this duo, you can jump ahead to the gorgeous picked guitars and deep textures of “Fall Back.” The title track “Instrumentality” concludes the album, slowing rising with a heartbeat and pulsing synths. The vocals again seem to come from a silver cloud in the sky. it has a perfectly calibrated build from beginning to end, slowly adding layers and levels of intensity. 

There’s much more here than the tracks I’ve highlighted but it’s all consistently rewarding and worth a listen. Recommended!

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