Sonus Umbra

Sonus Umbra have been making composed, coordinated sound for more than three decades. Founded by bassist Luis Nasser and rooted in Chicago, the collective has built a catalogue that Nasser describes, dryly, as approximating “what librarians call prog rock.” The lineup shifts by design, drawing on a wide circle of Chicago players and returning collaborators, which is why no two Sonus Umbra albums sound quite alike.

The band signed to ProgRock.com’s Essentials in 2023, ahead of their thirtieth anniversary and the release of Whiteout, their first fully instrumental record. Liminality follows it as their ninth studio album and their return to lyrics, with the largest ensemble the band has fielded in years.