Sumatraban is a rocknroll trio from a coastal village in San Diego, Baja, Calfornia. The group was formed by singer/guitarist/provocateur Glen Galloway (Trumans Water, Soul Junk, Octagrape), who brought on Octagrape drummer T.S. Ward and, after listening to his Shining Path records far too often, coaxed guitarist/organist Preston Swirnoff out of retirement.

Together, through their mutual love of all things motorik, psych-Japan, messthetical, post-post-punkard, and Beefheartian, the 3 have formed a sound they call ‘Now-Wave’. Sculpted via weird acute triangle of contact-mic'd drums, tri-amped guitar sub-octaves, and dripping discordant keys. Big dystopian/utopian ideas are packed into four minute song blasts to maintain urgency. It is the sound of invisible cities, impossible buildings, and extinct waterways. It soon became obvious that they must name themselves after that infamous imaginary Indonesian thoroughfare with no speed limits and a mind-bending roadside view: the Sumatra-bahn.

Released by Luau Records, London. June 29, 2018

All songs by Sumatraban (except 'Electric Heat' by The Visitors, 1979.) copyright 2018 all rights reserved.
Glen Galloway: guitar, vocals
Preston Swirnoff: guitar, organ
T.S. Ward: drums
Recorded to 4-track cassette by Ben Moore at Singing Serpent