Chino Amobi, the multi-talented American musician, painter, director, and graphic designer, has released his highly anticipated new single, “Space City”, alongside a visually arresting music video directed by his longtime collaborator, Nathan De Paz Habib. The track serves as a precursor to his upcoming album, Eroica II: Christian Nihilism, due out on October 31st via Drowned By Locals.
Space City: A Meditation on Houston, Memory, and Contradiction
Following the minimalistic, reflective tones of “Aristides”, Amobi's latest release, “Space City”, represents a darker, more magnetic exploration of his personal and philosophical terrain. With its atmospheric layers and brooding intensity, the track is a sonic descent into the depths of spiritual doubt, transcendence, and emotional reckoning.
In a statement about the track, Amobi shared:
“‘Space City’ is about my time spent living and rooted in Houston after travelling around the world and the influences that it has had on me mentally, physically, and psychically. It’s a drone-like meditation of The Eroica Onticide — where I am at in my life and philosophy, in truth and contradiction.”
The song is a profound meditation on place, memory, and the contradictions that define existence. The title “Space City” references Houston, Amobi's home after years of global travel, a city that stands as both a symbol of ambition and isolation. It reflects the spiritual tensions that run through Amobi’s life, blending drone-like minimalism with haunting atmospherics to craft a soundscape that is as cerebral as it is emotional.
The Video: A Haunting Visual Journey
To accompany the release, Amobi has teamed up once again with director Nathan De Paz Habib, who also crafted the visually stunning music video. The video, starring Rufin Doh, mirrors the song’s themes of internal struggle and transformation, enhancing the track’s brooding atmosphere with cinematic visuals that are both haunting and beautiful.
The cinematography by Andrea Pietro Munafó complements the track’s tonal depth, creating an immersive visual experience that amplifies the track’s themes of spiritual confrontation and introspection.
Eroica II: Christian Nihilism — A Deep Dive Into Spiritual Upheaval
Space City serves as a glimpse into the broader thematic landscape of Amobi’s upcoming album, Eroica II: Christian Nihilism. The album is set to explore spiritual doubt and transcendence in stark, minimalistic tones, marking a significant departure from the sweltering, postcolonial soundscapes of Amobi’s debut album, Paradiso (2017). While Paradiso was a fierce exploration of global South tensions, displacement, and resistance, Eroica II is more introspective—an exploration of memory, exile, and spiritual upheaval.
Drawing inspiration from a variety of genres, Amobi combines folky drones, glacial ambient textures, spectral trap, and sacred music influences to create a sound that is at once haunting and serene. The album’s minimalism invites listeners to reckon with silence, voids, and spiritual questions with contemplative force.
This transition from the confrontational to the contemplative signals Amobi’s growth as an artist—one who is less concerned with outward conflict and more focused on the internal struggles that define the human experience.
Chino Amobi: A Multifaceted Artist
Chino Amobi was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to Nigerian parents and grew up in Virginia. His early experiences, shaped by frequent trips to Nigeria, deeply informed his art and music. Initially, Amobi experimented with rap, alongside his brother (now known as Chichi The Eternal), before adopting the moniker Diamond Black Hearted Boy in the early 2010s. His early work was defined by raw, conceptual internet music that explored themes of futurism and emotional dissonance.
Amobi’s music has always pushed boundaries, blending genres and ideas in a way that defies categorization. He co-founded the influential label and art collective NON Worldwide alongside Angel-Ho and Nkisi, a platform dedicated to artists of the African diaspora. NON quickly gained global recognition for its radical political ethos and genre-defying sound.
Amobi’s works span across multiple disciplines, including fashion, film, and visual art. His visual work has been showcased in galleries across the world, with his paintings represented by major galleries in New York, Paris, and Washington, D.C.
Eroica II: Christian Nihilism — Tracklist
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The Triumph of the Cross
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Alpha and Omega
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Space City
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Hand of God
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The Eroica Mystery School
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I Love Beauty, I Am a Nihilist, but I Love Beauty
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I Wouldn't Be Alive Without You
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777
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222
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Wicked City
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Aristides
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This Is the Best of Seth Price
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Gallerina
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Legend
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Close Enemies (Bonus Digital)
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Pleiades (Bonus Digital)
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Glory to the Highest (feat. The Eternal) (Bonus Digital)
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You Want It Darker (Bonus Digital)
The Future of Chino Amobi
Amobi’s continued exploration of sound, memory, and existentialism has positioned him as one of the most intriguing and boundary-pushing artists of his generation. As Eroica II: Christian Nihilism looms on the horizon, his listeners can expect an album that challenges the very fabric of spiritual and sonic expression.
For now, the release of Space City offers a compelling taste of what’s to come—a track that’s both meditative and intense, filled with layers of meaning and sonic complexity. With a release date set for October 31st, Eroica II: Christian Nihilism promises to be an album of monumental emotional and philosophical weight.
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